If you’ve been putting off back pain treatment in this pandemic, experts say some high-tech outpatient help could get you feeling better soon. (WKRC)
EDGEWOOD, Ky. (WKRC) – If you’ve been putting off back pain treatment in this pandemic, experts say some high-tech outpatient help could get you feeling better soon.
The team at St. Elizabeth Healthcare and Mayfield Brain & Spine are teaming up to remind all of us that if you’ve been putting off care for back pain in this pandemic, don’t delay, especially because there’s a new breakthrough that could have you back to feeling better very soon.
She’s finally back on the move, but for years, Ruth Tabor had back pain that was so bad that she could barely walk.
“Over the years, I had spinal stenosis, where the spine got real narrow and the disc was deteriorating,” said Tabor. “It just affected my walk.”
It turned out Tabor needed a spinal fusion, and after weeks of postponement due to the coronavirus pandemic, she finally got one.
Dr. Tann Nichols, a neurosurgeon at Mayfield Brain & Spine, performed that procedure with the assistance from the Mazor X Stealth Edition Robotic Guidance Platform. It works as an extension of sorts of the doctor’s hands.
“There’s a screw that you fix into the patient, so that locks into the robot itself,” said Dr. Nichols.
The Mazor X allows the team to attach a 3D comprehensive surgical plan to the patient, which gives the surgeon a perfect path for surgery before it ever starts.
“It gives you increased precision and allows you to have more accuracy,” added Dr. Nichols. “It allows you to put screws in places where you wouldn’t normally put them.”
What’s more is this can all be performed in an outpatient procedure.
“The idea of maximal access with minimal invasiveness, less tissue disruption to the patient — getting the same result,” said Dr. Nichols.
“It was an easy recuperation,” said Tabor. “I didn’t have a whole lot of pain, and it was just amazing. I went back to work after six weeks.”
If you have questions about back pain or want more information on this robotic-assisted procedure, click here.
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