Transcript from September 12, 2003
http://wgntv.trb.com/news.local/noonnews/wgntv-091203noon
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Disc Surgery
This man had back surgery -- three hours later he was back on his feet.
"This is the first time in two and a half years that I've gotten up and walked without pain." The smile says it all. Jack Raymer's pain is gone because his herniated disc is gone. Fewer fragments in his back mean Jack gains some inches. "I'm so used to walking at an angle bent over that it actually got to where it felt right now I can actually stand up."

After being fed up with pain, Jack visited Central DuPage neurosurgeon Dr. Douglas Johnson. The diagnosis -- a herniated disc.

Dr. Johnson explains, "The disc herniation is this large black piece of material in this canal as you can see it's taking up almost 50-percent of the entire canal space."

Nerves which are supposed to occupy the canal instead get pinched by the disc pushing patients into agony. The only relief - remove the disc.

With the METRx microdiscectomy system, a series of tubes is inserted into the back through a 16mm incision. The instruments are threaded through the tubes. Doctors are able to move the muscle without cutting it, and remove the disc parts pressing on the nerve. The result - no pain and only a tiny scar to show for the surgery.

Dr. Johnson reports, "It's pretty surprising that patients don't take any kind of narcotic afterwards for pain management."

Alex Tompsidis, disc patient, says, "It's like you're getting your life back your personality back."

And your best friend back. Having cancelled a traditional surgery that would have required a much longer recovery, Alex Tompsidis says he's lucky he found METRx.

"You should have someone who has the best tools working on you and I don't see why you should keep doing the same surgery when it seems actually barbaric rather than this non-intrusive surgery."

There are some cases where the METRx system cannot be used. If people have a disc too large for doctors to see and remove through the tiny tube, or if they've had a prior discectomy. But if they are eligible for the minimally invasive technique, studies show 90-percent of people continue to be pain free over time.

For more information:
Dr. Douglas Johnson, Director of Neurosurgery
(630) 858-5400
Central DuPage Hospital
Copyright © 2003, WGN-TV American Association of Neurological Surgeons

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