CERVICAL SPINE PROBE PATENT

Dr. Nucci has developed and patented a new minimally invasive technique to treat cervical (neck) disk herniations.  This technique involves a small incision into the neck through which a small probe is placed into the disk herniation to remove the herniation and repair the disk.  The surgery takes about 30 minutes and patients usually go home the same day and are back to work within a week.  Dr. Nucci holds the patent for this technique with ArthoCare Spine. The Cervical Spine Probe technique takes the place of more invasive neck fusion surgeries without any decrease in range of motion.

 

GROWTH FACTORS IN SPINE SURGERY

Growth factors are natural occurring chemicals in a patient’s blood, that stimulate the body to heal itself.  Now with specialized techniques growth factors can be concentrated and intensified to increase the patient’s healing abilities.  Prior to surgery, the patient’s blood is drawn; the growth factors are concentrated and placed at the site of surgery to heal damaged tissue.   Dr. Nucci is a researcher in these growth factors and an active consultant for Cell Factor, Inc.  As a result of Dr. Nucci’s experience, the use of the growth factors is increasing throughout various fields of surgery.  Dr. Nucci is one of the first surgeons to use growth factors in spine surgery and the first surgeon to use disk repair.   

 

PERCUTANEOUS PLASMA DISK DECOMPRESSION AND REPAIR (PPDD)

Disk herniations in the lumbar spine (lower back) do not always need an incision to fix.  Most small disk herniations can be treated with a percutaneous surgery (needle stick on the skin) to remove the disk herniation.  Dr. Nucci utilizes a special coblation technique, which “evaporates” the disk herniation.  Coblation is a more advanced technique than laser which burns and injures healthy disk.  Plasma coblation only affects the herniated area of the disk and does not injure healthy disk tissue.  PPDD is done as an outpatient procedure and patients usually return to light duty within two days.  This technique is used in combination with growth factors to repair the injured disk tissue more effectively.  Dr. Nucci was the innovator in advancing and combining these two techniques to better treat his patients.  He is an active researcher in his current exciting area of medicine.  Dr. Nucci is the only surgeon in the country performing these innovative techniques on the thoracic spine (mid-back).

 

BIO-PLEX INNOVATIVE ARTIFICIAL BONE

Donor site pain is a major problem in spine surgery.  Taking bone graft from a patient’s pelvis to fuse the spine is very painful.  The pain can last for years and can even become permanent.  Advances in spine surgery have made this complication unnecessary. 
Dr. Nucci is a researcher in artificial bone.  He was the first to use the artificial bone Bio-Plex in patients in the United States and has continued with this technique in hundreds of patients.  Bio-Plex is made from calcium in sea coral and a bio-resorbable synthetic.  It is used in places where patients own bone would be utilized.  It is also used in surgery to provide bony strength to the surgery site instead of taking bone from a patient’s pelvis.  Bio-Plex reduces post-op pain and hastens recovery time.