DISC in a Day: Innovations in Spine Surgery Creating New Care Options in Southern California

Nationwide, spine care is migrating to optimize site of service based on quality and innovation in minimally invasive techniques. One of the leaders behind this trend is Newport Beach-based DISC Sports & Spine Center, which is expanding the success of its ambulatory surgery center (ASC) and building an evidence-driven model for migrating spine surgery into the outpatient setting.

DISC, with a more than 20% year-over-year growth in spine volume since 2017, has expanded its capabilities to include complex surgeries that had once been limited to hospitals, setting a new standard for what’s possible in the outpatient setting, all the while maintaining a 98% patient NPS and allowing patients to return home within a day.

“We’ve been building this model for more than 15 years – carefully defining the value of outpatient spine while developing a thorough understanding of what it takes to migrate care into ASCs,” said DISC founding director, Dr. Robert S. Bray, Jr. “The secret to our success is a steadfast focus on clinical outcomes and patient experience that has kept our surgeons and staff operating at a gold-star quality.”

After founding Cedars-Sinai’s Institute for Spinal Disorders and building it into one of the largest spine programs in the country, Dr. Bray launched DISC in 2006. Recognizing that traditional spinal procedures often required lengthy hospital stays, he set out to develop the techniques, tools and protocols to make minimally invasive, outpatient spine surgery—whether simple or complex—a reality.

DISC has since then become a clear leader in its field by using a data-backed approach that improves quality, increases cost efficiency and betters patient outcomes. Earlier this year, DISC’s ASC performed its 1,000th artificial disc replacement (ADR), a procedure that preserves range of motion and enables patients to quickly return to their daily life. Among those patients helped by DISC were numerous elite athletes, including a current NHL player who was one of the first professional players ever to undergo artificial disc surgery. DISC is excited to bring its unique class of surgical innovation to elevate the standard of professional athlete care. These milestones underscore DISC’s role as a clinical innovator, bringing the benefit of motion preservation and while elevating the safety of spine procedures through minimally invasive technique.

In the last few months, DISC has continued to expand its talented team of physician partners, recently welcoming pain management specialist/physiatrist Leia Rispoli, M.D. and orthopedic spine surgeon Nick Jain, M.D., both of whom are board-certified, outcome-driven and committed to DISC’s gold standard of care.

Building on the learnings from its Newport Beach ASC, DISC is also at work on a new, next-level ASC and diagnostic imaging suite to be located in Los Angeles (Marina del Rey) that will provide a premium, seamless experience for patients in Southern California. With plans in place for additional DISC locations, the future is bright for transformational spine care in the outpatient setting. For more information, visit www.discmdgroup.com or call 949-988-7800.