In The News:

DR. PELOZA FIRST IN SOUTHWEST TO IMPLANT NEW FDA-APPROVED CERVICAL DISC

August 2, 2007: DALLAS --

A leading Dallas spine surgeon is the first in the southwest since its FDA approval to implant a long-awaited solution for people suffering from cervical degenerative disc disease:  the PRESTIGE® Cervical Disc.  John Peloza, M.D., medical director of the Center for Spine Care, implanted the recent FDA-approved medical device which is the first artificial disc approved for use in the cervical spine.

The PRESTIGE Cervical Disc study was the largest clinical trial ever conducted in the cervical spine in the U.S.  The randomized controlled study compared the clinical outcomes of patients receiving fusion surgery and patients who received the PRESTIGE Disc.  Patients who received the artificial disc showed improved overall neurological success and improved overall success outcomes.

“This is an exciting time for patients suffering from degenerative disc disease in the neck,” said Dr. Peloza.  “The outstanding design of the PRESTIGE disc allows us to now offer our patients an exceptional, safe alternative to spinal fusion that maintains motion in their necks.”

In addition to providing the PRESTIGE disc to patients, Dr. Peloza will be training surgeons around the country on how to perform this advanced surgical technique.

The PRESTIGE Disc, manufactured by Medtronic, is designed to mimic the natural movement in the neck by offering a patented “ball and trough” design.  This design offers a variable center of rotation that is highly desirable to patients.  Until now, the treatment for cervical degenerative disc disease was an anterior cervical fusion which limits motion at the treated level.

More than 200,000 people undergo an anterior cervical fusion procedure at one or two levels of the cervical spine each year in the U.S.  It is estimated that in about five years, 25-percent of the single-level patients will receive a cervical disc implant instead.

A pioneer in minimal access spinal technology (MAST), Dr. Peloza utilizes micro-endoscopic and biological procedures for the treatment of cervical and lumbar herniated discs, spinal stenosis, and stabilization of the spine (static or dynamic).  Additional minimally-invasive techniques and implants are being developed to address spine fractures and deformity.  These procedures can now be performed without injuring the normal tissue as in traditional spine surgery.