CMS Includes Endoscopic Spine in Fee Schedule Proposed Rule for CY 2017

Baltimore, MD – July 14, 2016– The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released the proposed rules for the 2017 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) and the 2017 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (HOPPS). Both proposed rules provide information on physician and hospital payment for the newly created CPT code 630X1 for endoscopic decompression of the lumbar spine.

“This is a great step towards the acceptance of endoscopic minimally invasive spine surgery techniques and their benefits to news_2016_reimbursement_Pic1both the surgeon and their patients in the U.S.,” said Wolfgang Ries, Founder and CEO of joimax®. This announcement is in alignment with the reimbursement decision of NICE, UK, in April of 2016, to fully reimburse endoscopic procedures.

A key reason for the recent momentum for endoscopic, minimally invasive spinal surgery is the significant, favorable base of literature, which validates evidence of the efficacy of endoscopic minimally invasive spine surgery. A special edition, “Neurosurgical Focus”, published by the Journal of Neurosurgery (JNS) in February 2016, contains a range of studies on endoscopic spine surgery.

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joimax® hosts symposium at WCMISST; presents Kambin Award to German Surgeons

Karlsruhe, Germany – June 9, 2016 – joimax®, the global developer and marketer of technologies and treatment methods for minimally invasive endoscopic spinal surgery, recently hosted an educational symposium and exhibit during the 5th World Congress of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery & Techniques (WCMISST), held June 1-4, in Jeju Island, Korea. The World Congress, which takes place every two years, is attended by more than 500 physicians and is recognized as one of the most important congresses for minimally invasive spine surgery.

Additionally, joimax® hosted an educational symposium for spine surgeons from across the globe. ”About 200 attendees gathered to learn about the techniques of endoscopic minimally invasive spine surgery and the benefits of these techniques to both the surgeon and their patients,” said Wolfgang Ries, founder and CEO of joimax®. During the Congress’ Gala Dinner, joimax® had the honour of presenting the Parviz Kambin Award to Dr. Guntram Krzok and Dr. Ralf Wagner, both from Germany, for their excellence in endoscopic spinal surgery. The Parviz Kambin Award is presented to pioneers in the field of endoscopic minimally invasive spine surgery. Nominees are selected by SMISS, WCMISST and joimax®.

Dr. Guntram Krzok, owner of a private practice in Friedrichsroda, Germany, has performed more than 3,000 endoscopic and transforaminal surgeries since 1999 and has provided training at 100 workshops. He was the first surgeon to introduce the TESSYS® technique in China and routinely publishes about his growing experience in the field.

Since 2007, Dr. Ralf Wagner, from the Ligamenta Spine Center in Frankfurt, has performed nearly 2,700 endoscopic surgeries with transforaminal, interlaminar and cervical systems, as well as endoscopic assisted stabilization with the joimax® EndoLIF® technique. He, too, has provided training at nearly 100 workshops, is an active speaker at international congresses and has published numerous scientific articles.

The Kambin Award, named after Dr. Parviz Kambin, was originally presented to Dr. Kambin (Philadelphia, PA) by the Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery (SMISS) and joimax® at meeting held in April of 2011 in Denver, CO. Previous award recipients include: Dr. Michael Schubert (Munich, Germany), Dr. Menno Iprenburg (Veenhuizen, the Netherlands), Dr. Anthony Yeung (Phoenix, AZ), Dr. Florian Maria Alfen (Würzburg, Germany), Dr. Daniel Laich (Chicago, IL), Dr. Gabriele Jasper (Brick, NJ), Dr. Albert Telfeian (Providence, RI) and Dr. Sang-Ho Lee (Seoul, Korea).

joimax® hosts SpineWeek symposium, leads live surgery broadcast during CAOS-NASS

Karlsruhe, Germany and Singapore, Chengdu/Shanghai, China (May 25, 2016) – joimax®, the global developer and marketer of technologies and treatment methods for minimally invasive endoscopic spinal surgery, recently hosted an educational symposium and exhibited at SpineWeek in Singapore. SpineWeek takes place every four years and is viewed as one of the most important congresses, representing numerous international society leaders.

“The decision to participate in this congress was the right step to demonstrate our presence in the Asian region,” says Wolfgang Ries, CEO and founder of joimax®. “This year, there was a clear focus on endoscopic treatments by the participating societies, which created a strong interest in our lunch symposium. Approximately 200 attendees gathered to learn about the techniques of endoscopic minimally invasive spine surgery and the benefits of these techniques to both the surgeon and their patients,” continued Ries.

To further validate the company’s expansion and presence in China, joimax® participated in the 9th Congress of the Chinese Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons – North American Spine Society (CAOS/NASS) meeting in Chengdu, China. The company was also involved with the Master Techniques in Spine Surgery Workshop, held on May 20, 2016 in Shanghai, China. Dr. Ralf Wagner, of the Ligamenta Spine Center in Frankfurt, Germany, led the technique-focused workshop and surgery, which was broadcast live to the meeting in Chengdu, as well as online to 30,000 Chinese surgeons.

joimax® turns 15 years

Karlsruhe, Germany and Chicago, Illinois (April 30, 2016) – joimax®, the global acting German developer and marketer of technologies and treatment methods for minimally invasive endoscopic spinal surgery, is celebrating its 15th anniversary worldwide in 2016 starting at AANS in Chicago combined with a joimax® Senior Faculty Meeting. The aim of this meeting is to share experience, deepen expertise, specifically in reference to the newest joimax® products and applications as well as to refine the specific surgical techniques. Key topics will be centered around endoscopic treatment of degenerative spine diseases.

“When I started with the TESSYS® system in 2006 I was wondering at which patient indications this system could be applied”, says Daniel Laich, DO at Swedish Covenant Hospital in Chicago, Il.
“Now we are doing all kind of special stenotic cases and even thoracic disc, or even tumor treatments”, continues Albert Telfeian, MD, PhD at the Hasbro Hospital of The Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University, Rhode Island.
“With the iLESSYS® Delta System I can even do an over-the-top decompression in a central stenotic patient and with the EndoLIF® method I do an endoscopic assisted stabilization if indicated” finishes Ralf Wagner, MD from the Ligamenta Spine Center in Frankfurt, Germany.

joimax®, entirely focused on treatment technologies for endoscopic minimally-invasive spinal surgery, over the years launched more than 10 different indication driven systems providing a company growth rate of over 35% per annum. To date more than 180.000 patients had been treated in over 40 countries with the various methods, based on more than 140 patents and trademarks issued globally. “The major company growth and market evolutional steps are further out in front of the companies’ future, based on solid ground with broad market adoption starting just now”, states Wolfgang Ries, CEO and founder of joimax®.

NASS, 2015: joimax® launches its new EndoLIF® On-Cage and new iLESSYS® Delta interlaminar endoscopy system

Chicago, Illinois – October 14, 2015 (BUSINESS WIRE) – joimax®, the global German developer and marketer of technologies and training methods for minimally invasive endoscopic spinal surgery, launches its two newest products – the EndoLIF® On-Cage and iLESSYS® Delta interlaminar system, during the 30th annual North American Spine Society (NASS) meeting in Chicago.

“With the new EndoLIF® program, combined with the TESSYS® technology, and now the iLESSYS® Delta, joimax® offers complete endoscopic solutions for spinal decompression, stabilization and fusion.”

The EndoLIF® On-Cage is a 3D-printed titanium alloy, manufactured utilizing a special electron beam melting (EBM) technology. The cage displays a porous surface with a diamond cell structure, which provides an optimal base for cell proliferation and bone growth. Two large implant graft windows, which are filled with autogenous bone, allow for bridging bone to further support fusion. The EndoLIF® On-Cage implant allows surgeons to utilize a mini-open or an inter-muscular approach, similar to a mini-transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) approach, into the intervertebral disc space facilitating endoscopic-assisted fusion.

Dr. Ralf Wagner, LIGAMENTA Spine Center, Frankfurt, and Dr. Bernd Illerhaus, ONZ Spine Center, Recklinghausen, are two German spine specialists who have already performed more than 200 of the 800 EndoLIF® On-Cage procedures in Europe. “The access is dura and nerve-gentle, preserves better dorsal bony structures and limits scar tissue formation because of the stepwise tissue dilation,” said Dr. Wagner.

iLESSYS® Delta, an advanced development of the joimax iLESSYS® standard technology, is suitable for dorsal and dorso-lateral treatment of central spinal canal stenosis. The iLESSYS® Delta system enables a large area to be decompressed by means of a more widened interlaminar approach, guided by a full endoscopic direct visualization technique. The new and specific instrument set includes specially developed tools that permit an extensive, yet gentle, tissue-sparing decompression. A new endoscope with a 6 mm working channel allows the use of large shaver blades designed for bone and tissue resection, along with a range of instruments to be applied under full endoscopic view.

“We are impressed by the new endoscope which delivers outstanding image quality. With the specialized instrument set, it is finally possible to achieve decompression of central spinal canal stenosis,” said Albert E. Telfeian, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Neurosurgery, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI. Jian Shen, MD, PhD, of Mohawk Valley Orthopedics, P.C., NY, concurs. The two surgeons gained experience with the new system during a meeting at the Anatomy Department of the University of Mainz, Germany, earlier this year, and during the cadaveric training course at Vitruvian lab in Baltimore, MD, held last week.

“Albert Telfeian and Jian Shen will be the first spinal surgeons in the USA to perform surgeries with the new iLESSYS® Delta endoscopic technology and the EndoLIF® On-Cage implants,” says Wolfgang Ries, CEO and founder of joimax®. He adds, “With the new EndoLIF® program, combined with the TESSYS® technology, and now the iLESSYS® Delta, joimax® offers complete endoscopic solutions for spinal decompression, stabilization and fusion.”

With the FDA approval of Percusys® percutaneous screw-rod-system earlier this year, and the FDA approval of EndoLIF® On-Cage in July, joimax® is positioning itself as a clear leader in minimally invasive endoscopic spinal surgery, providing a full spectrum of product technologies, now fully available in the U.S. market.

FDA Clearance for joimax EndoLIF On-Cage: 3D-Printed Fusion Implant

Irvine, California – July 13, 2015 (BUSINESS WIRE) – The German company joimax®, developer of technologies and training methods for minimally invasive endoscopic spinal surgery, today announced it received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market its Endoscopic Lumbar Interbody Fusion, or EndoLIF® On-Cage.

The EndoLIF On-Cage® consists of titanium alloy, produced with Electron Beam Melt (EBM) technology. The cage displays a porous surface with diamond cell structure, providing an optimal base for cell proliferation and bone growth. Two large openings, which may be filled with autogenous bone, support the creation of a straight column for fusion.

The EndoLIF® implant allows surgeons to utilize an inter-muscular approach, similar to a mini transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF), into the intervertebral disc, enabling endoscopic-assisted fusion. Dr. Ralf Wagner, LIGAMENTA Spine Center, Frankfurt and Dr. Bernd Illerhaus, ONZ, Datteln/Recklinghausen, two German spine specialists, have already performed more than 200 out of 600 EndoLIF procedures in Europe. “The access is dura and nerve-gentle, preserves the dorsal bony structures and we can avoid scar tissue because of the stepwise tissue dilation,” said Dr. Illerhaus.

The EndoLIF® On-Cage is designed to be used with supplemental posterior fixation, such as the joimax Percusys® percutaneous pedicle screw-rod system. Cage implantation can be performed with a posterior or postero-lateral approach, either using an open or endoscopic-assisted method.

“With the EndoLIF® program, joimax offers a complete endoscopic-assisted solution for spinal stabilization and fusion. In the future, we will be able to treat patients with even more gentle techniques,” comments Wolfgang Ries, CEO and founder of joimax®. “Our next development will be an EndoLIF® Cage on the basis of our iLESSYS® Delta system for posterior lumbar inter-body fusion (PLIF).”

Parviz Kambin Award for three joimax® Faculty Members

During a special joimax® faculty meeting which was held at the institute of anatomy at the University of Mainz, Germany on June 20-21, joimax® honored three surgeons with the Parviz Kambin Award. Dr. Albert Telfeian, Rhode Island Hospital, Brown University, RI, US and Dr. Gabriele Jasper, Center for Pain Control, NJ, US received the award in recognition of their outstanding scientific and educational dedication to transforaminal surgery. The two surgeons tremendously contributed to this field with numerous high quality publications. Also they are treading new paths for spinal endoscopy. Just recently Dr. Telfeian did the first awake surgery to remove a thoracic spinal tumor. Dr. Menno Iprenburg, Iprenburg Herniakliniek, NL received the award for his lifetime achievement. Dr. Iprenburg is applying joimax techniques, especially TESSYS, since 2004. In his private clinic, he successfully treated more than 2000 patients suffering from disc herniations.

The award is named after Dr. Parviz Kambin who identified a workspace within the intervertebral foramen, through which the spinal canal can be accessed safely. Because this safe zone is somewhat triangular shaped, it was named the „Kambin triangle“.

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On the left: Award winner Dr. Menno Iprenburg (r.) with joimax® CEO Wolfgang Ries (l.) On the right: Award winners Dr. Albert Telfeian (r.) and Dr. Gabriele Jasper (l.) with Wolfgang Ries (m.)

joimax launches the iLESSYS® Delta system for treatment of spinal stenosis at DGNC 2015 annual meeting

Karlsruhe, Germany – June 8, 2015 (BUSINESS WIRE) – The German company joimax®, developer of technologies and training methods for minimally invasive endoscopic spinal surgery, today announced it will introduce the company’s new iLESSYS® Delta system to the market at the 66th Annual Meeting of the German Society of Neurosurgery (DGNC) taking place in Karlsruhe, Germany from June 7-10.

iLESSYS® Delta, an advanced development of the joimax iLESSYS® technology, is suitable for dorsal and dorso lateral treatment of central spinal canal stenosis. The iLESSYS® Delta system enables a large area to be decompressed by means of the interlaminar access, guided by endoscopic-assisted vision.

“Since the access to the spine is the same as with the already well-established iLESSYS® technique, usage is very straightforward.” said Dr. Guntram Krzok, orthopedic surgeon from Waltershausen, Germany after testing the new system at a joimax workshop early this year. “I was impressed by the new scope which delivers outstanding image quality. With the specialized instrument set, it is finally possible to achieve decompression of central spinal canal stenosis.”

The iLESSYS® Delta instrument set includes specially developed tools that enable extensive, yet gentle, tissue-sparing decompression. The 6 mm working channel of the new endoscope allows for the use of large shaver blades designed for bone resection and endo-kerrisons. An additional option is the plastic (PPSU) working tube for unimpaired X-ray examination.

“iLESSYS® Delta is a logical addition to our portfolio. Not only is the system suitable for endoscopic decompression, but it also allows the parallel implantation of cages. This way we can achieve dorsal decompression and stabilization in one step,” comments Wolfgang Ries, CEO and founder of joimax.

About joimax

Founded in Karlsruhe, Germany, in 2001, joimax® is one of the leading medical device companies in minimally invasive spinal surgery („joined minimal access“). The company’s U.S. subsidiary was established in Irvine, California, in 2005. The company is primarily focused on the development, production and marketing of technologies and methods for minimally invasive endoscopic spinal surgery. joimax is active in 40 countries around the globe and its methods have been successfully employed in approximately 130,000 surgeries. With a special focus on education, the company provides surgeons with specialized technique training through the three-step joimax CM3 education program. This program includes visitations, cadaver workshops and live-surgery support.

joimax® faculty member Dr. Albert Telfeian performs 1st endoscopic removal of a thoracic spinal tumor

We are proud to share this story about our joimax® faculty member Dr. Albert Telfeian and how he was able to help 17-year old Jenelle “Nelly” Camara who was suffering from a spinal tumor.

Already in 2014, Dr. Telfeian removed a thumb-sized tumor pressing the girl’s spine cord. The pathology was sent for identification but even the best U.S. labs weren’t able to figure out what the tumor was. Camara underwent radiation therapy and was free of symptoms for a while. But the tumor resumed growth soon and she and her family returned to Dr. Telfeian at Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence.

This time the surgeon decided to use an endoscopic approach with the girl under local anaesthetic. With Camara being awake during surgery, Dr. Telfeian was able to ask her to move her legs which is an important control for the surgeon operating in such close proximity to the spinal cord. With a tiny 8-millimeter incision on her back and specialized endoscopic instruments he was able to do a biopsy on the tumor without removing bony material like in the first surgery.

Within a week the family received a diagnosis which now allows a targeted therapy for Camara who will be able to return to school and cheerleading in fall this year.
Read all the details about how endoscopy helped to identify Camara’s tumor in this article.

NBC also featured the story in NBC 10 News. 

A scientific paper (case report) about the procedure was published online in the journal, Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery, and will appear in the July 2015 issue.

joimax® workshops continue to proof as highly efficient and successful in the education of surgeons worldwide

As the second step of the joimax® CM3 Education Program, surgeons are trained on joimax® methods during hands-on cadaver workshops taking place throughout the year in different locations and countries.
The typical workshop agenda includes theoretical sessions with expert lectures from joimax® Faculty members as well as practical sessions on human cadavers. The feedback joimax® receives from the trained doctors after each workshop and the increasing number of workshop registrants speak for themselves. “When we analyze the feedback forms after each course we find that participants highly value the hands-on time which also allows them to discuss with the instructors as well as the opportunity to share experience with surgeons that are new to endoscopy.” says Monika Gensert, Senior Product and Education Manager at joimax®.

From January to May 2015, joimax® organized and conducted four workshops in Germany and Austria and another four workshops in the US. In Europe alone joimax® trained 60 surgeons from various countries and disciplines. Surgeons can chose between basic and advanced courses which differ in the complexity of the techniques taught, i.e. the EndoLIF®, iLESSYS® stenosis and CESSYS® approach is only trained in advanced workshops.
Additionally, joimax® technologies were part of 4 DWG (German Spine Society) Modules for Board Certification of spine surgeons.
At the US workshops, whose attendees exclusively come from the US and Mexico, another 43 surgeons were instructed on TESSYS®, Multiuse, iLESSYS®, Percusys® and EndoLIF®.
“The workshop was excellent, with lots of great input from the joimax® team, as well as from the faculty surgeons.” stated a US-workshop attendee.

Your next opportunity to join one of our workshops will be in Mainz, Germany on June 19-20 and in Dallas, Texas, US on July 18. For more workshop dates click here.

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US workshop with joimax® Faculty Dr. Daniel Laich, Irvine, CA, US, March 2015