St. David's Round Rock Tests Spinal Fusion Alternative

ROUND ROCK, TX — With a study underway on alternative techniques, St. David's Round Rock Medical Center is now among the nation's first hospitals testing another option to traditional spinal fusion, officials said.

The hospital is the only one in the Austin-Round Rock region and one of just 30 hospitals nationwide to test the new alternative to spinal fusion, officials said in a press advisory. The Total Posterior Spine System (TOPS) is an artificial joint designed to maintain stability and preserve motion of the spine for patients with debilitating lower leg and back pain caused by slipped vertebrae or narrowing of the spinal canal, officials explained.

Traditionally, hospital officials noted, surgeons remove bone elements that press on nerves in the spine and fuse the vertebrae together to ease patient pain. Alternatively, the TOPS implant is designed to support the two vertebrae, allowing them to move normally without the need for fusion, officials noted. The St. David's Round Rock Medical Center trial will evaluate the effectiveness of the device as compared to traditional lumbar fusion, according to hospital officials.

“When two vertebrae are locked together, it reduces movement and adds pressure to surrounding discs," Dr. Carl Lauryssen, director of neurosurgery at St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center, said. "This can result in further degeneration and the need for additional surgeries. Our hope is that this device will preserve movement and eliminate the need for future surgery.”

Added Jeremy Barclay, chief executive officer of St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center: “We are pleased to have the opportunity to host this trial, as well as offer patients a potentially motion-preserving treatment for back pain. The research conducted and analyzed by Dr. Lauryssen will provide the data needed to support the continued use of new technologies to manage spinal conditions.”

For more information on this study at St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center, visit StDavids.com.

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>>> Images courtesy of St. David's Round Rock Medical Center, used with permission