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World Renowned Neurological Spine Surgeon John C. Chiu, M.D. Makes Significant Advancements in Microdecompressive Endoscopic Spine Surgery

With New Laser Thermodiskoplasty For Shrinking and Tightening Herniated Spinal Disks

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., Jan. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Back pain due to herniated spinal disks is common in modern society. Poor posture, prolonged sitting, repeated bending and lifting, and trauma cause it. Twenty percent of the population has been affected for more than two weeks per year, and five percent is permanently disabled because of back problems.

In most cases, conservative treatment with medication and physiotherapy brings relief. However, many sufferers require surgery. Until recently, spinal discectomy resulted in major operations and traumatic dissection of muscle and bone removal or bone fusion. To overcome the disadvantages of traditional traumatic spine surgery, minimally invasive spine surgery (including percutaneous endoscopic spinal discectomy with new laser thermodiskoplasty) was developed.

Dr. Chiu is a pioneer in the field of minimally invasive spine surgery (having performed about 1,500 spinal discectomies with this technique), involved in developing several innovations, such as the new laser thermodiskoplasty technique for shrinking and tightening herniated (or ``slipped'') disks to relieve pressure on spinal nerves. He also played a major role in the development of percutaneous microdecompressive endoscopic spine surgery in general. Chiu is the Chief Neuro Spine Surgeon at the California Center for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery and California Back Specialists Medical Group, as well as the Medical Director at Conejo Multi-Specialty Medical Group.

Microdecompressive Endoscopic Spine Surgery with Laser Thermodiskoplasty, involving cervical, thoracic, and lumbar disks (or a combination of these levels), is an outpatient procedure which causes little or no trauma, when compared to more conventional forms of back surgery. The procedure is performed through a tiny, 2mm to 3mm incision, using a small cannula tube, a tiny endoscope for imaging, micro-spinal discectomy instruments, and a Holmium Laser needle. While this procedure is common at the lumbar level, Dr. Chiu has made significant inroads in performing this non-invasive procedure on the neck and thoracic levels with a near 95 percent success rate. Until recently, the medical community believed that this procedure should be confined to solely the lumbar spine. Dr. Chiu's procedural advancements now make this minimally invasive procedure available to a much wider range of back pain sufferers.

    He can be reached at:

    Phone:    805-497-8554
    Fax:      805-497-2800
    WWW.      http://www.spinecenter.com
    Email:    chiu@spinecenter.com

    Address:  2100 Lynn Road
              Thousand Oaks, CA 91360

SOURCE: California Center for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery

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