Jason Cuellar, MD, PhD, had the unique opportunity to develop and execute a multi-level disc replacement with his patient, endoscopic spine surgeon Scott Adelman, MD.
Dr. Adelman suffered lower back pain, and when conservative treatments failed he looked for a surgeon with expertise in motion preservation, according to a July 7 news release. He and Dr. Cuellar created a plan involving disc replacement at the L3-4, L4-5 and L5-S1 levels.
Dr. Cuellar performed the surgery in October with the prodisc system.
“[Dr. Adelman’s] case was complex, but he was an excellent candidate for lumbar disc replacement,” Dr. Cuellar said in the release. “Given his active lifestyle, preserved facet joints, and desire to avoid fusion, multilevel ADR offered the best opportunity to relieve his pain while preserving motion across the lumbar spine. I am thrilled with his recovery and his return to high-level activities-including a triathlon at eight months post-op.”
Dr. Adelman is a physiatrist with expertise in interventional spine care and endoscopic spine surgery. He spent more than two decades pioneering minimally invasive techniques.
