Clinical
Background
Low back pain affects millions of people in the U.S. each year and
is the number one cause of lost time from work during a
worker's productive year.
A recent National Low Back Pain Study, involving 2,374 patients, validated
that sixty percent of all patients presenting with back pain, had associated
leg pain, and 36.7% of the pain was caused by a herniated disc.
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| Clinical studies have validated that sixty
percent of
patients with leg and back pain improve satisfactorily
through conservative therapy, whereas ten to fifteen
percent require surgery.3 The remaining twenty to
thir-
ty percent continue with non-surgical treatment for an
indefinite period of time. They are either unable to
work, or on light duty, and suffer considerable pain.
The study by Long, et. al., indicated that one-third of
these patients have an average of 12 doctors visits per
year, ranging from chiropractors, GPs, and neurologists,
to orthopedists and neurosurgeons. A substantial num-
ber of patients (28.4%) were hospitalized for pain.2
Standard surgical intervention, with its high costs
and associated patient risks, is not considered a treat-
ment alternative for these patients. It has been esti-
mated that this group of patients costs society billions
of dollars annually in medical and psychosocial costs
and lost time from work.1 |
LASE
Benefits
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Ease of use: Integrates laser, illumination, imaging,
irrigation and aspiration in one small catheter.
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More effective ablation: Articulation laser tip improves
physician's ability to create a cavity in the disc.
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Full visibility: Physician can identify target tissues,
observe ablation throughout the procedure and determine procedural
effectiveness.
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Minimally invasive: Little or no internal scarring
with low morbidity
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Patient friendly: Continuous cooling during procedure
enhances patient comfort; small puncture site leaves little or no
surface scarring.
-
Holmium: YAG laser energy: Energy is absorbed in 0.5
millimeters of tissue, reducing the risk of nerve root damage.
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Full access of the disc: Steerable catheter tip pro-
vides a more precise, directional therapy.
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Clinical
References
- Goldberg: Low Back Pain and Its Treatment, New Develop-
ments in Medicine and Drug Therapy, Jan / Feb 1996.
- Long, et. al.: Persistent Back Pain and Sciatica in the United
States: Patient Characteristics, Journal of Spinal Disorders,
Vol. 9, No. 1, pp. 40-58, 1996.
- Weber: Spine Update: The Natural History of Disc Hernia-
tion and the Influence of Intervention, Spine, Vol. 19, pp.
2234-2238, 1994.
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