Minimally invasive surgical treatment for the SI Joint now available at Forest Hills Hospital
Forest Hills, NY, December,28, 2012 / PRNewswire / — Forest Hills (Forest Hills, NY) announced today that local spine surgeon, Jonathan D. Lewin, MD performed the area’s first Sacroiliac (SI) Joint fixation surgery using the minimally invasive iFuse Implant System™.
The iFuse procedure is a promising procedure for patients with unresolved low back symptoms related to the SI Joint. The SI Joint connects the sacrum, the triangular bone at the bottom of the spine, with the pelvis iliac crest. This joint can become damaged either due to normal wear and tear over time or through injury.
When such damage happens, it can cause significant discomfort from the lower back down to the lower buttock region and the upper leg. This discomfort can lead to debilitation and one’s quality-of-life may greatly suffer.
The iFuse procedure is designed to offer a minimally invasive solution for patients who are no longer responding satisfactorily to conservative care, but for whom the prospect of a traditional open surgery is not desirable.
The iFuse procedure takes about an hour and involves three small titanium implants inserted surgically across the SI Joint. The entire process is done through a small incision, with no soft tissue stripping and minimal tendon irritation. Patients may leave the hospital the next day after surgery and can usually resume daily living activities within six weeks, depending on how well they are healing and based on physician’s orders.
For more information on the iFuse Implant System™, go to www.si-bone.com.
- Cohen, Steven P. Sacroiliac Joint Pain: A Comprehensive Review of Anatomy, Diagnosis, and Treatment. Anesth Analg 2005; 101:1440-1453.