Miniaturized Surgery Treats Pain with Reduced Recovery Time

SPARTA, N.J., Oct. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Endoscopic surgery has steadily gained
in popularity since it was developed in the 1980s. Dr. Richard Siegfried has
teamed with Dr. Louis Quartararo one of only a handful of surgeons who have
been trained to perform endoscopic surgery on the spine. Drs. Siegfried and
Quartararo perform endoscopic spine surgery using a video telescope and
miniaturized instruments through a tiny incision. By minimizing the
disturbance to surrounding tissue, postoperative discomfort is reduced and
recovery time dramatically shortened.

Dr. Siegfried says, "We've had patients who've been out of work for six months
to a year-and-a-half who've been able to return to work. We've had patients
who were on narcotic painkillers who are off their medications and have really
gotten their life back."

The Endoscopic Microdiscectomy procedure removes a tiny portion of the disc in
the spine so that the disc is no longer pressing on the nerve root. Rather
than creating a 3-inch or larger incision, as would be the case in traditional
surgery, this procedure is performed through a tiny 1/2-inch incision. The
combination of a miniaturized video camera, live x-rays and sophisticated
neurological monitoring guides the surgeon so he can successfully remove a
tiny piece of the disc without cutting surrounding nerves, muscle and bone.
The patient goes home within a few hours with one or two band-aids on their
back.

Drs. Quartararo and Siegfried also offer another form of miniaturized surgery
called Endoscopic Lumbar Fusion. This newer procedure has only been around for
a few years. It is recommended for patients with disc disease who have back
pain with or without leg pain. Traditional lumbar fusion surgery would require
an 8- to 10-inch incision and would involve significant post-operative pain.
But with endoscopic surgery, there are only two incisions that are 2-1/2
inches in length on either side of the spine for a bar to hold the spine in
place during healing. Rather than a 4- to 5-day hospital stay, the patient can
go home between 12 and 23 hours after the procedure.

"I am very fortunate to work with a surgeon who has performed hundreds of
these procedures and studied under the physician who invented the surgery,"
Dr. Siegfried says. Dr. Quartararo heads the endoscopic surgery team. He is a
board-certified Orthopedic Surgeon with advanced training in the fields of
Orthopedic Trauma and Spine Surgery from the prestigious John Hopkins
University. Dr. Siegfried is a board-certified pain management specialist and
former Director of The Pain Management Center at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical
Center in New York.

But Dr. Siegfried cautions, "The important thing to remember when it comes to
this specialized type of surgery is that it requires training not only in
endoscopic surgery but also in spine surgery. Patients should ensure that
their physician has credentials in both areas. In the absence of a trained
Spine Surgeon on the team, the patient is at great risk in the unlikely event
of a complication during or after surgery."

With every new procedure that comes along, Dr. Siegfried says he has more to
offer patients who in the past would have no hope for pain relief. "I went
into this field to help people. For the right patients, endoscopic spine
surgery can make a remarkable difference. We have successfully performed
surgery on patients who have been turned away by other surgeons with no hope
whatsoever. Being able to offer this type of pain relief is extremely
rewarding."

About Richard N. Siegfried, M.D., L.L.C., Comprehensive Pain Management

Richard N. Siegfried, M.D., L.L.C., Comprehensive Pain Management
(http://www.rsiegfriedmd.com) is a medical practice that provides services to
manage acute and chronic pain conditions utilizing an armamentarium that
includes: precision guided spinal injections, implantable devices, acupuncture
and minimally invasive surgery. The physicians that staff this medical
practice are fellowship trained and board- certified in their respective
specialties.

Established in 2000, Richard N. Siegfried, M.D., L.L.C., Comprehensive Pain
Management has New Jersey offices in Sparta and Dover and a Pennsylvania
office in Brodheadsville.

SOURCE Richard N. Siegfried, M.D., L.L.C., Comprehensive Pain Management

Deanna Siegfried, Practice Administrator, Richard N. Siegfried, M.D., L.L.C.,
+1-973-796-5216, or Alt Phone, +1-973-459-1497, deanna@rsiegfriedmd.com