If you suffer from low back pain caused by degenerative disc disease (DDD) or discogenic pain, VIA Disc could be an option – not only for relieving the pain but reversing the damage and repairing the discs from the inside. This cutting-edge therapy is a non-surgical treatment option for patients suffering from chronic lower back pain resulting from DDD.
What is VIA Disc?
VIA Disc is a non-surgical, injectable allograft that utilizes allogeneic tissue and micronized disc material to repair degenerative discs. It is a proven therapy that has been shown in clinical trials to repair damage to degenerative discs and provide significant pain relief and improved function.
INDICATIONS
One of the most common causes of chronic low back pain is degeneration of the lumbar intervertebral discs, better known as degenerative disc disease or DDD. Previously, there was no way to reverse degenerative discs. Once discs were damaged, the condition was permanent, or at least it was! Age-related wear and tear of discs causes a loss of water from within the disc, or dehydration, and degeneration. Not all degenerated discs are immediately painful, however once a disc starts to degenerate, it can develop cracks and tears which will make it susceptible to injury later on.
Indications include:
– Degenerative Disc Disease
– Discogenic Pain
NON-SURGICAL, MINIMALLY INVASIVE PROCEDURE
Percutaneous delivery of allograft through a 22G spinal needle
Outpatient procedure with short recovery time
Anatomy preserving, minimally invasive option performed with fluoroscopic guidance
How Does VIA Disc NP Work?
What to Expect with VIA Disc NP?
Pre-Procedure
The nucleus pulposus particulate is mixed together with saline for delivery into your intervertebral disc.
Intravenous antibiotics may be given before the VIA Disc NP Procedure to reduce risk of infection.
Procedure
The VIA Disc NP procedure is performed under strict sterile conditions.
The VIA Disc NP procedure can be performed under local anesthesia or moderate sedation may be recommended by your physician. A procedure involving your pain-generating intervertebral disc can be painful.
During the procedure, your physician will use fluoroscopy (a computer tomography scan that continues to take images during the procedure so that the physician can see where the needle is going).
Your physician will insert a needle through the skin and muscle into the center of the intervertebral disc. VIA Disc NP will slowly be delivered into the center of the intervertebral disc.
Post-Procedure
You may experience pain and soreness after the procedure, which is normal. This pain may be due to increased pressure within your intervertebral disc.
It is important to follow your physician’s instructions after the procedure. You may be instructed to keep your activity to the normal activities of daily life and limit physical or strenuous activity for 72 hours post-procedure.
Your physician may prescribe certain pain medications (e.g. analgesics, steroid dose pack, muscle relaxants). You may experience moderate to severe pain after injection into an intervertebral disc, and oral medications may be needed promptly to treat this post-injection pain and discomfort. An ice pack may be given to place over the injection site in the event of post-injection site discomfort. Your physician may suggest a back brace or recommend physical therapy to make you feel more comfortable following your procedure.
A follow-up appointment will typically be scheduled two to four weeks after the procedure to monitor your pain and comfort. Additional follow-up appointments may be scheduled at the discretion of your physician to assess your condition.
It is important that you consult with your physician for medical advice, including any questions you may have regarding the VIA Disc NP product or the associated procedure.
For more information about interventional spine care, please call Southern Pain Clinic. We have locations in Marrero, Metarie, and Covington. To request an appointment call now: (800) 277-1265