The Bonati Spine Institute, the leading center for the patented Bonati Spine Procedures for minimally invasive laser spine surgery, supports recent studies by highly respected organizations such as the Journal of the America Board of Family Medicine and Consumer Reports reporting an unnecessary growth in tests and treatments targeting back pain.
“a 629% increase in Medicare expenditures for epidural steroid injections; a 423% increase in expenditures for opioids for back pain; a 307% increase in the number of lumbar magnetic resonance images among Medicare beneficiaries; and a 220% increase in spinal fusion surgery rates.”
An article in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine documented enormous growth in tests and treatments targeting back pain including "a 629% increase in Medicare expenditures for epidural steroid injections; a 423% increase in expenditures for opioids for back pain; a 307% increase in the number of lumbar magnetic resonance images among Medicare beneficiaries; and a 220% increase in spinal fusion surgery rates." Despite the dramatic increase in interventions, there is little evidence that patients are reaping the benefits: the rate of disability from back pain was even higher in 2005 than in 1997.
In 2007, spinal surgery was number one on Consumer Reports list of the top 10 overused medical tests and treatments. In a survey of subscribers published last year, Consumer Reports found that more than 50 percent who underwent back surgery had at least one problem afterwards - the most common was a lengthier and more debilitating recovery than expected. And the survey found that fusion was the most common procedure performed.
"Early on, I recognized that too many complex back surgeries were being done and people were suffering unnecessarily. The numbers have only continued to increase. Fortunately, with modern technology in the form of minimally invasive endoscopic laser spine procedures, patients no longer have to subject themselves to traditional open back surgery," commented Alfred O. Bonati, M.D., creator of The Bonati Spine Procedures and Chief Surgeon at The Bonati Spine Institute.
For over 28 years, The Bonati Spine Institute has been the leader in least invasive outpatient spine surgery. Alfred O. Bonati, M.D. was the first to develop and patent methods and instruments for laser spine surgery to correct problems of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine known as The Bonati Spine Procedures. Their success rate of over 90% offers patients renewed hope. Available only at The Bonati Spine Institute, these gentle procedures have been performed successfully more than 35,000 times to treat conditions that include spinal stenosis, arthritis of the spine, herniated discs, bulging discs, whiplash, failed back surgery syndrome, and degenerative disc disease. For more information, visit www.bonati.com.
Patient symptom information enhances MRI accuracy for lumbar spine diagnosis