New Minimally Invasive Surgery Procedure for Severe Scoliosis

[scoliosisdoctor]

Hello, I want to introduce myself, I'm Dr. Neel Anand. I specialize in minimally invasive spine surgery and I created a new, minimally invasive procedure that straightens out the spine and maintains the correction.
This is very exciting, as I can operate on older adults who were either never screened or treated. The risks are reduced with less blood loss, we spare the muscles, so the recovery time is very quick, no ICU. Two weeks post op you will be standing up straight, with very little discomfort from the surgery itself, using only Tylenol. We welcome your questions. Please give us 48 hour turnaround on this forum. You may call my office or visit my website for more information or an appointment.

[sillycoffeegirl]

whats ur website?

[rich1752]

I found his website:

http://www.infospine.net/treatment-s...s-surgery.html

I had my consultation with my surgeon, but know the difference between the surgeries.

[LindaRacine]

Wow, Dr. Anand, if I didn't know you, I'd ask if you were smoking something.

Can you tell me how the surgery you're talking about differs from the surgeries being done by doctors like Newton and Picetti? Are you doing these surgeries on both adolescents and adults? Also, is this surgery appropriate for all types of curves? If not, how high, low, and how long are the fusions that you do?

I'm really concerned about your statement that you can do this surgery with minimal discomfort. Do all of your patients go without narcotics? If not, what percentage need narcotics?

Do you have any long-term outcome data yet?

The forum participants really jump on alternative practitioners about making false claims. I'd like to think that the traditional medical community is above making any unrealistic claims, but we shall see.

Regards,
Linda

[rich1752]

I agree Linda, I am both curious and suspicious, but would love to hear more about it. I have a 52 degree curve and plan on doing my surgery in the Los Angeles area, which is were Dr. Anand is from. If I could do my surgery with less pain, I would love it. I look forward to my surgery for the pain and in order to stop the progression. I have shrunk 3 inches in the last 2 years, which is scary. waiting to hear more about it..thanks, Dr. Anand

[LindaRacine]

Hi Rich...

I'm always a little suspicious when the results sound too good to be true.

--Linda

[Pooka1]

Wow, Dr. Anand, if I didn't know you, I'd ask if you were smoking something.

Can you tell me how the surgery you're talking about differs from the surgeries being done by doctors like Newton and Picetti?

Wait a minute... are these experimental surgeries or established procedures?

And he posted to the kids' section (with the added mention of "fusion" for some reason). I assume he does them on kids, too.

[rich1752]

this is information from his website,,, I need to have surgery from t12 to L5 and if it can be done, I am on board,, does anybody have any info on this new technique?


Multilevel Minimally Invasive Screws
[I][B]Using the CD Horizon Longitude system pedicle screws are placed over a guide wire in a minimally invasive fashion leaving the fascia and muscle intact. The rod is then threaded through the screw extenders. A set screw is used to secure the rod at each screw and the extenders are removed. This approach spares the muscles which are disrupted in open surgery and allows for long, multilevel fusion constructs.

Click here to learn more about Multilevel Minimally Invasive Screws
Stabilimax NZ Dynamic Spine Stabilization System
Stabilimax NZ is designed to offer a unique treatment for spinal stenosis called "dynamic stabilization." This means that while Stabilimax NZ works to stabilize the affected area of the spine, it does so in a manner which preserves both bending and twisting motions.

•Click here to learn more about Stabilimax NZ Dynamic Spine Stabilization System
NeoDisc™ Cervical Disc Replacement
Advancing motion preservation through soft fixation. The combined elastic material and embroidery technology of NeoDisc™ provides a variety of surgical options, including interbody and ligamentous, in motion preservation applications.

]

[titaniumed]

Ck out the video.

http://www.infospine.net/treatment-m...ve-screws.html

More scoli info

http://www.infospine.net/treatment-s...s-surgery.html

================================================== ===================

Welcome Dr Anand,

Very interesting, and looks great. New technology is always welcome.

I was wondering how you bend the rods to form the shape you want. Establishing lordotic and kyphotic radius to achieve saggital balance?

Can you bend through the portals?

Also, how long can you go?

Can you do bad curves? If so, how bad?

How many people have you done with this technique?

Do you use cages? How do you get them in?

Can you use BMP?

Regards
Ed

[Shari]

Oh Boy!!! I hope this is not an advertisement for an experimental treatment.

Especially since there are new people here that are scared and not quite sure whether you are serving up the truth or a plate of bull$#@%. If this is true, give us more than a tease, a few pictures and a link to a site that not all can understand what you are saying. And why other Doctor's aren't using your technique?

We are not a bunch of lab rats, give us more information, make it so a child could understand it. Many of us here, have had ant. and/or post. surgeries. I had both, five disc removed, some hip and rib, then fused from T-1 to L-5, and I understood exactly what was going to happen to me.

This forum is for supporting, informing, sharing and comforting those that have gone through or are contemplating having this surgery. I hope you aren't here to prey on the members that are not sure what to do!!! This is not a billboard, and I can't help but wonder, along with Linda R., why you are on this forum.

God knows, I hope I'm wrong. Gotta go with the gut, and it's skeptical.

Sorry,

[LindaRacine]

Ck out the video.

http://www.infospine.net/treatment-m...ve-screws.html

More scoli info

http://www.infospine.net/treatment-s...s-surgery.html

================================================== ===================

Welcome Dr Anand,

Very interesting, and looks great. New technology is always welcome.

I was wondering how you bend the rods to form the shape you want. Establishing lordotic and kyphotic radius to achieve saggital balance?

Can you bend through the portals?

Also, how long can you go?

Can you do bad curves? If so, how bad?

How many people have you done with this technique?

Do you use cages? How do you get them in?

Can you use BMP?

Regards
Ed

Hi Ed...

Rods are bent before they are implanted (in both open and minimally invasive procedures). You can see how the rod bending works in this animation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGCGr...eature=related

From what I can tell, there is no difference between what Dr. Anand is doing and what the other minimally invasive surgeons have been doing for quite some time. I think his choice of the words "I created" may be a bit of an exaggeration. Or, perhaps he does essentially what the pioneers have done, but added some tweek along the way??

Regards,
Linda

[joyfull]

Linda, I called a surgeon here in New York who does minimally invasive surgery, and he told me that I was not a candidate. Although I have good posture, I have quite a prominent kyphosis. I wonder how Dr. Anand would deal with this. If everything else in my life cooperates, I hope to have surgery in June and be back at work in September. I am curious enough to call on Monday. You seem so knowledgeable - thanks for your input. Joy

[LindaRacine]

Hi Joy...

I don't think I've ever heard of idiopathic kyphosis or kyphoscoliosis being treated with minimally invasive surgery. I'll be curious to hear what you find.

Regards,
Linda

[titaniumed]

Hi Linda

In this video from his site, the rod is inserted from the end. I'm assuming the rod starts out straight.

http://www.infospine.net/treatment-m...ve-screws.html

I have to admit that when I had my shoulder surgery and my gall bladder removed , I didn't need any drugs. I took 1 Celebrex and that was it. When they do any procedures through a endoscope, it makes it so much easier to recover.

These are great ideas........The Docs at Medtronic's thought so also.

================================================== ======================

Check this out. This is really neat as it preserves the joint.

Now this isn't Medtronic's, and under research study, but I wonder if this could be used under a scoli fusion???????????

If it doesn't work, you could remove it, and be back to where you were.

I'm wondering what material they are using outside of the springs, and will that material deteriorate? Also wondering about lateral movement in the springs affecting the spring covers?

I wonder how many of these have been installed, and how often the devices are monitored in the trial?
Watch video at bottom of page

http://www.infospine.net/treatment-s...on-system.html

Here is an interview.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OghJb4z58Dg

Regards
Ed

[LindaRacine]

Ed...

Things could have changed since I saw the videos of the first minimally invasive scoliosis surgeries, but in those surgeries, the rod was bent prior to insertion.

--Linda