- Live National Spine Patient Forum -

 

Artificial Disc Replacement:

What Matters to Spine Patients?

 

WHO:          Presented by The Arthroplasty Patient Foundation, attended in person by patients and webcasted live around the world. Two doctors will participate as subject matter experts to discuss current controversies, review clinical study results and discuss patient qualification criteria.

 

WHAT:        90-minute live presentation including clinical study reviews, panel debate and Q & A session with patients around the globe. Followed by a one-hour (off air) debriefing with refreshments.

 

WHERE:       Loews Hotel

1601 Collins Avenue

                   Miami Beach, Florida 33139      

                   Telephone: 305-604-1601

 

WHEN:           Monday, May 5, 2008, 5:00 p.m. EST 

 

WHY:          To provide an educational and informative session for the public, spine patients and media to learn more about artificial disc replacement surgery from both doctors and patients in the field.

 

HOW:          Attend in person or online. All attendees must register online: Click here to Register

 

MORE:         The Arthroplasty Patient Foundation (APF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit

organization. The APF helps patients connect with other patients, share complex information, learn from the patient community and make more informed decisions.

 

 

 

Sohail K. Mirza, MD, MPH

 

Image 1 Sohail K. Mirza, MD, MPH is a graduate of the University of Colorado School of Medicine.  Following his training in Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Washington he completed a fellowship in Spinal Surgery at Harvard.  In 2003 he was an American Orthopaedic Association ABC Exchange Traveling Fellow and traveled to Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand.

 

He joined the faculty at the University of Washington in 1995 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine.  Presently he holds duel appointments as a Professor in both the Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine and the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Washington.  He has also been the Director of Spine Trauma Research at the University of Washington since 1996.

 

With a predominant interest in surgery of the spine and research, Dr. Mirza has published over 45 peer-reviewed articles, eight book chapters, and has participated in 16 research projects acting as the Principle Investigator on eleven of those studies. Dr. Mirza serves as a reviewer for The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, the Journal of Trauma and Spine. His most recent accomplishment was completing his Masters in Public Health at the University of Washington in 2005.

 

 

image 2 Scott L. Blumenthal, M.D.

Board-Certified Orthopedic Spine Surgeon
Specialization: Artificial Disk Surgery and Sports Related Injuries to the Spine

Scott Blumenthal, M.D., spine surgeon with Texas Back Institute, is the first and only surgeon in the United States to devote his practice solely to the research and application of artificial disc replacement. As the principal investigator in the Charite artificial disc trials and a member of the surgical spine team at Texas Back Institute, Blumenthal is best known for being a leader in spinal arthroplasty having implanted many of the artificial discs currently on the market and in trials.

 

Blumenthal speaks extensively as an expert and was among the first United States spine surgeons trained by EuropeÕs most experienced surgeons in artificial disc replacement. He serves as the clinical assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern and is an on-going contributor and sits on the board of the Arthroplasty Patient Foundation, the first non-profit created for

arthroplasty patients. Blumenthal has served as the principal investigator on multiple FDA trials.

 

Blumenthal is a member of key professional organizations including the Texas Medical Association, American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, North American Spine Society, International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine, Texas Spine Society and Spine Arthroplasty Society. Blumenthal graduated from the esteemed Northwestern Medical School in Chicago and completed his general surgery internship and orthopedic surgery residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Dallas. His fellowships include time at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago training in physical medicine and rehabilitation and a fellowship in spinal trauma surgery from Midwest Regional Spinal Cord Injury Care System at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.

 

Blumenthal is a founding member of the Center for Spinal Arthroplasty at Texas Back Institute in Plano, Texas, where he continues to practice.

 

To register for this event, go to this link for registration:

 

Register Now