Local surgeon first in USA to perform revolutionary new lumbar spine fusion
WACO (May 26, 2020): Local neurosurgeon, Dr. Steven Zielinski, has become the first surgeon in the country to perform a revolutionary new lumbar spine fusion procedure.
The old spinal fusion protocol implanted metal rods and screws into the spine in an effort to stabilize the back. This hardware remained in the spine for the rest of the patient’s life. Patients who underwent this procedure often complained of pain associated with having metal in their spines and dealt with inconveniences like setting off metal detectors.
Dr. Zielinski’s new approach combines two brand new, biocompatible, high performance polymer stabilization devices. Specifically, the novel spine surgery process consists of a screw & metal free oblique lumbar interbody fusion paired with a screw & metal free posterior fusion to stabilize the spine. The new technology reduces the quantity of foreign materials being introduced to the body and results in less blood loss and less trauma to the patient’s spine. This takes the place of, and is an improvement upon, metal screws and rods in the back. The end result is patients living the rest of their lives screw & metal free.
The procedure has met with such remarkable success that subsequently, Dr. Zielinski has also become the first surgeon in the country to ever remove painful metal instrumentation and replace it with this biocompatible polymer technology. Again, the results were remarkable. Dr. Zielinski believes that this technology will replace the now standard metal screw and rod system in the near future.
Dr. Zielinski, who founded Texas Spine & Neurosurgery 10 years ago with a single small office in Waco Texas, can now provide this FDA approved procedure to Texans across the state. Today, Texas Spine & Neurosurgery operates with multiple, allied hospitals and clinics, extending from the DFW metro area to the Gulf coast of Texas and from Stephenville all the way to Nacogdoches.
For the first time in history, patients can reap the benefits of a traditional metal screw and rod system without the negatives that accompany having a lifetime of metal hardware implanted into the spine. Based on the remarkably positive patient outcomes with these surgeries, Dr. Zielinski is hopeful that in the near future, it may be possible to correct scoliosis deformities with this new technology.
The future of spine care is here. And Texans can access it at Texas Spine & Neurosurgery.