Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Now Available in Houston

Patients get benefits of outpatient spine surgery and have shorter recovery period with the AxiaLIF procedure.

Houston, TX (PRWEB) October 29, 2007 -- A new minimally invasive approach to spine surgery, that is revolutionary in its scope, is now available in Houston. Patients now have another option for lumbar spine surgery called AxiaLIF -- an outpatient MIS spine surgery from medical device company TranS1 that allows shorter recovery times and less tissue damage.

"Technological advances in spine surgery continue to give patients the benefit of shorter recovery times and less invasive approaches that reduce pain," according to Saqib Siddiqui, MD, an orthopedic spine surgeon in Houston who is performing the AxiaLIF (axial lumbar interbody fusion) technique. "Three days of recovery with this MIS spine procedure is comparable to three weeks of rehabilitation with traditional spine surgery. Patients who may be candidates for this approach are those with degenerative disc disease or spondylolisthesis."

Dr. Siddiqui is one of an elite group of surgeons trained in the AxiaLIF technique which uses a minimally invasive approach to stabilizing the lumbar section of the spine. The spine surgery procedure is performed on an outpatient basis and usually takes about an hour-and-a-half. Patients are usually discharged after one day and can return to work in 15 days.

"We have reproducible results with AxiaLIF, making it a new standard of care in spine surgery," says Dr. Siddiqui. "Previous to the development of the minimally invasive AxiaLIF approach, patients would have to undergo a 360 degree fusion or some other major spine surgery done through an open incision. The recovery times were extensive and the procedure was disruptive to the patient's daily ife."

A medical journal article featured this MIS approach to spine surgery in the January 2006 issue of Neurosurgical Focus, a publication of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. The article reviews the approach, technique, and instrumentation as an alternative to lumbar interbody fusion. The AxiaLIF approach is described as a combination of a minimally invasive surgery with an anterior approach, providing a technique that minimizes the risk to anterior organs.

"My patients are showing excellent results and are able to walk the same day," says Dr. Siddiqui. "The rehabilitation is the same as for any other spine surgery, but the time is shortened for most patients due to the minimally invasive approach. Patients see an immediate improvement to their quality of life."

For more information on this minimally invasive spine surgery procedure, visit the web site: www.woodlandspine.com or call 713-840-0401.

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