JOINT PRESS RELEASE
This first in its class technology allows those experiencing chronic pain to undergo diagnostic imaging without the removal of the implant, featuring rechargeable or three-year non-rechargeable battery options.
NEWPORT NEWS, VA – March 10, 2021 – Dr. Jeffrey R. Carlson performed the first implantation of a Boston Scientific WaveWriter Alpha ImageReadyTM MRI Compatible Spinal Cord Stimulator on the Peninsula and the first in an Ambulatory Surgery Center in Hampton Roads. The outpatient surgery was performed on a 62-year-old female at Coastal Virginia Surgery Center in Newport News, VA, on March 3, 2021.
This exciting technology is available for patients suffering from chronic pain where alternative therapies have not been successful. Interested patients may try the stimulator for one week with a temporary device implanted in OSC’s Interventional Pain Management Specialists’ office. Patients help direct the stimulation toward the pain area during implantation and may choose to feel a sensation, such as bubbling, or feeling nothing at all.The patient, who had previously experienced years of chronic pain in the lumbar spine, was able to walk, climb stairs, and be discharged 30 minutes after the procedure. In a follow-up call with the patient the next day, she expressed relief from her chronic pain.
“Spinal cord stimulators have made significant improvements in patients’ pain and are becoming more easily adjusted,” explained Dr. Jeffrey R. Carlson, Orthopaedic Surgeon and President and Managing Partner of Orthopaedic and Spine Center. “This new stimulator allows patients to remove the last real complaint patients have about the device, the inability to get an MRI after it is implanted. MRI aides in many diagnoses, so this innovation allows patients to have the necessary diagnostic tests for any condition requiring an MRI.”
OSC offers orthopaedic, sports medicine, spine care, and a dedicated Interventional Pain Management Team, including two interventional pain management physicians and one pain psychologist who are dedicated to identifying and treating chronic pain disorders. Using minimally invasive treatment options and physical therapy, over 90 percent of our patients recover without surgery. The Team is rounded out with a pain psychologist to help patients live their best life despite chronic pain.
“We are thrilled to assist our patients in enjoying the lifestyle they want and deserve,” says Dr. Boyd W. Haynes III, President of Coastal Virginia Surgery Center. “Helping them to overcome chronic pain allows our patients to get back to the life they love. Procedures, such as this, can be safely performed in an outpatient surgical center setting allowing them to recover where they’d prefer, at home, with follow-up care.”
Coastal Virginia Surgery Center (CVSC) offers a wide range of outpatient surgery options, boasting seven orthopaedic surgeons and two interventional pain management specialists. Surgery centers provide less exposure to serious infections and a high-level of care at a lower cost to both the patient and insurance company.
OSC physicians are accepting new patients, and CVSC is scheduling surgeries, both with additional precautions during the COVID-19 Pandemic. To make an in-person, telehealth, or phone appointment with an OSC provider, call (757) 596-1900 or visit www.osc-ortho.com.
About Jeffrey R. Carlson, M.D.
Dr. Jeffrey Carlson has been a part of Orthopaedic & Spine Center since 1999 and serves as the President and Managing Partner. He is a board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeon who focuses on the treatment of injuries and disorders of the spine.
About Orthopaedic & Spine Center
Orthopaedic & Spine Center (OSC) is staffed by outstanding medical professionals who strive to provide the very best orthopaedic and interventional pain management care available anywhere. Our Center includes a comfortable, state-of-the-art medical facility, pleasant and well-trained personnel, physicians trained in the most advanced orthopaedic treatments, interventional pain management procedures, regenerative medicine, using stem cell and platelet therapies and a dedication to patient care.
About Coastal Virginia Surgery Center
Coastal Virginia Surgery Center (CVSC) is a fully certified ambulatory surgery center through the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, Inc. (AAAHC) staffed by outstanding medical professionals who strive to provide the very best care available. The Center includes four surgical suites with state-of-the-art technology and pleasant personnel trained in the most advanced orthopaedic treatments, interventional pain management procedures, regenerative medicine and old-fashioned patient care.