New Milford Hospital officials say they are the first health care provider in Connecticut to perform a unique implant procedure designed to heal lower back pain related to damage of wear and tear on the Sacroiliac, or SI, joint.
The minimally invasive procedure, called the iFuse Implant System, was performed by spine surgeon Mitchell Garden.
The iFuse procedure is for patients with unresolved lower back pain related to the SI Joint. The SI Joint connects the sacrum, the triangular bone at the bottom of the spine, with the pelvis crest.Â
When that joint is damaged, either due to normal wear and tear or through injury, it can cause significant discomfort from the lower back down to the lower buttock region and the upper leg, hospital officials said.
The iFuse procedure takes about an hour and involves three small titanium implants inserted surgically across the SI Joint. The entire process is done through a small incision, with no soft tissue stripping and minimal tendon irritation.
Patients may leave the hospital the next day after surgery and can usually resume daily living activities within six weeks, depending on how well they are healing and based on physician’s orders.
