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Live Webcast of a Minimally Invasive Lumbar Discectomy to Correct Severe Lower Back Pain

January 28th 2009, 4PM EST From Baptist Hospital, Miami, FL

Sergio Gonzalez-Arias, M.D., chief of neurological surgery and medical director of Baptist Hospital's Neuroscience Center, will perform a minimally invasive lumbar discectomy on Wednesday, January 28, at 4 p.m. The webcast will be moderated by Dr. Sean Kenniff, former healthcare reporter for WFOR-CBS Channel 4. Viewers can also choose to watch the procedure in Spanish.

A minimally invasive lumbar discectomy is performed to correct a herniated disc in the lower back. The surgery involves delicate instrumentation that allows the surgeon to operate through a small incision, spreading muscles rather than cutting them. Compared to open surgical procedures, minimally invasive spine surgery has many advantages, including less blood loss, less pain, smaller incisions and a faster recovery. Most patients can go home the day of surgery.

Baptist Hospital's Neuroscience Center provides the most comprehensive and innovative techniques to diagnose and treat the brain, spine and nervous system. The Center's staff includes neurosurgeons and other specialists acclaimed for clinical and educational leadership, as well as specialty-trained nurses and clinical professionals.

Dr. Gonzalez-Arias has served as chief of the Baptist Hospital's Department of Surgery and is past president of the medical staff. He has lectured nationally and internationally on minimally invasive spine surgery and stereotactic radiosurgery. He is currently involved in multicenter clinical research in minimally invasive spine surgery.

About Baptist Hospital

Baptist Hospital is part of Baptist Health South Florida, the largest faith-based, not-for-profit healthcare organization in the region. It also includes Baptist Children's Hospital, South Miami Hospital, Doctors Hospital, Homestead Hospital, Mariners Hospital in the Upper Keys, Baptist Cardiac & Vascular Institute and Baptist Outpatient Services. Baptist Health Foundation, the organization's fundraising arm, supports services at all hospitals and facilities affiliated with Baptist Health.

About OR-Live

OR-Live is the world's leading surgical broadcasting company, providing communication solutions to hospitals, device manufacturers, and pharmaceutical companies that demonstrate, communicate, and educate the latest clinical and technological advances in surgery to surgeons, physicians, allied health professionals, and consumers. The OR-Live broadcasting network provides an intimate look at over 600 live and on-demand surgeries to a global audience, streaming over 23,000 hours of programming each month. The OR-Live network can be found on-line at www.OR-Live.com.