HCA/HealthONE's The Medical Center of Aurora: Pioneering Spine Surgery

The Medical Center of Aurora (TMCA) is among the first hospitals in Colorado to begin using a
new bone graft tool to achieve better patient outcomes in spinal fusions. TMCA spine surgeon,
Stephen Pehler, MD, is conducting minimally invasive spinal fusion procedures using the new
device and in the process increasing patient success rates for spinal fusions from the national
average of 75% to 92%.

Aurora, CO, July 03, 2018 --(PR.com)-- HCA/HealthONE's The Medical Center of Aurora (TMCA) is
among the first hospitals in Colorado to begin using a new bone graft tool to achieve better patient
outcomes in spinal fusions. TMCA spine surgeon, Stephen Pehler, MD, is conducting minimally invasive
spinal fusion procedures using the new device and in the process increasing patient success rates for
spinal fusions from the national average of 75% to 92%.

Jeffrey Kleiner, MD, developed the KG®1 bone graft tool while performing surgeries at The Medical
Center of Aurora. The tool is a solution to spine surgeons' frustrations over delivering bone graft material
during spinal fusion procedures. The device benefits patients by limiting the amount of retraction of their
sensitive nerve tissue and allowing surgeons to fill their disk space with bone graft in one pass. This
process greatly increases the success of the operation and reduces the potential of requiring another
surgery.

The KG®1 is a disposable device and will positively impact the outcome of patients needing a lumbar
spinal fusion due to degenerative disc diseases, arthritis in the back and back injuries.

The Medical Center of Aurora's President & CEO, Dan Miller, said, “We are pleased to offer this device
as an option for use in our lumbar spinal fusion surgeries. At TMCA we continually focus on ways to
improve patient outcomes and provide better patient care, and this new bone graft tool allows us to do
this.”

According to Dr. Pehler, “The Kleiner bone graft funnel assists my surgical cases and practice in several
ways. Not only has it increased our documented fusion rates in patients from both a minimally invasive
and open TLIF approach, it also greatly improves optimal bone graft delivery efficiency and safety.”
Pehler continued, “The funnel allows for stable and safe direct delivery of bone graft into the disc space
without the need for nerve root and dural retraction. Eliminating repeated graft delivery near the dura and
nerve elements through conventional means, this device greatly improves efficiency and safety for our
patients.”

About The Medical Center of Aurora

The Medical Center of Aurora, the first community hospital in the Denver Metro area to receive two-time
Magnet designation for nursing excellence by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), is a
346-bed acute care hospital located in Aurora, Colorado. The Medical Center of Aurora is comprised of
six campuses in Aurora and Centennial, Colo., including the South Campus, located at Interstate 225 and

Page 1/3
PR.com Press Release Distribution Terms of Use
Mississippi, the North Campus Behavioral Health and Wellness Center, Centennial Medical Plaza, Saddle
Rock ER, Spalding Rehabilitation Hospital, Spalding Rehabilitation at P/SL, and a medical office
building at Green Valley Ranch. The South Campus facility is a Level II Trauma Center with Primary
Stroke Certification and Chest Pain Center accreditation, and has an affiliation with Rocky Mountain
Hospital for Children. The Medical Center of Aurora received 'A' grades from The Leapfrog Group (Fall
2015, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018), was Colorado's only hospital to receive the
Leapfrog Top General Hospital designation two years in a row (2016, 2017), and was recognized as the
#4 hospital in the Denver metro area and the #4 hospital in Colorado by U.S. News & World Report
(2014-2015, 2017-2018). The Medical Center of Aurora and its affiliated campuses are part of the
HealthONE System. Learn more at www.AuroraMed.com.

About Kleiner Device Labs

Kleiner Device Labs is creating new tools and devices to advance minimally invasive spine surgery and
improve outcomes and costs for patients, surgeons, hospitals and payers. Kleiner Device Labs is
headquartered in Incline Village, California. More information is available on the company's web site at
http://www.kleinerlabs.com.

KG is a registered trademark of Kleiner Device Labs/Spinal Surgical Strategies.

Page 2/3
PR.com Press Release Distribution Terms of Use
Contact Information:
The Medical Center of Aurora
Laura Stephens
303-591-5635
Contact via Email
www.AuroraMed.com

Online Version of Press Release:

You can read the online version of this press release at: https://www.pr.com/press-release/758344

News Image:

Page 3/3
PR.com Press Release Distribution Terms of Use