DISC Nucleoplasty - FAQ

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What is DISC Nucleoplasty?
Has it been approved by the FDA?
How does it work?
Is DISC Nucleoplasty effective?
Is DISC Nucleoplasty safe?
What about recovery?
How have patients reacted to DISC Nucleoplasty?
Who is an ideal patient for DISC Nucleoplasty?
What about exclusion criteria?
Which works better, DISC Nucleoplaty or microdiskectomy?

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What is DISC Nucleoplasty?
Decompression Involving Spinal Coblation (DISC) Nucleoplasty is controlled, localized percutaneous disk decompression using a biplor radio frequency device.
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Has it been approved by the FDA?
Yes, for treatment of low back pain associated with contained (protruded) herniated disks.
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How does it work?
Coblation, using the Perc-D SpineWand, ablates tissue, creating a series of channels within the disk. As the wand is withdrawn, the channels are thermally treated, producing a zone of thermal coagulation. Damage to collateral tissues is minimal because of the low temperatures (40-70C). It is an outpatient procedure that is performed in less than an hour with local anesthesia.
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Is DISC Nucleoplasty effective?
Yes. Clinical studies have demonstrated that DISC Nucleoplasty removes nucleus pulposus with no damage to surrounding structures, it can significantly reduce intradiskal pressure and it can dramatically reduce pain levels.
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Is DISC Nucleoplasty safe?
Yes. More than 7,000 patients have been treated to date with no device-related adverse events.
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What about recovery?
Recovery is rapid (usually within eight to ten days) with no postoperative bracing required.
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How have patients reacted to DISC Nucleoplasty?
89% of patients report that they are satisfied.
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Who is an ideal patient for DISC Nucleoplasty?
DISC Nucleoplasty is designed for patients who have not responded to rest, medical intervention (including one selective nerve root block injection), and/or physical therapy.
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What about exclusion criteria?
No patients should have this procedure who has a spinal fracture or tumor, extruded disk, severely degenerative disk diseas, complete annular disruption, or moderate to severe spinal stenosis.
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Which works better, DISC Nucleoplaty or microdiskectomy?
This depeneds on the size of the protrusion. Microdiskectomy has a high success rate for protrusions with an AP diameter >9mm, too large for DISC Nucleoplasty. DISC Nucleoplasty has a high success rate for protrusions with AP diameter <6mm. Microdiskectomy only has 24% success rate with this group.
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