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Minimally Invasive Device Offers New Hope for Patients With Lumbar Spinal Stenosis PA MEL A CA MPBELL IN JURED her back 22 years ago and lived with constant pain ever since. "There was never a day that I didn't hurt," says the 69-year-old retiree, even after an initial back surgery and multiple rounds of physical therapy. Her only option was having a rod inserted in her back. But at the time, her disabled husband and three children depended on her income, so she took pain pills and just kept going. Over the years, the pain in her back caused her to stoop over into "a perfect 'L' position" to relieve the pressure. She couldn't ride in a car for any length of time and needed to use a walker to get around. But a referral to inter ventional pain management specialist Brian Goentzel, MD, with Ascension Medical Group Via Christi, would eventually vastly improve her life. While under his care, she learned about a new minimally invasive outpatient procedure that potentially could help alleviate her pain: spinal implants using the Superion Indirect Decompression System. With the Superion system, devices are delivered through a small canula and implanted between the bony pro- jections off the back of each vertebra. The goal is to widen the narrowed passageways and in doing so relieve the pain caused by compression of the neural structures that occurs while standing or walking. Once the implant is in place — a 30-minute to an hour-long procedure performed under light sedation — the half- to three- quarter-inch surgical site is closed and the patient can return home. "It's the No. 1 alternative to open spine surgery and an important new option for patients with lumbar spinal stenosis who have tried nonoperative treatment for at least six months," says Dr. Goentzel, the state's only physician west of the Kansas City area to offer the Medicare-approved procedure for those who qualify. According to an FDA-approved study released by the device's manufacturer last November, nearly half of the patients were using opioid medications at the time of their procedure. Results of the study showed an 85 percent decrease in the proportion of patients taking opioid medica- tion to manage their symptoms five years after implantation. "With the growing concern about opioid overuse, misuse and potential addiction, any effective treatment that can decrease or even eliminate the need for opioid treatment in patients suffering with lumbar spinal stenosis is a welcome option," says Dr. Goentzel. After hearing more about the procedure, Campbell decided to give it a try. She had two devices implanted in December 2018 and within a month, could feel the difference. "I didn't expect much improvement after all these years," Campbell says. "I just wanted to be able to stand up straight and look people in their faces instead of their belly buttons." She had a third device implanted on March 27. By the following week, her pain had gone from "a permanent 10" to a 6 and had decreased her pain medication by half. Now able to stand up straight for the first time in years, Campbell says she has only one regret: "I wish this had been an option years ago." To refer a patient for whom conser- vative therapy is no longer effective to Dr. Goentzel for a consultation, call 316-613-4670 or fax records to 316-613-4726. medications and devices through its participation in multi-center national and global studies. "Some of the clinical trials we've participated in have led to approval of new seizure treatments," Dr. Lee says. "Because of our experience and participation in research, we are able to provide patients with the most up-to-date treatment options, including new treatment options that otherwise would not be available. Our goal: better knowledge and improved patient care." To refer a patient to Ascension Via Christi Epilepsy Center, call 316-268-8500, or fax to 316-291-4890. n Wichitan Pamela Campbell, who underwent her third spinal implant in March, discusses her progress during a follow-up visit with interventional pain management specialist Brian Goentzel, MD. Pamela Campbell's back pain caused her to become stooped over into an "L" position. The spinal implants Dr. Goentzel placed using the Superion Indirect Decompression System has her upright for the first time in years. One week after receiving her third implant, Campbell reported that her pain had gone from "a permanent 10" to a 6 and that she had decreased her pain medication by half. 1 6❱❱❱❱❱ F E A T U R E