The prospective, intermediate-term (average follow-up > 3 years) results of cervical TDR at the authors' site are encouraging. Patients treated with the artificial discs showed significantly better clinical results, maintained motion at the treated level, and trended toward less adjacent-level disease.

As any procedure in medicine, the transfusion of blood products to the patient involves benefits and risks. The benefits of increased oxygen carrying capacity with the ability to deliver oxygen to the tissue is clear in the setting of severe hemorrhage. The risks are not as clear. While patients are mainly concerned with infectious risks, there are other risks that must be considered by the provider.