News

Lakewood Ranch Medical Center is the first hospital in Manatee County to offer the Intracept® Procedure, a minimally invasive, outpatient procedure that is clinically proven to relieve chronic low back pain. Fabian Ramos, MD, recently completed the first procedure at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center.

The Intercept Procedure targets a nerve located in the bones of the spine (vertebrae). During the procedure, the physician advances a specialized probe into the vertebrae and uses radiofrequency energy (heat) to disable the nerve, rendering it unable to transmit pain signals. Intracept takes approximately 60 – 90 minutes and is implant-free.

The Intracept Procedure is supported by multiple clinical studies, including two Level I randomized controlled trials and five-year data demonstrating that patient outcomes last long-term. Key findings include:

• Statistically significant improvements in function and pain vs. sham and standard care^1,2
• Improvements post-procedure are durable, lasting more than five years post-treatment³
• Significant decrease in the number of patients using opioids or injections long-term³
• Nearly 80 percent of patients indicated they would have the procedure again for the same condition³

“With the Intracept Procedure, we are adding a non-invasive procedure for our chronic low back pain patients to have as an option. The significant improvement in pain and function demonstrated by the Intracept Procedure provides clear proof of the effectiveness of this treatment," stated Andy Guz, Chief Executive Officer, Lakewood Ranch Medical Center.

Individual results may vary. There are risks associated with any surgical procedure. Talk with your doctor about these risks to find out if minimally invasive surgery is right for you.

¹Fischgrund J et al., Intraosseous Basivertebral Nerve Ablation for the Treatment of Chronic Low Back Pain: A Prospective Randomized Double-Blind Sham-Controlled Multicenter Study. European Spine Journal. Epub February 8, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-018-5496-1

²Khalil J, Smuck M, Koreckij T, Keel J, Beall D, Goodman B, Kalapos K, Nguyen D, Garfin S. A Prospective, Randomized, Multi-Center Study of Intraosseous Basivertebral Nerve Ablation for the Treatment of Chronic Low Back Pain presented at the American Society of Spine Radiology Annual Symposium; February 22, 2019; Miami, FL.

³Fischgrund JS, Rhyne A, Macadaeg K, Moore G, Kamrava E, Yeung C, et al. Long-term outcomes following intraosseous basivertebral nerve ablation for the treatment of chronic low back pain: 5-year treatment arm results from a prospective randomized double-blind sham-controlled multi-center study. Eur Spine J. epub May 25, 2020. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32451777/