This weeks issue of Businessweek includes an article on Laser Spine Institute.

It sounds like the main procedure at Laser Spine is to use lasers to burn off, or ablate, sensitive nerve endings followed by a disc "decompression" that removes material or bone that presses on nerves. The typical charge for this is $30,000.

The article is rather critical of Laser Spine quoting doctors who say "the company is doing surgery that is often unnecessary or inappropriate. The evidence that ablation helps patients is "pretty weak," says Dr. Roger Chou, a physician at the Oregon Health & Science University."

The article also notes "Since late 2009, 15 malpractice suits have been filed against Laser Spine," out of a total of about 7,500 procedures.

Have you had any experience with Laser Spine Institute?