No Referrals Required

News

What's New

RSC surgeon trains on lower back surgical technique
Posted on: May/21/2019

Image

Rockford Spine Center’s Dr. Christopher Sliva recently traveled to Seattle for training on a minimally invasive surgical technique to help people suffering from lower back issues.

The technique, called an oblique lumbar interbody fusion, or OLIF, allows surgeons to access the anterior portion of the spine through small incisions in the abdomen. Dr. Sliva trained with The Polyclinic’s Dr. Sean Keem, one of the leading experts on this type of surgery, after observing his work and attending the North American Spine Society Annual Meeting last year in Los Angeles, California.

Using this minimally invasive fusion technique reduces the surgical pain associated with lumbar surgery. There is also a lower risk of nerve damage and blood loss during surgery.

Good candidates for the procedure include patients with spinal deformities; individuals who’ve had previous lumbar surgery; and patients who do not require direct nerve decompression.

Rockford Spine Center has added this technique to its surgical offerings. Dr. Sliva said ongoing training and education allows the most cutting-edge treatments to be available to patients right here in Rockford.

“This is an evolution of spine surgery, a refinement of previous techniques,” he said. “It allows us access to the spine with less invasion of normal tissue and higher success rates. We always want to push ourselves and bring back the latest and most cutting-edge advancements for our patients.”


previous page