A 90-year-old woman who struggled with severe back pain that limited her mobility has experienced a significant improvement in her quality of life following a minimally invasive procedure.
Marcia Grazen, from Buffalo, New York, reported that her condition, lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS), made walking and standing extremely difficult, causing considerable pain in her legs and lower back. LSS is a condition where the spinal canal in the lower back narrows, putting pressure on the spinal cord and nerves, leading to leg pain, numbness, and difficulty walking.
While traditional treatments for LSS include steroid injections and physical therapy, severe cases often require a lumbar laminectomy. This major surgery involves significant incisions and a lengthy recovery period of up to six months. However, Grazen's underlying heart conditions made her ineligible for this type of invasive surgery.
Searching for alternatives, Grazen and her family discovered Dr. Dana Dunleavy, medical director of Interventional Radiology at Atlas Interventional Radiology. Dr. Dunleavy proposed the Minimally Invasive Lumbar Decompression (MILD) procedure.
The MILD procedure is an outpatient treatment performed under local anesthesia and light sedation. It utilizes specialized tools and X-ray guidance to remove the tissue compressing the nerves through a small incision, avoiding the need for extensive surgery and lengthy recovery times. The procedure typically takes about 25 minutes to complete.
Grazen underwent the MILD procedure in October 2025. She described the experience as simple and painless, noting only a slight feeling of pressure. Just three days after the procedure, she was able to travel to Florida to visit her family, describing the trip as pain-free and enjoyable. Grazen stated that her recovery was almost immediate, allowing her to resume her usual activities the day after the procedure.
Dr. Dunleavy noted that the MILD procedure is gaining popularity, particularly for patients who have not found relief through injection treatments and are not candidates for traditional surgery. He emphasized that the goal of the procedure is to improve patients' quality of life and reduce their reliance on pain medication, offering an alternative to opioid use, which is a significant public health concern.
He added that many patients report being able to stand up straight for the first time in years the day after the procedure, experiencing gradual but consistent improvement.
Lumbar spinal stenosis affects approximately 100 million people globally each year. 