If you haven’t heard the news yet, Laser Spine Institute, a national chain of laser spine surgery centers based in Tampa, FL has ceased all operations abruptly, leaving many patients and employees in the lurch. The 14-year-old company specializing in non-invasive laser spine procedures has shut down locations in St. Louis, Cincinnati and Scottsdale as well as their 3-year old $56 million flagship location in Tampa.
There have already been federal lawsuits brought against the institute by three former employees and more are expected to follow. Beyond employees, this also leaves patients in the dark about their scheduled surgeries, medical records and financial questions.
Trouble in paradise for Laser Spine Institute
This is not the first time the Laser Spine Institute has experienced legal troubles. Back in 2006, several local doctors filed suit again the institute for breach of fiduciary duty, conspiracy, defamation, slander and intentional interference. They were awarded more than $264 million when they won their suit, marking the first, but not last time, the Laser Spine Institute would be sued.
The institute was also ordered to pay $20 million in 2018 to the estate of a women in Ohio who died during a procedure performed in 2014. The biggest headlines were generated when celebrity, Terry “Hulk Hogan” Bollea filed a suit against the Laser Spine Institute, claiming their ineffective procedures cost him thousands of dollars.
Laser Spine Institute left patients feeling pain
One of the most unfortunate aspects of the abrupt closure of the Laser Spine Institute is its effect on patients. Countless Laser Spine Institute patients who were scheduled for procedures are now left in pain and without a surgery date. Many have already paid deposits and are wondering when and how they will receive compensation. These patients have spent countless hours in consultations or working with specific doctors and are now left with nowhere to turn.
Local surgical centers in Scottsdale, Cincinnati, St. Louis, and Tampa Bay, where the Laser Spine Institute offices were located, are seeing an influx of these patients and their schedules are quickly becoming overbooked. Though the offices are based in NYC, Dr. Stieber and his team are prepared for patients displaced by the Laser Spine Institute’s closures and are accustomed to patients arriving for their services from around the globe.
As one of the best spinal surgeons in NYC, Dr. Jonathan Stieber, MD, offers a Global Concierge Service to make travel arrangements, accommodations and scheduled visits a simple task. A graduate of the some of the top universities in the nation including Duke, University of Pennsylvania and NYU, Dr. Stieber now serves a Clinical Assistant Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at NYU and has published several peer-reviewed papers and been invited to present data and advanced surgical techniques to other medical professionals in his field.
Jonathan R. Stieber, MD, has a private office on Madison Avenue in the heart of Manhattan that offers state-of-the-art technology in a warm, luxurious environment. The highly-trained staff is always ready to assist with any needs and are looking forward to helping patients displaced by the Laser Spine Institute’s closure with a smooth transition. If you have been affected by the closure of the Laser Spine Institute at any of their locations, please reach out to us any time.
