Refined Approach to Back Surgery Helps Elderly

Ninety-year-old Charles Borenstein loves playing golf but had to put his clubs away when back pain became so bad he could hardly stand. He thought his life was over.

Santiago Figuereo, MD, FAANS, medical director of the Miami Neurological Institute (www.miamini.com) in Aventura, Fla., diagnosed Mr. Borenstein with lumbar stenosis, a degenerative condition of the spine.

Dr. Figuereo determined surgery was the only way to alleviate the pain. He says that with lumbar stenosis, the spinal column narrows. Specialty trained neurosurgeons like Dr. Figuereo can surgically go in and open it back up again. Elderly patients require extra special care.

Dr. Figuereo has fine-tuned a minimally invasive procedure called a decompressive laminectomy, which is done through a small incision in the back.

"This procedure is typically done to address one, maybe two discs. Using special tools and a laser-beam focused camera, I'm able to reach as many as five discs in one procedure," Figuereo said.

The small incision avoids the need to cut muscle, reducing risk and increasing recovery time. Just four weeks after surgery, Borenstein was back on the golf course.

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News & Politics

Tags:

• golf
• neurosurgery
• lumbar stenosis
• decompressive laminectomy
• Miami Neurological Institute
• Dr. Santiago Figuereo
• www.miamini.com.