The 411 on Laser Spine Institute LSI

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Patients Sue Back Surgery Company Laser Spine - BusinessWeek

Patients Sue Back Surgery Company Laser Spine
An Internet fixture, the Laser Spine Institute draws flak over pricey surgeries

By David Armstrong

When Bonnie Balch's online search for a back surgeon led her to the Laser Spine Institute, it was no accident. The day surgery company has become a master of grabbing patients' eyes on the Web, using search optimization consultants and a strategy that often gains the company top billing in Google (GOOG) listings at a cost that rivals estimate at a minimum of $100,000 a month. Balch, however, wishes her surfing had taken her elsewhere. Her October 2008 surgery at Laser Spine's Tampa clinic left her incontinent, with a dangerous spinal fluid leak. Still in pain after care costing $90,176 at Laser Spine, she needed a second surgery elsewhere to get relief. "They are in it to make money," says Balch, 63, a Longmont (Colo.) flight attendant who is suing Laser Spine for malpractice in Florida.

My comment: Folks I know that I am not the most positive person in the world but I had to comment on this. Based on my dealings with doctors and speaking from my own personal experience, I would rather deal with a crack dealer.

Laser Spine is part of a boom in ambulatory care centers with physicians in residence as owner-practitioners. There are 5,000-plus such centers in the U.S., 90 percent with doctors as investors. Back surgery is a prominent part of the trend.

My Comment: Doctors should be doctors not businessmen and patients should be patients and not customers. What LSI and other lasers spine places are doing IMO is criminal. Rich people only pay fines.

Tampa-based Laser Spine and rivals in California, Texas, and New York promise no overnight stays and quick pain relief. Laser Spine's surgical technique uses lasers to burn off, or ablate, sensitive nerve endings followed by a disc "decompression" that removes material or bone that presses on nerves.

Laser Spine routinely charges patients $30,000 for its procedure, more than double the typical price for a decompression elsewhere. Balch and other patients have brought 15 malpractice lawsuits since October 2009, a period in which the company performed about 7,500 procedures based on its 2010 estimates. Nationally, outpatient surgery centers received about six malpractice claims for every 20,000 surgeries, according to insurer Zurich North America. Aetna (AET) won't cover operations at Laser Spine, citing a lack of research confirming safety and efficacy. Cigna (CI) won't pay for the laser part of surgeries done there. Laser Spine says UnitedHealthcare (UNH) covers its procedure.

Nine surgeons told Bloomberg Businessweek the company is doing surgery that is often unnecessary or inappropriate. The evidence that ablation helps patients is "pretty weak," says Dr. Roger Chou, a physician at the Oregon Health & Science University and director of the American Pain Society's clinical guidelines program. "Even in studies showing some benefit, the benefit is small and doesn't last," Chou says.

My comment: There is no federal agency that oversees the actions of doctors and hospitals. They are pretty much unregulated. The medical industry is not policing itself. LSI and other companies like them are exploiting disease for obscene profits. Dr Welby is dead and Dr Greedy has taken over.

Officials at Laser Spine, which also operates centers in Scottsdale, Ariz., Philadelphia, and Oklahoma City, say in-house surveys show positive outcomes for more than 87 percent of patients. "We know it works," says Dotty J. Bollinger, Laser Spine's chief medical operations officer. "We see it every day." The company declined to comment on all pending patient lawsuits.

Laser Spine logged a 34 percent profit margin for the period from 2006 to 2009 and hit $109 million in revenues in 2010.

Founder James St. Louis, 56, was a year out of personal bankruptcy when he began seeking investors for the company in 2003, records show. Now he owns seven cars, a $10.3 million Florida mansion, and an $8.3 million house in Aspen. He declined an interview request. Court documents indicate St. Louis was slated to receive a 25 percent stake in the firm, which would have entitled him to about $19 million of $77 million in distributions the company has made. Laser Spine spokeswoman Bollinger says the 25 percent figure is not accurate; she wouldn't discuss individuals' stakes. Other investors in the firm include Dallas investment firm EFO Holdings, managed by William P. Esping, and two founders of Outback Steakhouse operator OSI Restaurant Partners.

Guys like St Louis were the kind of punks I used to beat the crap out of when I was in high school and beating the crap out of punks and bullies was seen as a good thing.

Some patients say they've tapped retirement accounts or taken out second mortgages to pay Laser Spine's premium prices. The insurer for Hulon Taylor, 61, paid $36,940 for his surgery, payment records show. Taylor says he met his surgeon, Dr. Craig Wolff, less than an hour before he went into the operating room in 2009. Laser Spine staff told him it would take 45 minutes and he'd be back at his hotel that evening.

Taylor never made it. After the surgery, his stomach was "really hurting." He says Wolff told him it was just gas and nurses told him to get dressed and go. As he put his clothes on, he fainted. He woke up at Tampa General Hospital. He lost so much blood from internal bleeding from two cut arteries that he suffered a heart attack, medical records show. Taylor was unable to return to his job at a utility company near his home in Bonifay, Fla. He sued Laser Spine and recently settled.

The bottom line: Since late 2009, 15 malpractice suits have been filed against Laser Spine, a surgery center promising quick and effective spinal treatment.

Here is my bottom line. They are claiming close to 90% success. We know that's a lie. If it were true they could offer a money back guarantee.

Here is a number for the Federal Trade Commission. It is very easy to file a complaint even if they have not harmed you. Just tell them that you are reporting a scam. Their success rate is a lie. Maybe the Feds will shut these crooks down.

About a Company, an Organization, or a Business Practice

Online: Use our secure complaint form.
Phone: Call our toll-free helpline: 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357);
TTY: 1-866-653-4261

[Rob Wilson]

I am one of those ADR patients that still have stenosis after ADR. I went to LSI and they cost me a lot of money but did not fix the problem fully. Then I went to Bonati and he seemed to fix the stenosis. I know there is bad press on Bonati as well. I was fortunate to get a good healing from Bonati though.

[ADR seeker]

Originally Posted by Rob Wilson

I am one of those ADR patients that still have stenosis after ADR. I went to LSI and they cost me a lot of money but did not fix the problem fully. Then I went to Bonati and he seemed to fix the stenosis. I know there is bad press on Bonati as well. I was fortunate to get a good healing from Bonati though.

My concern is that places like Bonati advertize that they are doing something other surgeons don't. What they do is insert an x ray guided cannula into where the disk is and they nibble away at it and leave most of the disk in place. Other surgeon to the same thing but charge 1/2 the price. They advertize that what they are doing is something that only they do. I am not disputing the effectiveness of the procedure. It is a good procedure for the right candidate but it has some drawbacks.

They don't tell you that it weakens the annulus and can lead to the the nucleus of the disk leaking out and rupturing through the annulus and onto the nerve or cord.

What these laser spine and so called minimally invasive factories to is no different than what other surgeons are doing. It's hype and slick marketing. My advice is to deal with a university hospital or a place like the Mayo Clinic.

Bonati has been sued and fined many times.

That group is former partners of Dr. Bonati. I wouldn't go to any of those guys.



Check out these fine tales:

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Miracle doctor Alfred Bonati

I believe LSI has had fraud written on it even before they were formed. they left bonati institute when the law suits started against dr. bonati and his clinic. (what ever it was called)

so i believe they are fruads to begin with.

so

LSI has done this....
Medical Malpractice Attorney:Unprofessional Conduct:Medical Practice Act. | MedicalMalpractice.com

via

The "British West Indies Medical College" Scam

[mmglobal]

Many of these types of clinics provide first rate care. They have a specialty that they primarily do and they are quite good at it. However....

The objection I have to many of them is that they never met a patient they didn't like. I know there are exceptions and I know people who have been turned away as non candidates. For every one I know that meets that profile, I know several who have gone there with poor results.

I don't object to occasional poor results. Hey, this is spine and there are no procedures that don't have failures and horror stories associated with them. What I do object to is the patient who has a disc that is so severely compromised that it is not a good candidate for MISS. Too many of these doctors feel that they have license to do way too many surgeries because it is MISS and they are unlikely to hurt you. May as well try. Too many of these clinics are run like money factories. Remember the folks at Disc Cure? They wouldn't let you talk to a doctor without paying $500 up front!

That is great, unless after you've paid them for a surgery or two that you really weren't a good candidate for; so now you cannot afford to have the next surgery that you really need. I've seen this way too many times.

Again, if what you need is what they are going to do... they can be great. I also know many successful patients with MISS from Bonati and LSI.

Mark

[upperwestside]

Hi, I just joined on here. I wanted to see what the general sentiment was in these forums about the big minimally invasive spine surgery providers. I heart the smilies.

I agree with Mark that it seems you have some surgeries that go well with the big providers. Some seem to be better than others though, based on their philosophy and motivations. It's too bad spine surgery isn't more regulated. Some seem to really care about good patient results, that's the good news.

It looks like LSI was just sued by Hulk Hogan for selling him on their type of laser surgery when he really needed a spinal fusion. There seems to be a lot of negative feedback about them in general, and quite a few law suits. Did they just lose a law suit for fraudulent business practices? I heard something about it but can't find it now. I just see medical suits.

Anyway, it seems like Bonati has good press out there. I think there are good local providers too. Like in New Jersey, I have seen several around that aren't one-hit wonders, so they don't have an incentive to just sell you on one thing. Well enough rambling, I'm still absorbing everything going on out there.

[Maria]

I'd like to state that back when I was living in Fla around 2003 Bonati had a not so good rep yet it seems that with time this Institute has improved at least in terms of reputation.

I think one has to realize that:
A) there are failures in spine surgery with just about any surgeon and that doesn't necessarily have to do with the surgeon or just with the surgeon

B) There can be improvement (or the opposite) in the Institute that comes out of negative reviews so to continually label anything for infinity either good or bad without knowing much more about up to date and current practices/outcomes is useless as credible information.

C) One should exercise caution on believing statements such as "we'll have you trekking in Tibet in no time" or statements that sound too good to be true. One has to really do the research and IMHO get a number of opinions, weigh them, and make the best decision possible. If it's an emergency situation things might be different re taking time to research however often there is enough time to try the conservative route and research the surgical options.

good luck to anyone that suffers spinal pain and has to decide on where to go, what to do and when to do it regarding spine surgery. It's a huge decision and can definately be a life altering experience.

[Rob Wilson]

I can only give my own personal experience. LSI is below average at best. Bonati performed an EXCELLENT surgery to fix what LSI was not capable of doing and LSI said it could not be done. Bonati fixed me.