Spinal Disc Replacement - Preparation

Whether you are suitable for spinal disc prosthesis depends significantly on the type and form of the spinal disc ailment. In addition to the previously mentioned criteria for a spinal disc prosthesis, you should not be overweight (for prostheses in the lumbar vertebrae) and should not suffer from osteoporosis. Scoliosis (spinal curvature) detracts from the feasibility of the operation. You doctor will clarify whether you are suitable for such an operation on the basis of examinations conducted in advance. These examinations include, among others, an x-ray examination and a magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) which generates cross-section images of tissues and organs using magnetic fields.^6,7

It is important that you refrain from taking certain medications approximately two weeks before your scheduled operation. This especially includes medications that inhibit blood clotting. Alcohol and nicotine are not beneficial for a positive healing process and so these substances should likewise not be present in your body at the time of the operation. The use of these substances should be discontinued 2-3 weeks prior to the operation.

Please speak with your doctor explicitly about these and further preparatory measures.