RMC offers groundbreaking new procedure for LSS patients

More than one million people are diagnosed and treated each year in the United States for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS), a condition that occurs from the narrowing of the spinal canal. Peter Staats, M.D., in conjunction with Riverview Medical Center, is offering LSS patients a groundbreaking new procedure, mild® (minimally invasive spinal decompression) that safely and therapeutically reduces pain and improves mobility.

Unlike some treatments that only temporarily relieve symptoms associated with LSS, mild uses a special device to actually eliminate the compression around the spinal canal. This safe and effective treatment is an alternative to traditional back surgery that requires general anesthesia and a hospital stay. A less invasive alternative to an open surgery, this new approach was developed to provide a safe therapeutic solution earlier in the treatment continuum and avoid the risks of major spine surgery.

Dr. Staats stands as the only physician in both Monmouth and Ocean counties to offer mild, and one of only 10 physicians in the state of New Jersey performing this procedure. Dr. Staats has received world-wide recognition for his work, being cited by his peers, and professional and consumer publications, as one of the best pain management doctors in the country.

"I am thrilled that we have a new option that is so effective in helping my patients with LSS," says Staats. "My patients that have undergone the mild procedure have noticed dramatic improvements in both pain and function. The ultra-minimally invasive nature of the procedure makes it an ideal therapeutic intervention prior to open spine surgery. In addition, complication rates for the mild procedure are lower and recovery times faster than other surgical procedures for treating LSS. "

The advantages the mild procedure provides patients are numerous. It can be performed in an outpatient setting by specially trained physicians, and the recovery time is shorter in comparison to the more invasive approach. The procedure is generally performed in one to two hours, and patients return to work and other normal daily tasks within a few days. Post procedure rehabilitation options are also faster and less complicated, following mild.

And no one knows the life altering benefits of the mild procedure more than Rose Sestito of Little Silver, NJ. At 81 years old, Rose has battled lower back pain for more than 10 years. In 2010, Rose's back pain had escalated to excruciating levels, which resulted in Rose having difficulty accomplishing the simplest tasks like walking, getting dressed, and sleeping.

"I was literally a cripple for an entire year of my life due to the pain in my lower back," says Sestito. There were several instances where I literally had to lie down on my bed as to not pass out from the pain. Minutes after Dr. Staats completed the mild procedure on my back, the pain was immediately relieved and I could not believe that I was left without any scar. Riverview has been home to me and my family for my entire life, and I forever grateful to Dr. Staats and Riverview for giving me my life back."