DENVER -- Experts said about 90 percent of Americans suffer from back pain.

In some cases, the pain is so severe that people are forced to quit their jobs and change their lifestyles.

A new FDA-approved back surgery is giving patients their lives back.

"It was a pain that would never go away, standing sitting, lying down," said John Ireland.

Ireland said he was devastated when his back pain started to affect his job as a firefighter.

"I hated not being able to do the job that I love," said Ireland.

He decided to take the next step -- an advanced procedure to replace the spinal disc much like a knee or hip replacement.

"Instead of doing a fusion which eliminates the motion, this allows us to treat the symptoms and preserve their motion," said Dr. Michael Janssen of North Suburban Medical Center.

Janssen said the implant can take away a patient's pain with a shorter recovery time.

"Instead of spending a year for recovery, which is very typical after fusion, many patients are out of the hospital in 24 hours, maybe 48," said Ireland.

"I literally, the minute got out of surgery, and got into my room, I was walking," said Dr. Jennifer Emmett.

For Emmett, the quick recovery was needed. As a general surgeon, having back pain was not an option.

"Getting out of bed, taking a shower hurt," said Emmett. "I feel like I got my life back."

Ireland said he, too, is completely pain-free.

"I surprised another firefighter when I picked an elderly lady out of car and put her on ambulance cart," said Ireland.

The surgery takes about two hours. Janssen and his team are training surgeons in the U.S. and from other countries as well.

For more information about spinal disc replacement surgery, call North Suburban's Musculoskeletal Surgical Center at 303-288-4694, or visit www.centerforspinaldisorders.com.