Rowing world champion is training again

A year ago, rower Matthias Schömann-Finck beamed with his three sports colleagues: world championship gold medal in coxless four. The climax of an athlete's career that was abruptly interrupted: The athlete from RV Saarbrücken had to do without the highlights of the season this year - a severe herniated disc in the last disc floor.

Schoemann-Finck Every conventional method failed, rehabilitation did not help. That was until two weeks ago. Schömann-Finck has now resumed light training without pain; He owes this to the spine specialist Dr. Michael D. Schubert from the Munich Apex Spine Center.
Schubert is the expert for the most gentle disc surgery in the world.

The method has the complicated name “endoscopic minimally invasive nucleotomy”. This is what happens: Instead of an open intervention with a large wound, a “prick” for a 7.5 millimeter thick working tube is sufficient. The part of the intervertebral disc that has slipped forward is removed with various mini-instruments under endoscopic control.

The anesthetic is as small as the surgery: Rower Schömann-Finck was able to leave the recovery room just two hours after the surgery – on foot. He stayed one night in the clinic and was completely free of symptoms the next day.
After the World Championships in New Zealand in November, which are still taking place without him, the rower gets back into full training.

The revolutionary therapy by the world-renowned spinal surgeon Schubert saves Schömann-Finck and all other patients who are operated on so gently, post-operative risks, complicated follow-up treatments, long hospital stays and downtime at work. As a result, the advantages also apply to the cost side - they are many times lower than with open operations.
The minimally invasive procedure is now so mature that Dr. Schubert even uses it on the cervical spine, the most delicate area of all; he has already helped 550 patients in this way.

Every year around 30,000 people in Germany are operated on herniated discs, most of them on the lumbar spine. Due to loss of work, lengthy rehabilitation and relapses, the economic damage runs into the hundreds of millions every year. Apart from that, the pain and restricted mobility are almost unbearable for those affected. Dr. Schubert in a relatively short operation - it lasts only about 30 - 45 minutes - with his "percutaneous intervertebral disc surgery" because of course he does not only operate on professional athletes; Prior to the procedure, patients with statutory health insurance receive all the necessary certificates and assessments for their health insurance.

finck autograph