Becker's Spine Review

11 SPINE SURGEONS Woman dies after shooting at Florida spine office By Alan Condon A woman who was shot July 26 at BioSpine Institute in Spring Hill, Fla., died a few hours later in surgery at a local trauma center, according to local police. In a July 26 statement, the Hernando County Sheriff's Office in Brooks- ville, Fla., said it received multiple 911 calls from BioSpine about a late morning shooting at the office, and about 30 deputies responded. The victim, who had multiple gunshot wounds, was airlifted to a trau- ma center in critical condition where she died during afternoon sur- gery, according to the statement. A 72-year-old man who is a relative of the victim has confessed to the shooting and is being charged, according to the statement. BioSpine provided the following statement: "Unfortunately, two visitors to the BioSpine Spring Hill Clinic Office were involved in a domestic dispute that resulted in tragedy. The two individuals were apparently known to each other, and neither were employed by Biospine. Fortunately, no staff or other visitors were in- jured in this incident, and staff and all others were able to find safe shelter without any further involvement. The person responsible for this reprehensible act is in custody and facing charges. We will con- tinue to work with law enforcement as necessary and appreciate their prompt response to the situation." n Dr. Ashish Malik brings novel spine procedure to Massachusetts hospital By Alan Condon A n outpatient spine procedure to treat lumbar stenosis is now offered at Baystate Medical Center's pain management center in Springfield, Mass., WWLP.com reported June 21. The Vertiflex procedure implants a small device into the spine to lift pressure off the nerves and provide relief from the leg and back pain associated with lumbar spinal stenosis. Ashish Malik, MD, director of Baystate's pain medicine fellowship, is the only physician in the area performing the minimally invasive pro- cedure, according to the report. The Vertiflex procedure is performed outpatient and typically takes about an hour. Boston Scientific acquired Vertiflex in 2019 for a reported $465 mil- lion. n The most common questions patients ask spine surgeons By Alan Condon F rom alternatives to spinal fusion to surgical outcomes and expectations, here are some of the most common questions patients ask spine surgeons Gurvinder Deol, MD, and Issada ong- trangan, MD. Question: What is the No. 1 question spine patients ask you today? Gurvinder Deol, MD. Wake Orthopaedics (Raleigh, N.C.): e No. 1 question surgical spine patients ask is how long they will be in the hospital or how long they will 'be down' aer having spine surgery. It is still surprising to me that so many people still associate spinal surgery with extended hospital stays and very lengthy recoveries. It is imperative that we continue to educate patients in our ability to execute successful, safe outpatient surgery, whether mo- tion-sparing or fusion, and return them to work or the activities they enjoy expeditiously. Issada ongtrangan, MD. Microspine (Scottsdale, Ariz.): One of the most common questions is around spinal fusion. My patients oen ask me what I can offer them except fusion. I spend a good amount of time educating them on how I can offer a 'nondestructive' motion-preser- vation spine surgery using a minimally invasive ap- proach. Most patients do not need fusion. ere are several alternatives, and the majority of them even have level I evidence showing excellent outcomes — for example, disc replacement, interlaminar stabiliza- tion, endoscopic spine surgery, etc. Nowadays, these surgeries can be done outpatient with minimal downtime if they are good candidates. I show patients the spine model and video clips so they understand their conditions and how I can help them. I also spend time educating them about expectations and outcomes. Fusion surgery still has a major role in deformity, fracture, instability, tumor and some failed back sur- gery. I explain to them that the technologies are far more advanced and that the surgery can be done in a less disruptive fashion using several tools, including a tubular retractor, microscope, endoscope and nav- igation. Education is the key. I never minimize their fears or concerns about having spine surgery. n

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