Michael Vitale, MD, chief of pediatric spine and scoliosis service at Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of NY-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center in New York performed the first procedure in the area using the MAGnetic Expansion Control device, according to an NY Daily News report.
The new technology became FDA-approved earlier this year and is designed for non-invasive spine lengthening for patients with early onset scoliosis. The patient's initial scoliosis correction procedure was in April to implant the adjustable rod in his spine. His spinal curvature reduced from 72 degrees to 20 degrees, which was 20 more degrees than expected, according to the report.
The new technology allows Dr. Vitale to glide a hand-held MAGEC device over the patient's back to sync with the rod and pull it out. The lengthening is done every three months for several years. This technology has treated 750 children worldwide in 24 countries.
The system from Ellipse Technologies had its first use after FDA clearance in the United States at Shriners Hospitals for Children — Philadelphia. Patrick Cahill, MD, and Harold van Bosse, MD, performed the procedure in April. The system also received NICE and NHS recommendation in the United Kingdom in July.
The first ever procedures using MAGEC performed in the United States took place in May 2013. Behrooz A. Akbarnia, MD, medical director of the San Diego Center for Spinal Disorders, and Burt Yaszay, MD, and Gregory Mundis, MD, performed the procedure at Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego.
"This technology is one of the most significant advances in the treatment of this condition," said Dr. Akbarnia. "Now children won't have to suffer the stress and physical trauma of repeated open surgeries every six months for multiple years. The lives of children suffering from EOS will be significantly improved with this device."