Neurosurgeon Performs First Bryan Disc Surgery

For many years cervical fusion was the only surgical option for patients suffering from chronic neck pain or single cervical disc degeneration.  The recent creation and approval of artificial discs offer patients a new treatment option, allowing greater mobility and range of motion and dramatically improved recovery times.  However, these initial artificial discs use hardware such as screws and pins.

H. Dennis Mollman, M.D., Ph.D. of Saint Luke's Neuroscience Institute of Kansas City, performed the first Bryan Disc surgery in Missouri, Kansas, and Iowa, offering patients in the Midwest a new option for dealing with chronic neck pain. The Bryan Disc is an artificial cervical disc replacement which requires no hardware and can simply slide in and replace the patient's damaged natural disc.

"In the past cervical fusion was the standard treatment option," says Dr. Mollman, "Fusing the bones together limited range of motion and generally required a three month recovery as we waited for the bones to grow together.  The Bryan Disc allows patients to retain or regain range of motion and most are back to their normal activities within two weeks, a vastly improved recovery time."

As opposed to a lengthy cervical fusion surgery of four to six hours, the Bryan Disc surgery takes approximately 45 minutes. Patients generally leave the hospital the next day.  According to Dr. Mollman, these factors, coupled with the fact the Bryan Disc more closely resembles the patient's own natural disc, make it an appealing treatment option for patients considering cervical fusion or disc replacement.