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The proven alternative to “open” back surgery

The Bonati Procedures represent the state of the art. These patented methods and instruments have long been at the forefront of advanced spine surgery and have virtually eliminated the need for “open” spine surgery and spinal fusion surgeries.

• While most published statistics claim a success rate of approximately 80% for open spine surgery, physician practice reports that the actual success rate for open spine surgery is closer to 50%.


• The Bonati Procedures produce a documented success rate of over 90%.


• According to The New England Journal of Medicine, open fusion spine surgery is associated with more complications than any other type of spine surgery, and that recovery from open spine surgery can take months to a year in some cases.


• The Bonati Procedures produce far less trauma, blood loss and scarring than old-fashioned, highly invasive “open” spine surgeries.


• The Bonati Procedures avoid dissection of the muscle and removal of large amounts of bone.


• The Bonati Procedures are performed on an outpatient basis under local anesthesia and do not require overnight hospitalization.


• The Bonati Procedures usually enable patients to return to work and resume normal daily activities much sooner than patients who have had “open” back surgery.


• The Bonati Procedures usually cost less than half of the average “open” or fusion surgery.

The most experience in advanced laser spine surgery

• For over 28 years, The Bonati Spine Institute^® has been recognized as the leader in advanced spinal surgery


• Dr. Alfred Bonati was the first to develop and patent methods and instruments for laser assisted spine surgery to correct problems of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine known as The Bonati Procedures^℠ . Dr. Bonati holds 7 United States Patents on these methods and instruments.


• The Bonati Procedures have been performed successfully more than 35,000 times.

A Word of Caution
There’s a fable about a man who had a successful established barber shop offering $10 haircuts. One day a large competitor opened across the street advertising "$5 haircuts." The established barber, after watching the results of his competitor over a few days, erected a sign stating "We fix $5 haircuts."

The Bonati Spine Institute treats an increasing number of patients not only suffering from failed previous “open” spine surgery but also those suffering “$5 haircuts” performed by “minimally-invasive” competitors. The cautionary tale here is to analyze carefully any claims by spine surgical centers offering "minimally-invasive" spine surgery. First, look beyond the claims of the number of surgeries performed to the percentage of successful surgeries, with success being defined as:

• Restoration of function
• Eradication of pain
• Return to daily activities

Secondly, try to gather as much information as you can on the actual mechanics of the surgery. How large is the incision? Some surgical centers, claiming that they are "minimally-invasive", actually work through incisions of four to six inches in length, rather than the ½ to 1inch incision employed at The Bonati Spine Institute.

If a "minimally-invasive" surgical center claims that they can perform more than one surgery on your spine in a day, be suspicious. "Minimally-invasive" is an often misused term. True advanced laser spine surgery separates each treatment level incrementally and separates each procedure by an interim period of 3 to 5 days.

Lastly, look into the length of time each surgery takes. In this case, the longer the surgery the better. The full protocol for a minimally-invasive arthroscopic discectomy, for example, should take at least 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Anything less is likely to not be the full and proper protocol of a minimally-invasive arthroscopic spine procedure.

When it comes to spine surgery it is possible to avoid "$5 haircuts" by choosing the surgical center with the most experience.