If you have ever had trouble walking or even using your legs, you may feel hopeless, wondering if anything can be done. You may be terrified that it will take you months or years to recover. However, with the advancement of medical science, there are many more surgical options for patients with difficulty walking or moving.
For example, on February 7, 2013, Dr. Armen Khachatryan, a spinal surgeon based in Utah, performed a microdiscectomy on a patient who thought he had lost and would never regain control of his left leg and foot. However, six months later, this young father of three ran the Little Cottonwood Half Marathon and was even able to finish third overall!
Microdiscectomy surgery essentially consists of removing a small part of the bone over the nerve root or disc material under the root to alleviate neural impingement and allow for the nerve to heal properly. This form of surgery is commonly performed for a herniated lumbar disc, according to Spine Health.
In addition, Dr. Khachatryan is the first surgeon in all of Utah to be authorized for performing a level 2 disc replacement surgery using a new FDA-approved product. On top of this, Dr. Khachatryan will be teaching other surgeons in the area how to properly use this device during an operation. This particular device is part of the second generation of artificial disc replacement surgery. Studies have shown that artificial disc replacement is superior to cervical fusion surgeries.
Four years ago, spine surgeons at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that artificial disc replacement surgery is often better than the more common spinal fusion surgery, according to the ScienceDaily.
“Those who received the artificial disc either did equally as well or a little bit better than those who had fusion surgery,” Dr. K. Daniel Riew, a cervical spine surgeon at Washington University Orthopedics and Barnes-Jewish Hospital, told the news source. “One of the most important findings was that people who got the artificial disc were able to preserve all of their motion.”
Clearly, the advancement of medical science and surgical knowledge has brought us a new era in which patients who have lost the ability to walk or move should not fret and know that there are many opportunities available to them.