Innovation at North Oaks is Taking Your Health Care in a New Direction

X-LIF

eXtreme Lateral Interbody Fusion

X-LIF is a minimally invasive surgical procedure developed for spine surgery patients to decrease the amount of muscle involvement in incisions and assist in quicker recovery time. North Oaks Neurosurgeon David L Masel, MD uses X-ray guidance to perform this procedure through the patient’s side, rather than the back.

Minimally invasive surgery has several benefits compared to traditional surgery. These include:

• Smaller incisions and scars
• Less blood loss
• Less pain
• Shorter hospital stay
• Most are done on an outpatient basis
• Quicker recovery and return to routine activity.

Concussion Program

At North Oaks Sports Medicine Clinic, we now have new equipment to assess athletes before they are injured, to help with better diagnosis and management of possible concussions down the road.

The assessment is performed using the Biodex Balance System SD Concussion Manager Software, which measures the athlete’s balance and cognitive function before and after a concussion occurs. By doing the assessment on an athlete at their pre-season, peak performance, we create a baseline measurement that is used to compare with the athlete’s function after an injury. If a concussion injury occurs, this test will help us decide if an athlete can return to full function or if we have more work to do before we send them back in the game.

Visit North Oaks Sports Medicine Clinic to learn more about our sports medicine program serving the athletes of our area.

Robotic Surgery

North Oaks offers patients the latest generation da Vinci® Si Robotic Surgical System. The system is FDA-approved to perform minimally invasive procedures in the areas of gynecology, ENT, urology and cardiovascular surgery. It provides surgeons with an alternative to both traditional open surgery and conventional laparoscopy, putting a surgeon's hands at the controls of an advanced robotic platform. Using robotic-assisted surgery, North Oaks physicians can perform complex and delicate surgeries using small incisions with extreme precision.

For most patients, da Vinci minimally invasive surgery can offer numerous potential benefits over traditional surgery, including:

• Shorter hospital stay
• Less pain and scarring
• Faster recovery
• Quicker return to normal activities.

Click here for more information on robotic surgery at North Oaks Medical Center.

On-Q®

North Oaks Orthopaedic Specialty Center surgeons are using a new pain control method for patients after surgery –the ON-Q® Pain Buster® Post-Op Pain Relief System. ON-Q pumps medication directly to the pain source at the surgical site. ON-Q may lessen risks associated with the use of traditional narcotics and may provide better pain relief than narcotics alone. Patients are able to enjoy a more comfortable recovery period and may return to their normal activities quicker than traditional pain relief methods allow.

Click here for more information on North Oaks Orthopaedic Specialty Center and our multi-disciplinary team of physicians.