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Health & Medicine
A New, Minimally Invasive Procedure Successfully Eliminates Pain and Disability Associated with 'Lumbar Spinal Stenosis'
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(OPEN):
EARLY CLINICAL RESULTS FROM THE U-S AND ARGENTINA REVEAL THAT A NEW,
MINIMALLY INVASIVE PROCEDURE SUCCESSFULLY ELIMINATES PAIN AND DISABILITY
ASSOCIATED WITH "LUMBAR SPINAL STENOSIS"--OR "L-S-S". THIS
CONDITION AFFECTS THE NERVES IN THE LOWER BACK--RESULTING IN BACK AND
LEG PAIN, AND IN SEVERE CASES, A SIGNIFICANT REDUCED CAPACITY FOR
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY--INCLUDING WALKING. EARLY RESULTS FROM THE
"MINIMALLY INVASIVE LUMBAR DECOMPRESSION" PROCEDURE--DUBBED
"MILD"--INDICATE THAT PATIENTS EXPERIENCED BOTH A MEAN REDUCTION IN
PAIN OF 90-PERCENT, AND A MEAN IMPROVEMENT IN FUNCTIONING OF 84-PERCENT,
AT SIX WEEKS POST-TREATMENT. ACCORDING TO BOSTON PHYSICIAN,
DOCTOR JOSHUA HIRSCH--WHO PRESENTED THE CLINICAL RESULTS ON TUESDAY
[JULY 29TH], AT THE SOCIETY OF NEURO-INTERVENTIONAL SURGERY'S
ANNUAL MEETING, IN LAKE TAHOE, CALIFORNIA--THE RESULTS HOLD GREAT
PROMISE FOR THE NEARLY 1.5-MILLION PATIENTS WHO ARE NEWLY
DIAGNOSED WITH "L-S-S" EVERY YEAR...
(SMITH):
"THIS PROCEDURE APPEARS TO BE A STRONG ALTERNATIVE IN PATIENTS
WITH 'SPINAL STENOSIS' WHO WOULD HAVE PREVIOUSLY REQUIRED OPEN SURGICAL
TREATMENT. WHAT'S GREAT ABOUT IT IS, NOW, THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE
CAN POTENTIALLY BE RESTORED THROUGH AN INCISION FAR SMALLER THAN A DIME."
(CLOSE):
MINIMALLY INVASIVE NEURO-INTERVENTIONAL PROCEDURES TO TREAT STROKE,
ANEURYSM, AND VARIOUS SPINE CONDITIONS HAVE BECOME ESTABLISHED
THERAPEUTIC OPTIONS IN THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY, OVER THE LAST TWO DECADES.
DOCTOR HIRSCH SAYS THAT--LIKE ALL THESE TREATMENTS--THIS NEWEST
PROCEDURE WILL CONTINUE TO UNDERGO FURTHER STUDY, IN ORDER TO VALIDATE
SUCCESSFUL EARLY RESULTS.
