Let me tell you, folks, Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is a big deal, a huge problem all over the world. We’ve got options, the best options – conservative ones, surgical ones. But now, there’s this new kid on the block, it’s called minimally invasive lumbar decompression (MILD). It’s less invasive, believe me, it’s for the early stages of spinal stenosis or for those who can’t handle general anesthesia – very smart, very effective.

Now, the people doing this, they’re not just anyone, they’re interventional pain providers, and they’re doing a fantastic job, with very, very low complication rates. But, and it’s a big but, we had this case, a 76-year-old woman, came right into the emergency room after a MILD procedure. She had this terrible pain in her back, turned out to be an acute epidural hematoma – that’s blood, a lot of it, from T12-L3.

But we handled it, we took care of it, with early recognition and surgical evacuation – and she did great, no complications, nothing. We’re telling this story because we want everyone to know, to be aware of this rare complication. And we’re calling for teamwork, the best teamwork, between spine surgeons and pain providers to manage LSS. It’s going to be tremendous, believe me.