Surgery

Surgery for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Provides More Pain Relief than Nonsurgical Treatment

Surgery is more effective than nonsurgical treatment in providing pain relief for patients with lumbar spinal stenosis, new study results find.

First Cervical Disc Replacement Surgery with ProDisc-C
The very first ProDisc-C surgery was performed last week since the FDA approved the device in December 2007.

3 Empowering Health Resolutions for 2008

Like most of us, you probably start out each new year with the best of intentions: full of hope that THIS is the year you'll finally do "X" (fill in the blank with your #1 item). If you're like me, I dutifully make my list of New Year's Resolutions (usually at least 10 items long), only to get discouraged by late January and in pretty much full abandonment by March.

How I Decided to Have Back Surgery

This is my story about having back surgery that went very well.  I think the key for me is that the surgery was done for the right reasons, I had researched my surgeon by talking to other patient’s of his who had the same spinal fusion done, and I had read up on the Internet on some good sites, including www.spine-health.com, to help with my decision to have surgery and help with my expectations.

New Back Surgery Technologies
Technological developments in spine are occurring at an ever increasing rate, but what does this mean for patients? To date, most new technologies have involved reducing the postoperative pain and speeding recovery, and lately, technologies to preserve motion in the spine (as opposed to a fusion).

Often, new technology represents more of a marketing tool for physicians than a true advancement in patient outcomes.

Cervical Artificial Discs: Valuable New Technology or Fashion?
Spine surgery, like many other areas of medicine that are experiencing rapid technological growth, is often subject to fashion trends. At this period in time, the fashion is tilted towards motion preservation technology – both in the lumbar spine (low back) and cervical spine (neck).

Incredibly Effective Ways to Check Out Your Surgeon

When it comes to selecting a surgeon, I'll take skill over personality anytime. But the $64,000 question is, how do you assess a surgeon's skill? When you buy a new TV or vacuum cleaner, you can rely on Consumer Reports and talk to friends who have the same model. But there's no "Consumer Reports" for doctors, and it's infinitely harder to find someone you know and trust who has had the same surgery for the same condition.

Lumbar Artificial Disc Replacement Not Covered In People Over 60

Medicare has decided it will not pay for lumbar artificial disc replacements in people over 60 years of age. The reasoning for the CMS' (The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) decision is the lack of data on using such devices in the 60+ population, according to Scott Boden, MD, a Spine-health.com Medical Advisor.

How and When to Get a Second Opinion Before Surgery
It is often said that no one should have spine surgery unless they receive a second opinion from another surgeon. On the surface, this would sound like good old common sense, as two opinions are better than one. However, there is a trap in this line of thinking. When a patient sees a physician for a second opinion, this next opinion has a tendency to always sound smarter than the first opinion. This is a well-recognized phenomenon, but in reality the second opinion may not be the best one. When should you get another opinion?

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New Hope for Smokers with Back Pain

There’s a unique drug now on the market for smokers trying to quit - Chantix (manufactured and distributed by Pfizer). It was actually approved by the FDA in May 2006 and given priority FDA review because of its significant potential benefit to public health.