Laser Spine Surgery

Common misnomers and misconceptions peddled by Laser Spine Surgeons in their efforts to procure business. In a 2009 article published by H. Gordon Deen; a Neurosurgeon with the prestigious Mayo Clinic, stated that "At Mayo Clinic we do not use or recommend laser spine surgery.

For-profit laser spine centers such as the Laser Spine Institute advertise out-patient, non-invasive surgery and promote the operations at seminars in hotel meeting rooms. Not regulated like hospitals are, the centers are performing what some experts warn are ineffective, expensive and potentially dangerous procedures. Malpractice cases are mounting.

Dr. Mark McLaughlin wrote a scathing article in 2009 regarding "The Laser Myth in Spine Surgery." Dr. McLaughlin begins his article by discussing that laser spine surgery has almost no usefulness in spine surgery. While lasers are generally viewed as the most precise and powerful tools available for cutting, this isn't quite true for spine [...]

By Mark McLaughlin, MD, FACS "Do you use a laser in your spinal surgeries?" That question makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck. I reply calmly and with authority, "No." I continue, "I am trained in laser surgery. It has almost zero usefulness in your spine surgery and in fact may be harmful.

After slamming into wrestling mats around the world for more than 30 years, Hulk Hogan developed the same complaint as many middle-aged Americans: Lower-back pain. So in 2009, the superstar professional wrestler - whose real name is Terry Bollea - went to three Tampa Bay area physicians who recommended major back surgery.

Update, May 18, 2011: Tampa public relations firm Tucker Hall, who says Laser Spine Institute (LSI) is a client, responded to this blog posting indicating that LSI takes issue with some of the facts reported by the Bloomberg story described below.

Bonnie Balch searched online for a back surgeon and found a pitch she called irresistible: Laser Spine Institute LLC promised to ease her pain and have her out the door in a few hours. Instead, her October 2008 surgery at the Tampa, Florida- based center left Balch incontinent, with a dangerous spinal fluid leak, she said.

As a personal injury attorney, I am routinely interacting with individuals who sustained serious spinal injuries. As it turns out, the human body was not designed to handle the force created by 2000+ pound metal objects colliding. So, as beautifully designed, as the human spinal anatomy is, spine injuries often result from car accidents.

For over thirty (30) years, Dr. Alfred Bonati has been running the Bonati Spine Institute in Hudson, Florida. Dr. Bonati has had a bevy of legal issues over the years including numerous allegations and findings of unnecessary medical procedures, substandard medical care and a resume that may have included false degrees and references.

To the millions of Americans that suffer from neck and back pain, Laser Spine Surgery may seem too good to be true. Laser Spine Surgery is big business for the innumerable medical providers that perform the procedure. Marketing for the surgery boasts that it is a non-invasive, effective, and safe marvel of modern medicine.

Recently there has been a rash of people blogging about a controversial company called the Laser Spine Institute. TSB would be interested in knowing if anyone has had any experience with these facilities. Located in Arizona, Florida, California, and Pennsylvania this institute claims to use minimally invasive, endoscopic laser assisted procedures as a modality of treatment for various spinal maladies.

I would really like to know, do any of the experts know of the If so, do you know if their techniques are as successful as they advertise? Are these techniques widely used in the US ? Laser Spine Institute in Tampa , Florida ? What can I do?

As a practicing spine surgeon, I am often asked by patients if their disc decompression surgery can be done with a laser. There is a perception by the general population that lasers are a modern, almost futuristic, up and coming technology.

Your back pain may be debilitating, but is it bad enough to undergo laser spine surgery? Find out all the facts on laser spine surgery.

Laser spine surgery is marketed as a minimally invasive solution to back and neck pain. Is it truly effective solution or just a gimmick? What does the mainstream medical community think of laser spine surgery? Asked in Seattle, WA - . 1 lawyer answer Asked in Seattle, WA - .

Marketing and search engine experts know that many people turn to the Internet for answers to medical questions and self-diagnosis. Outpatient spinal clinics of all stripes pay big money to keep their centers at the top of search results and often on the sides and borders of just about every Web site a potential patient visits. Finding testimonials from patients and business affiliates isn't hard; finding endorsements from major medical governing bodies and teaching hospitals, however, is nearly impossible

MAYO CLINIC Dear Mayo Clinic: Can you shed any light on the reliability of laser spine surgery as a successful treatment for chronic neck and back pain? Do these treatments work? Answer: Spine surgery can be performed using several different tools, including a laser.

The risks of laser spine surgery are much like the risks of any surgery, but there are some differences. Odessa surgeon, Dr. Michael Ramsey, explains the risks of laser spine surgery.

When Bonnie Balch's online search for a back surgeon led her to the Laser Spine Institute, it was no accident.

Bonnie Balch searched online for a back surgeon and found a pitch she called irresistible: Laser Spine Institute LLC promised to ease her pain and have her out the door in a few hours. Instead, her October 2008 surgery at the Tampa, Florida- based center left Balch incontinent, with a dangerous spinal fluid leak, she said.

If you are interested in learning about laser spine surgery and some of the risks involved in it. Then you must read this article thoroughly.