If you suffer
from agonizing back or neck pain as a result of a herniated disc,
PLDD (Percutaneous Laser Disc Decompression) offers quick relief
without surgery. Approved by the FDA and recognized by the AMA,
PLDD is a minimally invasive laser treatment performed on an
outpatient basis using only local anesthesia. During the procedure,
a laser beam vaporizes a tiny portion of the disc, decompressing
it. Patients typically get off the table and go home. There is no
hospital stay, no long recovery period, and PLDD costs many
thousands of dollars less than surgery. PLDD is the
minimally-invasive medical procedure developed by Dr. Daniel S.J.
Choy in ***6 that uses a laser beam to treat back and neck pain
caused by a herniated disc. A herniated disc is like a balloon with
a weak spot. Inflating it will cause a bulge (herniation). Pain
results from the bulge pressing against nerves in the spinal
column. The PLDD treatment is performed on an outpatient basis
using only local anesthesia. During the procedure, a thin needle is
inserted into the herniated disc under x-ray guidance. An optical
fiber is inserted through the needle and laser energy is sent
through the fiber, vaporizing a tiny portion of the disc nucleus.
This creates a partial vacuum which draws the herniation away from
the nerve root, thereby relieving the pain. The effect usually is
immediate.
Patients get off
the table with just a small adhesive bandage and return home for *4
hours of bed rest. Then patients begin progressive ambulation,
walking up to a mile. Most return to work in four to five days.
Because only a thin needle is used, there is no cutting and no
scarring. Since only a tiny amount of disc is vaporized, there is
no subsequent spinal instability. PLDD is different from open
lumbar disc surgery because there is no damage to the back muscle,
no bone removal or large skin incision. Most of the complications
that may occur with open surgery are eliminated with the PLDD
procedure.
This procedure is
specifically designed for patients with disc problems accompanied
by the following:
Severe
leg, arm, neck or lower back pain.
Pain
that has not responded to six weeks of conservative treatments-
rest, meds or physical therapy.
Herniated lumbar discs confirmed by x-ray studies that may include
one or more of the following: Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), CAT
Scanning, Myelography, Discography.
