N.Y. Judge Authorizes Specialty Surgery Out of State

A New York workers' compensation judge has authorized -- over the objections of an insurer -- an arthroscopic procedure invented by a Florida surgeon who says the technique is less invasive and damaging than open spine surgery. Dr. Alfred Bonati says on his Web site that the Bonati Procedures have been performed successfully more than 22,000 times on patients suffering with pain from back and neck conditions. Workers' compensation judge Kenneth Krigstein characterized Bonati in a ruling earlier this month as a qualified expert witness and authorized him to continue treating a ...