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About the Procedure
DISC Nucleoplasty®
Pittsburgh, PA- An Internet audience will be able to view a live DISC Nucleoplasty procedure for percutaneous disc decompression performed on a patient with a contained disc herniation by Dr. Peter Gerszten, Assistant Professor of Neurological Spine Services at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and the University of Pittsburgh Medical School, on Friday, January 14th at 3pm Central.
According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, about one in every 50 people experiences a herniated disc, which may present with leg and/or back pain and be debilitating to patients. For those who don't respond to non-surgical treatments (including a short period of rest, anti-inflammatory medications to reduce the swelling, analgesic drugs to control the pain, physical therapy, exercise or epidural steroid injection therapy), surgery may seem to be the only option. Before deciding to go under the knife, patients may want to consider DISC Nucleoplasty.
DISC Nucleoplasty is an outpatient procedure to decompress
contained herniated discs, lasting just 20 to 30 minutes
under local anesthesia and light sedation. Quick and
painless, DISC Nucleoplasty allows patients to walk
out of the procedure room in less than an hour with
just a small bandage on their back, allowing them to
return to work soon after the procedure. DISC Nucleoplasty
is a refined technique for removing disc tissue, a well-established
mechanism for percutaneous disc decompression that has
been shown to improve patient functionality in 75 percent
of patients(1). Eighty-nine percent
of patients treated with DISC Nucleoplasty expressed
satisfaction with the procedure, according to a 2002
Stanford University study(1). Clinical
studies have shown that DISC Nucleoplasty decompresses
herniated discs, relieving pressure(2)
and allowing patients to experience immediate and long-lasting
reduction in VAS scores (a standardized method of measuring
a patient's pain)(3).
"Since approximately 80 percent of back and leg pain sufferers are not appropriate candidates for disc surgery, the focus until now has been on trying to manage the problem with medication, injections and physical therapy. Nucleoplasty provides patients with the possibility of a faster, longer lasting solution than traditional conservative care can provide, but without the morbidity associated with traditional open-spine techniques," said Dr. Gerszten. "This less invasive approach using plasma technology to remove tissue permits effective disc decompression with minimal rehabilitation required."
A camera crew will staff this Web cast with complete access to the operating room and live audio will be featured from within the operating room. While Dr. Gerszten performs the procedure, Dr. Norman Sanders, Medical Director for ArthroCare Corporation, the company that manufactures the devices used for DISC Nucleoplasty, will provide additional commentary on the procedure and handle e-mail questions from viewers.
DISC Nucleoplasty uses a patented plasma ablation to remove excess tissue within a herniated disc. Radiofrequency energy is used to convert saline solution into a precisely focused plasma. The energized particles in this plasma have sufficient energy to break molecular bonds, excising or dissolving soft tissue at relatively low temperatures (typically 40 C to 70 C), thereby preserving the integrity of surrounding healthy tissue. This technology has been used in over 3 million procedures throughout the body.
"Nucleoplasty fills a technology gap that has existed for millions of symptomatic disc sufferers", said Dr. Gerszten. DISC Nucleoplasty has been performed on more than 35,000 patients worldwide since 2000 with no major side effects. Of these 35,000 people, only three had complications. In each case, the complications were considered minor and non-threatening and were quickly resolved.
UPMC: The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC)
is the leading health care system in western Pennsylvania
and one of the largest nonprofit integrated health care
systems in the United States.
UPMC enjoys a strong national and international
clinical and research reputation, drawing patients from
throughout the United States and dozens of countries
across the globe. UPMC is consistently recognized by
U.S. News & World Report in the magazine's "best
of the best" rankings. The health system's
academic partner, the University of Pittsburgh,
is among the top recipients of National Institutes of
Health research funding.
UPMC's consortium of health care facilities includes
19 tertiary care, specialty, and community hospitals.
The health system also includes primary care and specialist
physician practices, cancer care, imaging and surgery
facilities, rehabilitation services,
in-home services including hospice
care and durable medical devices, retirement
living and long-term care, pharmacy services,
and an array of health insurance products
For more information on UPMC please visit www.upmc.com.
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(1) Chen Y, Lee SH, Lau E, Percutaneous Disc Decompression: Nucleoplasty for chronic discogenic back pain with or without sciatica: 1 Year Clinical Follow-Up Study, presented at the International Spinal Injection Society, Annual Meeting, Austin, September 2002.
(2) Chen YC. Lee S. Chen D. Intradiscal Pressure Study of Percutaneous Disc Decompression with Nucleoplasty in Human Cadavers. Spine. 2003; 28: 661-665
(3) Sharps L. Percutaneous Disc Decompression using Nucleoplasty. Presented at 6th International Congress of Spinal Surgery; Ankara, Turkey, September 2002
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