Two derivatives to the OLLIF technique have also been developed by Inspired Spine. Minimally invasive direct lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-DLIF) provides better access to L5-S1, and minimally invasive direct thoracic interbody fusion (MIS-DTIF) allows for minimally invasive fusion in the thoracic spine, preventing the risks, such as deflating the lung, required for traditional thoracic approaches. Both derivatives utilize the OLLIF implant cleared by the FDA in 2018.
To support the development and broader deployment of its procedures and devices, the medical provider has established the Inspired Spine Institute. The Institute consists of three branches that all help to ensure the procedures are delivering the level of outcomes expected for patients. The first is patient education, which helps patients understand what procedure is best for them and what to expect from surgery.
The second arm of the Institute is research and development; Inspired Spine collects an extensive amount of data on patients that they have treated and fine-tuned new procedures. The result, so far, has been seven peer reviewed publications supporting the benefits claimed of the OLLIF procedure, all of which are available in free full text on PubMed Central.
The last arm of the institute is its training program. Abbasi and other surgeons at Inspired Spine offer a “mini fellowship” for established spine surgeons looking to improve their practice. The training commences by observing Dr. Abbasi performing the OLLIF immediately followed by a hands-on lab at Inspired Spine’s Burnsville, Minnesota campus. The next phase of training is known as the “Soft Transition,” where Dr. Abbasi will travels to the surgeon’s home hospital to initially perform and ultimately assist in a series of cases until the surgeon’s demonstrated proficiency meets Inspired Spine’s certification requirements.
The Institute also offers monthly “Grand Rounds” style case reviews that are attended by providers around the world. Abbasi says that surgeons are more apt to share experiences with providers at other institutions.
These services are all provided at no charge or “open source” in Abbasi’s words. Inspired Spine believes that offering the training to surgeons will result in better outcomes for patients. Chief Executive Officer John Siegel considers Inspired Spine’s customers to be “patients, rather than doctors who order the devices, because the delivery of healthcare is about improving people’s quality of life.”
