News Page 2

Daily Journal Messenger
10/3/03
By AMANDA FOSTER
newsed@dailyjm.com

SENECA — Patients suffering from chronic back pain are finding relief thanks to a new procedure called Laser Disc Decompression,that has been introduced in the area.

Dr. Marion McMillan, of Foothills Regional Pain Center located on Highway 123, says he is one of eight doctors in the nation that has learned the procedure.

“Back pain is only second in the nation to the common cold. The nation spends $25 billion annually to deal with problems associated with back pain,” said McMillan.

McMillan learned the procedure from Dr. Daniel Choy of Columbia University, who developed LDD. He is now training Dr. Pickens Patterson, a new doctor in his practice, to perform the procedure.

Approximately 50 patients have already had the procedure performed.

Hazel Elrod, resident of Mountain Rest, had the LDD procedure performed two weeks ago and has seen dramatic results.

“Two weeks ago I couldn’t walk and couldn’t hardly do anything to get around. Now I can walk with hardly any pain,” Elrod said.

Elrod has been a patient of McMillan’s for seven years and has undergone various therapies and several surgeries to help her back problems, none which were successful until LDD.

“I thank God for this surgery,” said Elrod.

Patsy Pilgrim, from Six Mile, had two herniated discs after lifting a box incorrectly, but saw improvement immediately after the surgery.

“Before I had the surgery, I couldn’t bathe myself and had to walk with a cane or walker. Now, I’m getting back to my old self,” Pilgrim said.

Pilgrim can now walk on her own and can do everyday tasks without aid from others in her family.

McMillan said he has performed the surgery on patients as young as 26 and as old as 70.

“The procedure is 80 percent effective and only costs a third or fourth of the cost of open spinal surgery,” McMillan added.

The Federal Food and Drug Administration approved LDD and Medicare and Medicaid will pay for the procedure, he said. McMillan also said that Blue Cross-Blue Shield as well as Signa also pay for the outpatient procedure.

LDD starts with light sedation, with a patient never losing consciousness. The procedure lasts approximately 45 minutes and uses laser energy delivered through an optical fiber to shrink bulging or herniated discs in the neck or lower back to relieve the pain symptoms.

The procedure is performed in McMillan’s office.

McMillan said that a patient usually stays in the office 30 minutes after the procedure is completed to make sure the sedation has worn off, so a patient may only be in the office a total of two hours.

The procedure, developed in 1986, has been used to treat over 30,000 patients worldwide.

McMillan said he is the only doctor in South Carolina, North Carolina or Georgia performing the procedure.