Setting the Standard for Comprehensive, Compassionate Brain, Spine and Pain Care
New Device for Relief of Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Used by Neuroscience Group to Treat Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
Fox Cities/Green Bay: 10-11-07 Philip A. Yazbak, MD FACS, neurosurgeon with the Neuroscience Group of NE Wisconsin, is using a new surgical technique that offers some patients a safer and easier way to relieve the pain caused by lumbar spinal stenosis. This new technique offers an alternative surgical solution to patients with lower back pain.
The US Food and Drug Administration approved the X-STOP Interspinous Process Decompression System in November 2005. The X-STOP is a titanium metal implant. The oval spacer fits between the spinous processes. The wings of the X-STOP are designed to prevent the implant from moving. The X-STOP is inserted into the lower back using a similar procedure to the technique surgeons use when performing a spinal fusion. When the X-STOP is placed between the spinous processes, it opens the spinal canal and decompresses the lumbar nerve root.
Lumbar spinal stenosis is caused by arthritic, degenerative changes, which cause bones and ligaments to thicken or enlarge, leading to compression or pressure on the nerves. This surgical procedure requires less surgical time and has a much faster recovery period. Sometimes, the procedure can be done under local anesthesia.
In the U.S. clinical trial of the X-STOP, a randomized clinical study of 191 patients demonstrated that at two years, the X-STOP group reported a 45.4 % improvement over mean baseline symptoms, using the Zurich Claudication Questionnaire. The X-STOP has been approve for people ages 50 and older who experience moderately impaired physical function and have had at least 6 months of non-operartive treatment. Even patients with osteoporosis are surgical candidates if they don’t have fractures due to osteoporosis.
Philip A. Yazbak, MD, FACS, President of the Neuroscience Group of NE Wisconsin, commented, “Advances in surgical technology, such as the Prestige Cervical Disk System, help us to provide surgical options that best meet each patient’s individual needs.
Philip A. Yazbak, MD, FACS, President of the Neuroscience Group of NE Wisconsin, noted, “Accurate patient selection is the key to a successful X-STOP placement. The ideal surgical candidate is one who has not responded well to conservative treatment, including epidural injections. This surgery is less invasive and provides a great option for some people. The key to a successful surgery with the X-STOP is providing the right surgical option for the right patient. Future research studies will help us to determine how this procedure compares to traditional laminectomy.”
Additional information is available via a video at http://www.globalortho.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=120Itemid=305
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