AUSTIN, Texas – St. David’s Medical Center is one of ten facilities in the country participating in a post-market study of outcomes for patients treated with a new orthopedic implant designed to reduce blood loss, decrease surgery times and shorten hospital stays.
The Spineology Duo™ Lumbar Interbody Fusion System is an FDA-510(k) cleared implant and is the first to combine a high-performance plastic called polyetheretherketone (PEEK) with titanium and mesh elements. It dramatically reduces the size of the incision required to implant a device compared to traditional systems, and the implant’s design helps to facilitate spinal support and fusion.
“This implant has the potential to significantly reduce complications,” Dr. Craig Kuhns, orthopedic spine surgeon at St. David’s Medical Center, said. “Additionally, it makes for a much easier post-operative course for my patients.”
The implant is designed to benefit patients diagnosed with degenerative disc disease; most individuals age 60 and older have some disc degeneration, according to the Arthritis Foundation.
St. David’s Medical Center
St. David’s Medical Center, which is part of St. David’s HealthCare, is a full-service medical center offering comprehensive medical care at three locations—St. David’s Medical Center, Heart Hospital of Austin and St. David’s Georgetown Hospital.
Located in Central Austin, St. David’s Medical Center includes a 374-bed acute care hospital and a 64-bed rehabilitation hospital providing comprehensive inpatient and outpatient care. It is home to the internationally renowned Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute and St. David’s Neuroscience & Spine Institute. The hospital provides a complete range of women’s services, including its acclaimed maternity unit, maternal-fetal medicine, a high-risk maternal and neonatal transport team, the region’s largest and most sophisticated Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and The Breast Center; complex surgical services; a comprehensive Bariatric Surgery Center; and a 24-hour emergency department. In 2018, St. David’s Medical Center was named among the Top 50 Hospitals in the nation by Healthgrades.