St. Alexius Offers New Approach to Spine Surgery
Posted on 11/17/2008
Dr. Eric Belanger |
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Eric Belanger, MD, a neurosurgeon with St. Alexius Medical Center is performing a new minimally invasive procedure, called eXtreme Lateral Interbody Fusion (XLIF®), to provide relief to those suffering from back and/or leg pain.
An estimated 10 million adults suffer from chronic back and/or leg pain annually, a condition that can limit their activities. Until recently, adults with back and/or leg pain have undergone traditional or “open” spine surgery, requiring weeks or months of recovery.
“The XLIF surgical procedure offers a safe and effective, less disruptive alternative to traditional or open spine surgery,” explained Dr. Belanger. “This approach provides greater access to the spine, better visualization during surgery, less tissue disruption and blood loss, and faster patient recovery times. Another benefit is that patients are often walking within a few days, with a typical four-to-six week recovery, rather than the six or more months of recovery following traditional back surgery. And the best part is that they are no longer suffering from back and/or leg pain. XLIF is a win-win approach for all- the patient, surgeon and hospital.”
The NuVasive® XLIF surgical procedure employs NuVasive’s minimally disruptive instrumentation. NuVasive’s MaXcess® retractor system allows the surgeon the necessary surgical access with minimal disruption of surrounding tissue, while the NeuroVision® JJB System uses real-time feedback electromyography, or EMG, to enable the surgeon to avoid nerves during spine surgery. This technology allows surgeons to perform a wide range of conventional spine procedures through a minimally invasive approach that causes less muscle disruption and enables faster recovery. Additionally, surgeons can perform these procedures using treatments that are similar to those used in conventional procedures, but through significantly smaller incisions.
Dr. Belanger is a board-certified neurosurgeon with two years of additional training (fellowship) in complex spine surgery. Dr. Belenger is a leader in minimally invasive spine surgery in the Midwest. Along with being a leader in this technique, Dr. Belanger trains other spine surgeons in minimally invasive surgery. He also has vast experience in the treatment of chronic pain, trauma, tumors, and complex afflictions of the spine.