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Spine Surgery
The spine service at Flagstaff
Medical Center offers comprehensive, state-of-the-art evaluation and
treatment of spinal disorders.
FMC physicians have experience in the
treatment of spinal degenerative disease (such as lumbar spinal stenosis)
and traumatic disorders and deformity (scoliosis, kyphosis). We use
minimally invasive techniques, such as spinal fusion to treat a variety
of conditions, including veretebral compression fractures. These
techniques tend to shorten the time patients spend in the hospital and
speed recovery time as well.
In addition to the full spectrum of
traditional surgical techniques, in appropriate cases, we also offer
video assisted thoracoscopic and laparoscopic surgery.
Physicians involved in the whole picture of spinal care
FMC provides a comprehensive approach to the evaluation and treatment of
patients with spinal disorders affecting the cervical, thoracic, and
lumbar spine.
Patients and their families are walked through the diagnosis and
education of both operative and non-operative treatment protocols by our
staff, which consists of:
• Orthopaedic Spine Surgeons
• Vascular Surgeons
• Pain Management Physicians
• Nurses
• Rehabilitation Doctors
• Physical Therapists
• Neurologists
• Occupational Therapists
• Neurosurgeons
• Nutritionists
• Oncologists
• Social Workers
• Psychologists
Conditions Treated
FMC brings together a dedicated team of spine care professionals to
offer quality, state of the art care for conditions affecting the adult
and pediatric spine. We provide surgical and non-surgical care for all
conditions affecting the spine, including:
• Acute & chronic low back & neck pain
• Infections
• Tumors
• Adult & pediatric scoliosis
• Spinal stenosis
• Sports-related spine injuries
• Herniated discs
• Spinal trauma
Specialty Techniques
Two FMC neurosurgeons are pioneering surgical techniques and designing
new implantable devices for spinal fusions. Nathan Avery, M.D.,
and Stephen Ritland, M.D., both
Flagstaff neurosurgeons, are working to develop new surgical techniques
and instrumentation to solve what they view as limitations within spinal
fusion technology.
For patients who suffer from painful areas where vertebrae have slipped
out of place or for those who have a worn-out disc or joint causing
pain, Dr. Ritland’s technique spells relief and a recovery time that’s
much faster than in previous years.
Dr. Ritland’s technique, spares major muscles and vessels, so they stay strong, and fusion failure rates decline. By
approaching between the muscles rather than detaching them as has been
previously done, damage is minimized, but the spine is still fused. The
incision is smaller than before as well. This means less surgical trauma
and therefore faster recovery times for patients – sometimes just one or
two days in the hospital compared to four or five with a conventional
approach.
Dr. Avery developed a titanium
surgical plate designed to reattach the skull to the spine after a
traumatic injury. It does the job that ligaments once did before being
damaged in an injury. Dr. Avery’s specialty is pediatric neurosurgery,
so the plate initially was designed for children, but has been used in
adult patients.
“Similar devices exist, but have
required that the spine be fused farther down and with more hardware,”
Dr. Avery said. “I think this device will solve a problem that hasn’t
yet been solved. The plate is lower profile than other devices out
there, and allows for greater range of motion post-fusion.”
Donald D. Hales, M.D., Orthopaedic
physician, was the head of the local portion of the FDA study in 2000,
testing a new spinal-fusion technique that harnesses the power of a
bone-growing protein (BMP). The protein is injected into small titanium
cages that are slipped between vertebrae in patients who have
degenerative back problems or advanced arthritis - two very common and
painful back problems. The secret behind his excitement is protein -
more specifically, the bone morphogenic kind, or "bone-creating"
proteins. In recent years, genetic engineers and scientists have been
able to identify the "active ingredient" in the hip-bone material.
"They have identified the proteins that 'turn on' bone healing," Dr.
Hales said. "After isolating the genes and splicing them off the
chromosome, scientists were able to grow that protein in a laboratory.
It's like taking the caffeine out of a cup of coffee and harnessing that
energy. Normally, the body regulates how much protein it produces, but
these cultures have no feedback mechanisms, so we can 'grow' as much as
we want."
The benefits of this procedure to the patient are numerous: one less
incision, no second surgery site, one less potential site for infection,
and no post-surgery hip pain."The healing also is faster for patients,
because the protein is more concentrated, thereby the bone 'grows'
faster," Dr. Hales said. "This will get patients back to their jobs
faster, ensure that there is less failure of the fusion, and cost less.
This will become simply an injection procedure - we won't have to cut
muscle fibers to get the protein to where we need it to go."
Early results are encouraging. "There's no question that the patients
who received this protein technique got out of the hospital earlier,
experienced less pain, and felt better faster," Dr. Hales said.
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Northern Arizona Healthcare - 1200 N. Beaver St., Flagstaff, Ariz.
86001 - 928 779-3366
Flagstaff Medical Center - 1200 N. Beaver St., Flagstaff, Ariz.
86001 - 928 779-3366
Verde Valley Medical Center - 269 S. Candy Lane, Cottonwood, Ariz. 86326 - 928
639-6000
VVMC - Sedona Campus - 3700 W. Highway 89A, Sedona, Ariz., 86336 - 928 204-3000
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