News for Chronic Back Pain Sufferers

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CHRONIC BACK PAIN SUFFERERS IN LOS ANGELES FIND RELIEF WITH MINIMALLY

INVASIVE TREATMENT OPTION

Tower Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine Offers Less Traumatic and

Potentially More Effective Treatment Alternative to Traditional Open

Spine Surgery

(HealthNewsDigest.com)...Beverly Hills, Calif.­

More than one million people in the U.S. require spine surgery each

year to alleviate their chronic back pain and now patients in the Los

Angeles area have a minimally invasive option to treat their serious

spine disease. Tower Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine is among the

first medical centers in the area to treat patients with the Atavi®

Atraumatic Spine Surgery System, a less traumatic and potentially

more effective treatment alternative to traditional open back

surgery.

" Minimally invasive spine surgery is a tremendous advance over

traditional open spine surgery as it can produce better therapeutic

outcomes and less discomfort for chronic back pain sufferers, " said

Dr. Sam Bakshian of Tower Orthopaedics & Sports

Medicine. " Traditional open spine surgery is highly invasive, with

patients experiencing acute post-operative pain and lengthy recovery

times, as well as significant medical and insurance costs. In

contrast, with minimally invasive surgery, patients are typically out

of the hospital within days and are able to resume a more active

lifestyle. "

At patients' three month check-up, studies of the Atavi Atraumatic

Spine Surgery System show a 65 percent reduction in pain, and a rapid

recovery and resumption of everyday activities. The Atavi procedure

requires only one small incision on each side of the spine during the

entire procedure compared to the large incision that is required with

traditional open spine fusion surgery. In addition, studies show

surgery with the Atavi System can result in a potential 21 percent

reduction in hospital costs as compared to open surgery.

" I had suffered from chronic back pain for more than 30 years, and

underwent two surgeries to alleviate the pain. However, I still

experienced tremendous discomfort and a loss of motion. In February I

underwent surgery with this minimally invasive technique and the

results were astonishing­night and day compared to my previous

surgeries. I was out of the hospital within two days and soon living

a much more active lifestyle, " said Wingo of Ridgecrest,

California.

According to clinical results of the Atavi System, patients showed a

55 percent improvement in their ability to carry out daily, routine

activities over three months following surgery. n addition, 89

percent of non-retired patients had returned to work by their three-

month checkup.

About the Atavi® Atraumatic Spine Surgery System

Atavi, a streamlined and fully integrated surgical system, combines

novel access technology with advanced visualization and

instrumentation capabilities. This unique combination of features

enables surgeons to perform virtually all of the steps of a complete

posterolateral lumbar spine surgery through the same access portal

while preserving the fundamentals of the traditional open surgical

technique. Atavi's versatility supports direct visualization, a

microscope, loupes and endoscopically assisted visualization.

Endius' minimally invasive approach also has potential to

minimize " fusion disease, " or " failed back syndrome, " a common and

debilitating condition attributed to trauma to surrounding muscle

tissue caused while gaining access to the surgical site during the

traditional invasive open fusion procedure. Fusion disease and/or

failed back syndrome can lead to chronic post-operative pain even if

the radiographic fusion is successful. Clinical results for Endius'

single-level minimally invasive lumbar spine surgery procedure show

significant benefits compared to the open procedure, considerable

reduction in the use of narcotic pain medications, less blood loss

and reduced hospital stay(s), all contributing to a potential 21

percent reduction in hospital costs. More than 1000 procedures have

been performed with Atavi by more than 150 surgeons in leading

hospitals nationwide.

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