New spinal implant procedure was first performed in Marion

Feb. 14, 2013,A doctor with a satellite office in Marion was the first in Illinois to perform a procedure that is bringing relief to patients with back pain.Dr. Richard A. Kube II introduced the coflex® Interlaminar Implant to his patients. The first procedure was performed in Marion at the Southern Illinois Surgery Center. In Illinois, Dr. Kube performed not only the first coflex® implant, but also performed the first two level coflex® implant at the Southern Illinois Surgery Center in Marion.“I certainly feel pretty good about it,” Kube said about being the first in Illinois to perform the surgery.“Our first patient back in November has already shown remarkable improvement in levels of pain and function,” he said.Kube, who is originally from South-Central Illinois, is based at the Prairie Spine and Pain Institute in Peoria and has a satellite office locally.
“It seemed to be a nice hub on the interstate with a lot of folks,” he said.Kube said that before having a satellite office in southern Illinois, several Marion citizens came to see him in Peoria.
“My concept has been to try to provide services to people that do not have access. If I can provide more services, this provides value to the community,” the doctor said.In October, Paradigm Spine LLC was granted FDA approval for coflex® for the treatment of moderate to severe spinal stenosis. The coflex® implant is placed in between the vertebrae following decompression surgery to provide stability in the spinal column.“We often decompress the spinal nerves to help relieve pain,” Kube said.“In a number of those cases, especially when there is underlying spinal instability, we have to fuse the patient at the time of the decompression. This device helps us to lower the number of fusions we have to perform.”Kube said that he has stayed very involved in research, which allows for more options for patients.He said that spine and back problems are very common.The coflex® Interlaminar Implant is the first implant to go through the FDA and get approved. “It stabilizes the spine and allows for motion to continue,” Kube said.With this procedure, he said there are several benefits for patients, including less time in the hospital, less time out of work and it costs less.