PRESS RELEASE
from the Texas Back Institute

TEXAS BACK INSTITUTE BEGINS USE OF REVOLUTIONARY LESS INVASIVE FUSION TECHNIQUE TO TREAT LOWER BACK PAIN

PLANO, TEXAS – June 16, 2006 – Texas Back Institute has begun using a new fusion procedure called Axial Lumbar Interbody Fusion or AxiaLIF to offer new hope for a once painful procedure.

In recent years, spinal fusion surgery meant a lengthy surgery followed by a week in the hospital and several weeks of painful rehabilitation. With AxiaLIF, patients are able to leave the hospital 24 hours after surgery and can return to light work in approximately 15 days. 

“The main advantage besides a healthier back is that the patient’s back problem can be corrected without damaging surrounding normal tissue,” said Daniel Bradley, M.D., spine surgeon with Texas Back Institute. “This procedure makes it easier for patients to quickly resume a normal lifestyle.”

Before AxiaLIF, spinal surgery required a five or six-inch incision that cut through and damaged layers of normal tissue. The success of AxiaLIF begins with the first incision, a percutaneous one-inch incision made near the tailbone. A guide is then inserted in the incision and follows the natural contours of the spinal column to allow access to the damaged area of the spine. The surgery is then performed using specialized tools and X-Ray guidance that do not require interference with surrounding spinal nerves, muscles and support structures. The result of this less invasive procedure is a successful surgery that yields less pain and is more cost effective.

“I feel wonderful and don’t have the pain I had before the surgery,” said Texas Back Institute patient Virginia B. of Azle, Texas.  “I am now able to play with my grandchildren and be an active part of their lives.”

AxiaLIF is estimated to be a third of the cost of similar surgeries. The main savings are in the dramatic decrease in hospital fees, less need for post surgical pain medication and more rapid rehabilitation. This comes as good news at a time when 65 million Americans suffer from chronic back pain, and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke says at least $50 billion are spent each year in the treatment of lower back pain.

AxiaLIF was created by Trans1, Inc., a development stage company focused on novel percutaneous products and procedures to treat lower back pain. In November, Trans1 announced there had been no complications in the first 150 cases using AxiaLIF. Since that time, the procedure has been used at increasing numbers with similar success.

Texas Back Institute

Texas Back Institute (TBI) is one of the largest freestanding spine specialty clinics in the United States. The Institute, based in Plano, Texas, was established in 1978 and provides comprehensive medical care for individuals with back and neck pain. TBI is a back care leader specializing in spinal arthroplasty minimally invasive spine surgery, spinal deformation and spinal oncology care. As an academic health care organization, TBI has trained hundreds of physicians, scientists and allied health professionals. Its research institution employs state-of-the-art technology and research to treat patients and is involved in the most clinical trials of artificial discs. TBI’s professional staff includes board-certified spine surgeons, general surgeons, internists, chiropractors, physiatrists, pain specialists, exercise physiologists and a team of physical and occupational therapists. Texas Back Institute’s main office is located in Plano, with offices in Denton, Fort Worth, Greenville, Garland,  Midland, Trophy Club, TX and Phoenix, AZ. For more information, visit www.texasback.com.

MEDIA CONTACT
For more information, contact Meredith Falke, (214) 891-7795 meredith_falke@richards.com

Consumer phone number: 1-800-247-BACK