Procedures

Nucleoplasty®

Nucleoplasty is a minimally invasive procedure for patients with symptoms associated with a contained disc herniation who have failed conservative care and are not yet candidates for major surgery. Nucleoplasty is performed with SpineWand® surgical devices, which use ArthroCare's patented Coblation® (controlled ablation) technology. For more information click here.

Microdiscectomy

The advantages of microdiscectomy or mini open discectomy are well established. The MD Spinewand is the next advancement in minimally invasive tissue removal.

The MD SpineWand surgical device provides rapid and controlled removal of disc material using ArthroCare’s patented Coblation technology while preserving the integrity of surrounding tissue. With a distal tip diameter of less than 2.5 mm, the MD SpineWand requires a minimal annulotomy versus mechanical instruments. Please contact us for more information on the MD SpineWand.

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Soft Tissue Abnormalities (within the Spine) 

The Cavity™ Spinewand surgical device precisely removes soft-tissue using patented plasma technology (Coblation – or controlled ablation) and can be used with additional procedures such as cement injection for vertebral body stabilization. This device is available with 8G and 11G access cannulae for ease of use.

In the presence of the affected soft tissue, traditional vertebroplasty can be more difficult and challenging and has resulted in slightly higher complication rates. The use of a Coblation based device to debulk or partially remove soft tissue prior to the injection of bone cement offers an advancement in patient care. By precisely removing tissue, as opposed to balloon displacement as a means of creating a space has advantages, the potential for tumor cell embolization may be reduced and the risk of tissue or fragment retropulsion into the spinal cord may be minimized.