Appleton, Wis.-based ThedaCare is one of three hospitals in the state to offer the Mild procedure to treat lumbar spinal stenosis, Waushara Argus reported April 21.
Mild, a minimally invasive lumbar decompression developed by Vertos Medical, removes a major cause of stenosis through a tiny portal and requires no implants, general anesthesia or stitches, according to the company.
The procedure is best suited to patients who experienced inadequate pain relief from medications or injections, and for those where spine surgery is not an option, Brent Meier, MD, medical director of surgical specialties at ThedaCare, told the publication. "Results we see include increased standing time and walking distance, less pain and improved mobility."
This year, CMS upped the national average ASC reimbursement for Mild by 41 percent in recognition of the cost of the device associated with the procedure.
More than 2 million lumbar spinal stenosis patients are diagnosed and treated in the U.S. each year, according to the report.