Laser Spine Institute: the Worldwide Leader in Endoscopic Spine Surgery
Laser Spine Institute was founded in Tampa, FL, in 2005 by a group of surgeons and physicians whose mission was to help patients find meaningful relief from back or neck pain related to spinal nerve compression without resorting to highly invasive open back or neck surgery. In a very real sense, the founders of Laser Spine Institute were medical pioneers.
At the time Laser Spine Institute was founded, the use of endoscopic techniques to perform spine surgery was proven effective, but still relatively new. What was clear, even then, was that the enormous population of back pain sufferers were extremely open to a different way to find relief. The traditional form of spine surgery – spinal fusion – was well-established and, overall, was a very effective way to alleviate the pain, tingling, numbness, and muscle weakness associated with spinal nerve compression. Yet, the risks and potential side effects of spinal fusion made it a less-than-ideal solution for those who could not manage their symptoms using a regimen of conservative treatment methods.
The advent of minimally invasive, outpatient procedures meant patients no longer would be required to spend one or more nights in the hospital after spine surgery. It also meant that there would be far less risk of internal bleeding, infection, and failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS). Finally, it meant that the long, arduous recovery period would be reduced to less than half of the time it usually takes to recover from back or neck surgery. All of this made Laser Spine Institute an almost-instant success in the world of spine treatment. Very quickly, the Tampa surgical center was no longer adequate to meet the demand for endoscopic spine surgery, and Laser Spine Institute expanded to Scottsdale, Ariz., Philadelphia, Oklahoma City, and Houston.
By January of 2012, slightly less than seven years after the first minimally invasive procedure was performed at Laser Spine Institute in Tampa, the total number of patients treated surpassed 30,000.
Laser Spine Institute helps patients who suffer from back or neck pain related to a number of degenerative spine conditions, including:
- Spinal arthritis
- Degenerative disc disease
- Spinal ligament ossification
- Bone spurs (osteophytes)
- Bulging discs
- Herniated discs
- Spondylolisthesis
- Spinal stenosis
- And more
The minimally invasive procedures performed by the surgeons at Laser Spine Institute have expanded over the years. In addition to minimally invasive laminotomies, foraminotomies, facet thermal ablations, and percutaneous discectomies, the Laser Spine Institute surgeons now perform minimally invasive stabilization (MIS) procedures and use a patient’s own undifferentiated stem cells to help encourage the healing process after a disc replacement procedure known as RegenaDISC.
All of Laser Spine Institute’s minimally invasive procedures are performed with the goal of alleviating the source of painful or debilitating spinal nerve compression. In most cases, only the bare minimum amount of spinal anatomy is removed in order to provide more space for the nerve root to exit the spinal canal and carry its intended signal from the brain to the other areas of the body. The mission of every employee at Laser Spine Institute is to help patients leave behind the daily struggle associated with the symptoms of nerve compression. The ultimate goal is to help patients return to a life without the feeling of helplessness, hopelessness, and depression sometimes associated with chronic back pain and other symptoms related to spinal nerve compression.
In addition to being the leader in endoscopic spine surgery, Laser Spine Institute is dedicated to patient education. The Laser Spine Institute staff regularly present free spine health seminars all over the country to help inform people who might be considering spine surgery as a way to alleviate their chronic discomfort.
