Hi Nancy. It isn't at all experimental. Germany has been doing artificial disc replacement for 15 years. There are other countries that do 2 levels and may be cheaper but I would caution you against using cost as your deciding factor. Re: restoration of movement. That's the idea, but surgery isn't an instant fix. It takes care of the structural aspect of your spine but the muscles and tendons have to be re- trained to accomodate the changes that the new disc will bring. I live in Canada and the cost was my responsibility. I have read that some insurance companies in the USA do pay. As for the swimming, as a massage therapist and also a 5 disc recipient, personally, I would avoid any activity that would put undue pressure on the AD. You can resume normal activities but swimming marathons is hardly s normal activity. So I am iffy on saying yes you can. I do know that although I wouldn't coddle myself, I wouldn't put myself in jeapardy. When you think about what our spine has to do to support our body, it has to be pretty strong and resilient and the new disc has to be too. However the orthopedic surgeon can best answer your question. My advice would be to contact ProSpine in Germany and request a consult. There is a form to complete with a detailed medical history and they need to see recent imaging i.e. MRI, xrays etc. Start there and if they offer you surgery, get a quote. Then you'll have all the info you need to make a decision. Then check out the insurance aspect. It would have to be existing insurance.

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