Re: Artificial Disc Recipients Take Legal Steps

[Guest guest]

I happen to work in this industry and am not a fan of the Charite disc. But, I

do have to say, they have over 15 years of clinical experience with this product

around the world, mostly in Europe. It does work but only on the right patient

and in the hands of well trained surgeons.

Surgeons are under much pressure to use these new products that patients find

through the internet or direct marketing from the companies. If any implant,

spine or otherwise, is used in the wrong indication or is not implanted

correctly, then bad things will happen. And not all surgeons can do every

surgery. Just because a doc is a spine surgeon, does not mean he is proficient

at every procedure.

If I had to choose between a disc or fusion, at this point in time, I would take

the fusion and adjust my lifestyle to prevent adjacent disc problems in the

future. The Charite disc is a first generation product and there are many

coming that will improve on the technology. But I wouldn't get a disc at this

point, not because the disc doesn't work, but because of the issues regarding

retrieval if something does go wrong.

Dennis