FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Patient at Southcrest Hospital Receives Spinefrontier's Facetfuse Minimally-invasive Spine Implant
BEVERLY, MA, December 10, 2008 - A patient at SouthCrest Hospital in Tulsa, OK, was the first patient in the midwestern United States to receive an innovative FDA-approved spine implant called the FacetFuse. Designed by world-renowned surgeons working with SpineFrontier™, the FacetFuse implant relieves severe lower back and leg pain by fusing two vertebrae together using two small screws. Traditional spinal fusions usually require four large screws, along with two rods and locking nuts.
Renowned spine surgeon, Dr. Steven C. Anagnost, M.D., performed the surgery at SouthCrest Hospital. The patient, a 29 year-old female with severe back pain and burning leg pain, was treated with the FacetFuse screws. Because of the new smaller minimally invasive screw design, the patient was walking about the hospital only four hours after her procedure. “This new procedure is a major improvement compared to many traditional techniques of spinal fusion,” said Anagnost.
Designed and evaluated by world-renowned practicing spine surgeons, the FacetFuse implant is state-of-the-art. “The new screw system often allows a much faster recovery and better outcomes compared with traditional pedicle screws,” said Dr. Anagnost. “There is also much less hardware required to stabilize patients with spinal diseases.”
The FacetFuse device is implanted through a minimally invasive surgical technique that only requires an incision about 1.5 centimeters long. In comparison to traditional spine surgery, this minimally invasive technique is a major breakthrough in spinal surgery. Minimally invasive surgery benefits usually are less blood loss, less postoperative pain, less operative time, shorter hospital stays, and a faster recovery. All these add up to better patient care. “This device will significantly benefit surgeons and their patients”, said Dr. Kingsley R. Chin, M.D.,one of the inventor surgeons.
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SpineFrontier was founded by practicing spine surgeons with the belief that, as surgeons, we are best able to identify our own needs as well as those of our patients. Our team of surgeons, engineers and industry experts collaborate seamlessly on our innovations, helping us develop SpineFrontier into a company that is primarily driven to be a leader in innovation and cutting edge technology. SpineFrontier will assist us surgeons in solving the challenges we face daily, while treating our patients in the operating room.
SpineFrontier is constantly striving to design products that are rooted in the idea of providing the patient with a pain-free and comfortable lifestyle.
Contact:
Marwan M. Aylouche
Director, Product and Corporate Image
SpineFrontier
Phone: +1 978 279 9270
Fax: +1 978 232 3001
innovation@spinefrontier.com