DR GROVER BREAKTHROUGH SURGERY.mov

This is a news story broadcast by houston's KHOU about a breakthrough spinal surgery performed by Dr Pavan Grover on a patient who was not able to walk without assistance due to problem in her spine.
This story is remarkable because of the way KHOU decided to cover the story.
With the advent of 24/7 news, there is a blurring between what is real news and what is paid advertising and opnion. Most news stories about breakthrough medical procedures lack any follow-up because of logistics, cost and time concerns. So that the viewer never really knows if a new procedure works. When a follow-up is done, the story is presented together so there could be an issue of "cherry picking" as if there was not a great result the story would most probably not air.
The producers of KHOU and anchor Shermin-Chow broke new ground in their coverage of this story. They filmed and broadcast the first part of the story of the operation on October 20, 2010 at Humble surgical hospital and promised the viewers they would go back to see if the procedure worked. That first segment was picked up by affliates and broadcast nationally. The nation waited with baited breath to see how the patient would do as anything could happen. True to their promise KHOU went back a few weeks later and broadcast the result. The patient was able to walk without a cane and walker, stopped all her meds including pain meds, anti-inflammatories, and muscle relaxtant and had no pain. And she was able to walk up stairs.This is a breakthrough FDA approved procedure for back pain performed in Houston, Texas, home of the world's largest medical center. The procedure is performed on an outpatient basis with the patient leaving the facility within hours after the procedure and a simple band-aid and ice pack on their back!

The procedure in minimally invasive meaning it is a very quick recovery (days generally) and costs much less.

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News & Politics

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• Pavan Grover