Background Information

For more than 25 years The Bonati Institute in Hudson, Florida has been the world’s destination for advanced arthroscopic surgery. Since The Bonati Institute’s founding, its medical teams have stood on the leading edge in developing surgical techniques and instruments that treat back, neck and joint problems with greater precision, less discomfort, and faster recovery. The years of dedication to constant innovation culminated in The Bonati Procedures, arthroscopic surgical solutions that have been awarded six U.S. Patents and have freed nearly 20,000 people from pain.

In the past “open” laminectomy surgery was a standard treatment for spinal stenosis. Spinal stenosis is a condition whereby a bulging or degenerating vertebral disc narrows the spinal canal and pinches the nerve roots running from the spinal cord. The result is low back pain and radiating leg pain. “Open” laminectomy surgeries usually require a large incision to locate and remove the portion of the disc pressing on the nerve root. However, “open” surgery can be very traumatic to the muscles and tissues and can cause severe scarring. Even with the best results, patients of “open” laminectomies can experience pain for several months, and often face the very high probability that there will be no permanent relief.

The Bonati Procedures are the first surgical procedures to adapt the field of Arthroscopy to problems of lumbar, thoracic, and cervical spine. Arthroscopy employs the smallest incision possible, (usually 1 to 2 inches long) and is a simple and far less invasive alternative to traditional “open” laminectomy and spinal fusion surgeries. Since Arthroscopy causes less trauma to the muscles and tissues, it also produces less blood loss, a shorter recovery period, reduced scarring, and less chance of infection or complications. The Bonati Procedures are gentle enough to require only local anesthesia, leaving the patient alert and able to communicate with the surgeon throughout the procedure. The less invasive nature of The Bonati Institute’s advanced arthroscopic surgery qualifies the Bonati Procedures as outpatient surgeries. Outpatient surgeries do not require costly overnight hospitalization.

Many of the advantages of the The Bonati Procedures are made possible by their use of advanced medical micro-technology. In a typical Bonati Procedure a small tube, called a cannula, is placed into the small arthroscopic incision. An image intensifier, called an endoscope, is then placed into the cannula to guide the surgical instrumentation to the exact location of the problem. The endoscope uses fiber optics and a television micro-camera mounted on a flexible tube to provide lighting and visualization of the interior of a joint. The micro-camera then projects a highly magnified and detailed picture of the problem area onto a large screen in the operating room, illustrating a remarkably close and precise view of the passageway to the specific problem area for the surgical team.

Once the exact problem area is located and verified, The Bonati Procedures employ patented instrumentation and Holmium YAG Lasers to remove the portion of the disc that is pressing upon the nerve root. The FDA-approved Holmium: YAG Lasers are considered the most effective laser instrument for arthroscopic orthopedic surgery in use today. The laser’s wavelength produces a thermal effect of less than one-half of one millimeter, a nearly microscopic path that contributes to rapid recovery, reduced pain and swelling, and shorter physical therapy. Studies conducted by The Bonati Institute also support the recent evidence that the use of these lasers in surgery enhances the regeneration of tissue vital to the proper restoration and functioning of the joint.

A world-renowned pioneer in the research, study and application of laser-assisted arthroscopic surgery, Dr. Alfred O. Bonati is the Chairman and Chief Orthopedic Surgeon at The Bonati Institute. Since The Bonati Institute and the Bonati Procedures draw patients from throughout the world, Dr. Bonati and his staff are frequent lecturers at national and international medical conferences. Dr. Bonati is a graduate of the University of Seville and the Bowman Gray Medical School, and completed internships and residencies at Cook County Hospital in Chicago, the University of Alabama, and Georgetown University. He is also a Diplomate in the International College of Surgeons, the American Board of Neurological, Orthopaedic Medicine and Surgery, and the Arthroscopy Board of North America. He is the author of the book No More Back Pain: A New and Proven Program to Free Yourself from Back Pain For Life.

More than 90% of The Bonati Institute’s patients report immediate improvement following a Bonati Procedure. Even patients who may have had “open” laminectomy or fusion surgeries that did not relieve their pain now have renewed hope with these gentle, carefully controlled, arthroscopic procedures.

The Bonati Procedures have proved successful in providing permanent relief of pain from numerous back and neck conditions, including pain from:

• Bone Spurs: The enlargement of the bony structure of the spine.
• Degenerative Arthritis: The chronic breakdown of cartilage in the joints.
• Failed Open Back Surgery: Open back surgery commonly involves an incision of several inches in the lower back and removal of some of the backbone. The operation may have significant complications such as intractable pain, nerve injury and loss of function.
• Foraminal Narrowing: A disc herniation in the tunnel in which the nerve exits the spine.
• Fusion: A previous procedure whereby one or more vertebrae are fused by bone grafts to prevent motion between them.
• Instability: Abnormal movement of the vertebrae when ligaments, discs, and joints are damaged to the point that they can no longer hold the bones together.
• Low Back Pain: Nerve irritation or “pinching” which causes the muscles in the lower back to tense up.
• Radiculitis: Irritation of the nerve root caused by degeneration of the outer ring of the disc.
• Sciatica: Irritation of the sciatic nerve typically felt from the low back to the thigh and radiating down below the knee.
• Scoliosis: Sideways curving of the spine.
• Spinal Cord Compression: Nerves “pinched” by ruptured discs.
• Spinal Stenosis: The narrowing of the spaces in the spine and the compression of the nerve roots or spinal cord.
• Spondylosis: Degeneration of the disc spaces between the vertebrae usually caused by osteoarthritis. Also known as Degenerative Disc Disease.
• Spondyloisthesis: Forward movement of a vertebra in relation to an adjoining vertebra.

The Bonati Institute occupies a five-acre campus in Hudson, Florida, approximately 30 miles north of Tampa. The Institute’s Administrative Center, Neurology Center, Surgical center, Pain Management Center, Physical Therapy Center, and Imaging Center rest within a spacious Old Florida setting, a park-like reserve for native foliage and wildlife.

The medical staff at The Bonati Institute includes Orthopaedic and Neuro-Surgeons, Neurologists, Osteopathic Medical examiners, and Physical Therapists, Registered Nurses and Licensed Practical Nurses. The clinical staff is supported by a large, and very experienced, team of health professional support dedicated to medical excellence and complete patient satisfaction.