Miami, Florida (October 5^th, 2021) – Approximately 1.2 million people in the United States have back and leg pain that is related to Lumbar stenosis, and this occurs when the spinal canal narrows due to degenerative changes to the point where the nerves get squeezed inside the spinal canal. There is a ligament that is usually thickened contributing to the stenosis. Degenerative changes of the spine are seen in up to 95% of people by the age of 50, and these changes ultimately can cause of spinal stenosis. As we get older, our disks begin to dry out and weaken, and this causes settling, or collapse, of the disk spaces and loss of disk space height.

Typical symptoms of spinal stenosis are back and buttock pain going down the back of the legs mainly when standing and walking and improved with sitting. Most people have no pain with sitting but they can not walk or stand secondary to pain with heaviness, cramping or numbness/tingling in their legs. 

Dr. Jackson Cohen, Medical Director, Interventional Pain Medicine Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Memorial Healthcare System in South Florida, says when conservative treatment with medications, physical therapy and epidural steroid injections are not effective then traditional surgery is normally recommended. In some cases, the risks of undergoing a traditional spine surgery may be high for people with significant medical issues or sometimes people choose not to undergo spine surgery due to other factors and then they are limited with other options. Fortunately the MILD procedure (Minimally Invasive Lumbar Decompression) has become a great option for these patients.

The MILD procedure is a minimally invasive lumbar decompression that helps to decompress or open up the spinal canal just enough to take the pressure off of the nerves so that they are not squeezed when people stand up and walk. It Is a same-day procedure, normally performed under IV sedation with a small incision of around 1cm. An instrument is then passed through the incision to the ligament and part of the thick ligament is removed to decompress the spinal canal. The procedure normally takes less than an hour and there are no restrictions after it. People can go home within hours of finishing the procedure and walk around. A bandage is placed over the small incision which normally heals in a few days. There is strong evidence that this procedure is safe and effective with the same safety profile of undergoing an epidural injection and 5-year data of sustained relief. This procedure can really improve people’s function and quality of life no matter how old a person may be.

“As physicians, our focus is on the health, well-being, and healing of all patients. We are very fortunate to have an experienced team of doctors who work together to provide advanced procedures while delivering compassionate care to our patients,” stated Dr. Cohen.

About Memorial Global Health:

Memorial Global Health provides personalized coordination of specialized and emergency medical services for adult and pediatric international patients. Memorial Healthcare System offers premier clinical expertise throughout their six hospitals including Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, exclusively dedicated to the care of children.  For more than 60 years, the physicians, nurses, specialists and healthcare professionals at Memorial have placed patients and their families at the heart of everything they do. The skilled team at Memorial offers patient-and-family-centered care by partnering with patients and their families.

About Memorial Healthcare System: 

Memorial Healthcare System is one of the largest public healthcare systems in the United States and has served South Florida since 1953. Since, the South Florida community has benefited from compassionate healthcare delivered according to the service vision of Deeper Caring, Smarter Healthcare. Memorial has six hospitals and more than 150 employed physicians, who compose the Memorial Physician Group, a nursing home, home health services, research, and primary and urgent care centers and the South Broward Community Health Services.  In 2013, Memorial Health Network led the way in putting the clinically integrated healthcare delivery model into action. By expanding on this new framework, Memorial will continue to improve the quality, efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the services they proudly provide.

For more information:

Memorial Global Health

1 (954) 265-3200 

[email protected]

#MHSGlobal

WWW.MHS.NET/GLOBAL-HEALTH

Address: 3501 Johnson Street Hollywood, Florida 33021