Spine Health and Treatment at Long Island Neuroscience Specialist

Intracept Procedure

Lower back pain affects about 30 million Americans, When patients with chronic lower back pain do not respond to conservative, non-surgical treatments, they may think that their only hope for improvement is invasive spinal surgery. But for some patients, there is now another option: the minimally invasive Intracept Procedure.

Dr. Sumeer Sathl, M.D. is one of the only handful of doctors in the region offering Intracept, an outpatient procedure that targets the basivertebral nerve. The basivertebral nerve, which is located in the bones of the spine, is often responsible for lower back pain.

With Intracept, the doctor makes a small incision in the lower back, through which a special probe is inserted to deliver radiofrequency energy (heat) to disable the nerve in a process known as basivertebral nerve ablation. The procedure takes less than two hours and recovery is just a couple of days.

The procedure is indicated for many patients who have had lower back pain for six months or more, who have not responded to conservative treatments, and who have changes to the spine known as Type 1 of Type 2 Modic changes (which show up on an MRI).

“This procedure offers relief for back pain without major fusion surgery,” says Dr. Sathi. “My patients appear to have excellent results and high satisfaction with the effectiveness of the procedure and it has filled a need for a minimally invasive procedure to improve back pain.”

MLS Laser Therapy

MLS (Multiwave Locked System) Laser Therapy is a safe, effective, and non-invasive treatment for a variety of musculoskeletal disorders and injuries, and certain neurological conditions. Light energy is used to stimulate enter-cellular activity to speed the recovery of damaged cells.

D. Meeru Sathi-Welsch uses MLS Laser Therapy to decrease pain and inflammation for patients suffering from arthritis, bursitis, sciatica, plantar fasciitis, tendonitis, tendon and ligament injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome, muscle strains, and tears, and other conditions. It can be used alone or before/after surgery to reduce healing time. The average course of therapy includes seven to ten treatments.

Many patients prefer MLS Laser Therapy because it is simple and painless with rapid results, and it is a safe and effective alternative to surgery or prescription painkillers. Each treatment takes approximately ten minutes to return to their active lifestyles.

Optimesh Procedure

Degenerative disc disease is a common part of the aging process. When the outer layer of the disc tears and allows the gel-like inner core to herniate, this can cause compression of the nerves and/or the spinal cord, leading to pain, numbness, and weakness in the lower back and/or legs.

Dr. Steven P. Leon offers a safe, minimally invasive procedure using the Optimesh Expandable Interbody Fusion System. Optimesh, a sterile mesh graft containment device that expands in three dimensions, allows the surgeon to perform interbody fusion procedures through a small access area, minimizing trauma to surrounding tissue.

Optimesh continues to show promising results for patients, who recover faster, with high fusion rates, reduced pain, and increased function.

Barricaid Device

Long Island Neuroscience Specialists now offers a breakthrough treatment using the Barricaid device to repair sizeable defects in the disc walls of high-risk patients. We are the only practice on Long Island to offer this state-of-the-art technique.

Drs. Sumeer Sathi and Steven P. Leon are among an elite group of surgeons who have been trained to perform this exciting new technique. During lumbar discectomy surgery, Dr. Sathi and Leon insert the Barricaid device, comprised of a polymer barrier and titanium anchor. The polymer barrier blocks the defect to repair the tear, while the implant anchors to a healthy bone to keep the device steady and rooted in the spine. The insertion is completed within 15 to 20 minutes. As a result of this innovative treatment, patients are able to return to their everyday activities in a safe and timely manner.