Medical Reports: Correct the Neck

WSVN -- Maribel Diaz's true love is singing and dancing, which she has been doing professionally since she was 16.

Maribel Diaz: "I was blessed enough to be able to sing backup for many famous Latin artists."

She had just released her first CD last year when she suffered paralyzing pain.

Maribel Diaz: "Almost like a whiplash feeling in my neck area. It was just constant pain."

An MRI confirmed Maribel had a herniated disc in her neck.

Maribel Diaz: "People could wake up with a stiff neck, many of us have. It usually goes away in a day or two, but this doesn't go away."

Dr. Greg Zorman, Chief of Neurosurgery at Memorial Regional Hospital says some patients heal on their own with time, others need surgery. Until now, the traditional treatment has been fusing the discs in the neck.

Dr. Greg Zorman: "The limitation of fusing is that you don't restore the normal motion of the spine."

But a new procedure allows surgeons to insert an artificial disc made of stainless steel.

Dr. Greg Zorman: "We go through the front, between the carotid artery and the trachea and the esophagus, down to the anterior spine."

The procedure takes about an hour and a half. Patients usually go home the next day and are back to work within two weeks with full range of motion.

Dr. Greg Zorman: "Up and down, side to side and rotation left to right, six ranges of motion."

Dr. Greg Zorman: "OK, put your head forward, now back."

Maribel is planning to have the new procedure within the next few weeks. She looks forward to feeling better, getting back on stage and doing what she loves to do, entertain the audience.

Maribel Diaz: "Be the old Maribel, up, on the go and hoping to get back to the swing of things."

Patients with more than one herniated disc in their neck are not good candidates for this procedure.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Memorial Regional Hospital
Division of Neurosurgery
1150 North 35 Avenue, Suite 300
Hollywood, FL 33021
Phone: (954) 265-1490