JOINT PRESS RELEASE
NEWPORT NEWS, VA – March 11, 2021 – Dr. Jeffrey R. Carlson performed one of the first three-level lumbar interbody fusion surgeries in an ambulatory surgery center in the United States on Wednesday, March 3, 2021. The outpatient surgery was performed on a 37-year-old male at Coastal Virginia Surgery Center in Newport News, VA.
The patient, a 37-year-old former semi-professional baseball player who has had back and leg pain for more than ten years, has been unable to work several times per year due to pain. The pain had worsened, and the patient began having difficulty arising from a seated or prone position. He has had multiple treatments, including oral medications, injections, physical therapy, chiropractic care and acupuncture, which allowed him short periods of relief.
Surgery was done through a midline lumbar approach, with minimal disruption of the soft-tissue to preserve the musculature and decrease recovery time and pain. The pressure on the patient’s nerves was relieved by removing the lumbar disc and osteophytes (bone spurs), which allowed a return of the nerve function in the legs and stopped the nerve irritation. With the removal of the lumbar discs, spacers (or cages) were used to restore the disc height and further take pressure off of the nerves. Pedicle screws were then placed, providing the stability needed to allow the patient to start walking the same day. Bone grafting from the patient’s own bone was used to improve the patient’s fusion healing and bone union.
“Patients who need spine surgery want a less painful recovery which allows them to become functional more quickly,” explains Dr. Jeffrey R. Carlson, orthopaedic surgeon and President and Managing Partner of Orthopaedic and Spine Center. “Spine surgery techniques and pain management have so improved over the past ten years that I routinely perform outpatient lumbar fusions in single and two levels. Now, we have seen that same evolution with three-level lumbar fusion surgical techniques. Patients experience much less pain and can be home the same day.”
“The patient was up walking and discharged to go home within an hour of surgery — he was doing very well in our follow-up call later that evening,” said Dr. Boyd W. Haynes III, President of Coastal Virginia Surgery Center. “Our patients have active lifestyles and when they need surgery, they prefer to recuperate at home with supportive care. Advanced surgical techniques and improved pain management have made even complex surgeries like this one an outpatient reality. We built Coastal Virginia Surgery Center to address our patients’ surgical needs today and in the future. We wish him all the best as he recovers!”
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. (AAAH) 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.