NEW YORK, NY -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 02/13/08 -- Lower back pain is one of the leading causes of doctor's visits and absences from work for health reasons, and will affect many Americans during their lives. In most cases, lower back pain is caused by a strain to a muscle or ligament that supports the lumbar spine, and can be relieved through rest, stretching and/or strengthening exercises or medication.

If conservative treatment has failed, and you still have severe pain 2 to 3 months after diagnosis of a herniated lumbar disc pressing on a spinal nerve, you may benefit from minimally invasive spine surgery, and the METRx™ Micro Endoscopic Discectomy procedure could be the solution for you.

On February 22, 2008, at 10am EST on www.OR-LIve.com, Dr. Noel Perin, an internationally known neurosurgeon at Roosevelt Hospital in New York City who specializes in disorders of the spine, will perform a METRx Micro Endoscopic Discectomy to treat a herniated lumbar spinal disc, which can cause severe lower pack pain. The METRx Micro Endoscopic Discectomy is a minimally invasive surgical technique that can provide relief of this severe back pain with minimum surgical trauma, and a quick return to normal activities.

The METRx Micro Endoscopic Discectomy involves inserting a needle, guided by low-dose X-ray, to the level of the herniated disc. Once the disc level is precisely located, the needle is removed and a 16-18mm incision is made. Dilating tubes, increasing in size, are then passed through the incision to displace -- not cut -- the muscles, creating a small "tunnel" that the surgeon can use to access the herniated disk and remove the herniated portion pressing on the nerve. At the end of the procedure, when the working tube is removed, the displaced muscle falls back into its natural location. Displacing the muscles instead of cutting through them to access the herniated disc eliminates surgical trauma to the muscle and dramatically reduces recovery time. The entire procedure generally takes about 1-1/2 hours.

"The benefit to the patient of using the METRx procedure for a lumbar discectomy is that with minimally invasive spine surgery, surgical trauma is kept to an absolute minimum since the supporting muscles are moved, not cut," says Dr. Perin. "Most patients are kept for an overnight stay in the hospital, with some patients going home the same day. Any leg pain or leg numbness due to the condition is usually gone immediately after surgery, and most patients can get back to work in seven to ten days, and if an active person, full activity in about six weeks."

The moderator for the webcast will be neurosurgeon Dr. Eric Elowitz, who is Dr. Perin's colleague in the department of neurosurgery at Roosevelt Hospital. Dr. Elowitz is also an expert in minimally invasive spine surgery, and will be explaining parts of the procedure and answering any questions emailed in during the webcast. Questions for the surgeons emailed in after the live webcast will also be answered via email.

If you have severe back or neck pain and have been diagnosed with disc herniation or any other serious spinal condition, you can make an appointment with expert spine surgeons Dr. Noel Perin or Dr. Eric Elowitz at the following numbers:

Dr. Noel Perin (212) 523-6720
Dr. Eric Elowitz (212) 636-3660

Roosevelt Hospital
Department of Neurosurgery
1000 Tenth Avenue (at 59th Street)
New York, NY 10019

METRx(TM) is a trademark of Medtronic, Inc.

Visit: http://www.or-live.com/Roosevelt/1868 to learn more and view a program preview. VNR: http://www.or-live.com/rams/chp-1868-mkw-q.ram

Video-Link Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=688730

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Alex Fraser
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OR-Live, Inc.
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