William Tobler, MD, a neurosurgeon with Cincinnati-based Mayfield Clinic, performed Cincinnati's first coflex® procedure in an ASC setting.
Here are five things to know:
1. Dr. Tobler performed the outpatient procedure in mid-July. He has practiced with Mayfield since 1985 and serves on the Mayfield Clinic board of directors. He is also the director of neurosurgery at Cincinnati-based The Christ Hospital.
2. Cincinnati-based surgeons previously performed the coflex procedure in the hospital setting, but Dr. Tobler's procedure marks the first time coflex® was used at a Cincinnati ASC. "Coflex® may obviate the need for fusion, or it can delay a fusion for many years, while also delaying adjacent-level disease associated with fusion. The procedure is ideal for the ASC setting," says Dr. Tobler.
3. Paradigm Spine's coflex® Interlaminar Stabilization procedure is a non-fusion option to stabilize the spine after decompression. The procedure is designed for spinal stenosis patients to help maintain natural motion.
4. The coflex device received FDA approval in 2012 and has been adopted by surgeons across the country. "Coflex® fills the gap between decompression and fusion. It provides more stability than a decompression alone, and it is much less invasive than a fusion procedure," says Dr. Tobler. "It can provide a good alternative for some patients, enabling them to avoid the expense and potential challenges of fusion."
5. Dr. Tobler performed the procedure at Mayfield Spine Surgery Center, a three-OR facility developed in 2007 through a partnership between The Mayfield Clinic and United Surgical Partners International. The ASC is devoted to spine procedures where surgeons perform decompressions, anterior cervical discectomy and fusion as well as lumbar fusions and pain procedures.