The DISCSEEL Procedure utilizes an FDA-approved Fibrin biologic to seal, heal, and promote healthy, new disc tissue growth. Sealing the torn disc stops the leaking and the pain, no longer inflaming spinal nerves. Studies affirm that Fibrin seals discs, returning them to normal mechanical strength.
The DISCSEEL Procedure For Back and Neck Pain Relief
The majority of back pain is a result of torn and leaking spinal discs.
Spinal discs can become torn from daily activities, age, or injuries. This causes weakness in the disc. Over time, torn spinal discs can leak their inner fluid and inflame spinal nerves.
Annular tears (torn spinal discs) can’t repair themselves. When left untreated, spinal tears can progress to other conditions, including degenerative disc disease, herniated disc (also called slipped, ruptured, or bulging disc), sciatica, neck pain, and arm pain. Traditional back surgery and suturing (stitches) cannot repair a tear.
The DISCSEEL Procedure is the only minimally-invasive procedure the seals and heals torn spinal discs.
The DISCSEEL Procedure Treats These Conditions
Chronic back and neck pain don’t have to dominate your life. The DISCSEEL Procedure successfully treats these conditions.
The DISCSEEL Procedure: What to Expect
The DISCSEEL Procedure: Four Steps
Consultation
Once we have determined you are a candidate for the procedure we start with a consultation.
During your in-person consultation, you’ll speak directly with your DISCSEEL Procedure Physician, discussing your prior tests and procedures, prior injections, or surgeries. You’ll be examined and you’ll have as much time as you’d like to ask your Physician questions. This is a good opportunity to receive detailed answers to all your questions that other Physicians haven’t explained to your satisfaction. When your symptoms begin interfering with your activities or sleep, then it’s time to seek help.
Annulargram™
The Annulargram is a pain-free test that identifies subtle tears in your discs that the MRI or discography can’t.
We test every disc in the region to identify even the most subtle disc tears. This allows us to be proactive, addressing small tears before they lead to large herniations or degeneration. The Annulargram is so important that its a necessary part of the DISCSEEL Procedure.
During your Annulargram, X-ray contrast is mixed with a little antibiotic, and is injected into the outer annulus fibrosus of your disc to identify subtle disc tears. Next, Fibrin is injected into each tear to immediately seal the disc. Over the following months, the Fibrin promotes disc tissue growth, sealing and healing previously torn discs.
Fibrin Treatment
FDA-approved fibrin biologic is injected in torn spinal discs to seal, heal and promote tissue growth.
The DISCSEEL Procedure takes approximately 40 minutes and is performed in an outpatient facility. You will be offered mild sedation. During the procedure, your physician uses x-ray fluoroscopy and injects contrast mixed with antibiotic into each disc in the region to precisely identify disc tears. Next, using x-ray fluoroscopy, the two components that make Fibrin (prothrombin and fibrinogen) are simultaneously injected into the tears of your annulus fibrosus, making Fibrin in the disc, and sealing your torn and damaged discs.
Fibrin is an FDA-approved biologic with many other applications in the human body. It is used in the disc as an accepted, off-label use of an FDA-approved biologic (this is analogous to steroids in epidural injections). The Fibrin will seal the disc tears and promote tissue growth over the following months, thus sealing and healing the discs.
Recovery
No major downtime. Up and moving around within 24-hours.
Following your DISCSEEL Procedure, most people experience temporary increased and different symptoms before improvement. We’d like you to walk with assistance the following day and increase your activity as tolerated. Increase your activities in 10% increments until you reach 100% of your desired activity. Most patients experience relief at 3-6 months post-procedure because our discs heal slowly.
The Annulargram™ and MRI comparison
Comparison of Lumbar spine Annulargram and Lumbar Spine MRI .
As shown: leaky discs are only visible on the Annulargram
Lumbar Spine with fusion and leaking discs.
The DISCSEEL Procedure vs. Spinal Fusion
The majority of back pain is a result of torn and leaking spinal discs.
For decades, physicians have been recommending spinal fusions to patients, only for them to fail. These life-altering procedures have lead to some of the highest percentage of surgical failures and opioid dependency among surgical patients.
It was the high failure that lead to the creation of the DISCSEEL Procedure. So how do the two procedures compare to each other?
Here are some facts:
- In over 40% of patients that receive a spinal fusion, the fusion does not address the long term source of the pain.
- At least 1/3 of all spinal fusion patients need a second or third fusion of their spine within ten years.
- The DISCSEEL Procedure has been successful in permanently relieving back pain in 70% of patients that had a previous failed spinal procedure, such as a spinal fusion
The DISCSEEL Procedure is the only minimally-invasive procedure the seals and heals torn spinal discs.