News Release

October 30, 2006

Contact: Maureen McGuire, 860-679-4523
e-mail: mmcguire@nso.uchc.edu

Dr. Syed A. Hasan Joins the Musculoskeletal Institute at UConn Health Center

Expertise in Non-Surgical Treatments for Neck and Back Pain

FARMINGTON, CONN. – Syed A. Hasan, M.D., F.R.C.S., a specialist in advanced, non-surgical procedures to alleviate chronic neck and back pain, is now seeing patients at the University of Connecticut Health Center.

Dr. Hasan is an interventional physiatrist, a doctor of physical medicine and rehabilitation, with a strong background in orthopaedics. He joins UConn’s Musculoskeletal Institute from the University of Pennsylvania where he completed a fellowship in spine interventions at the Penn Spine Center.

“The first step in treatment is always a thorough evaluation to determine the correct diagnosis,” Dr. Hasan said, noting that he specializes in non-traumatic neck and back pain. Treatment options range from oral medications and referrals for physical therapy to sophisticated new procedures.

“These minimally invasive procedures are performed under X-ray guidance using today’s best imaging tools and intravenous contrast materials to precisely identify the source of pain and administer medications to the exact source,” he said. Here are a few examples:

• Selective nerve root blocks provide relief for leg and arm pain due to pinched or irritable nerve root caused by disc protrusion or canal narrowing.

• Facet joint injections relieve low back pain.

• Sacroiliac injections address low back pain caused by dysfunction of these joints.

• Transforaminal steroid injections alleviate neck and low back pain arising from degenerative discs.

“These procedures provide intermediate alternatives to surgical treatments, and in some cases, they are definitive treatments with very good success rates,” Dr. Hasan said. “My goal is to improve every patient’s quality of life by reducing pain and eliminating the need for medications, such as narcotics or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, which carry long term risks,” he added, noting that some patients ultimately need to consider surgery.

“The addition of Dr. Hasan to our comprehensive spine center allows us to offer a full spectrum of services for patients who suffer from back and neck pain,” added Jay R. Lieberman, M.D., director of the Musculoskeletal Institute. “The goal of the spine center is to use both non-operative and operative modalities to help men and women gain mobility and maintain overall health,” he added.

The comprehensive spine center is part of the Musculoskeletal Institute which provides world class services including orthopaedic surgery, state of the art imaging and diagnostic services, physical therapy and care for spinal diseases, osteoporosis, rheumatologic conditions and more. Services are provided in one convenient location on the Farmington campus.

Dr. Hasan offers patients the experience of a long and varied career in medicine. He completed his medical degree at Rawalpindi Medical College in Pakistan and his postgraduate orthopaedic training in England. He completed a surgical fellowship from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in Glasgow, Scotland and was an orthopaedic surgeon, performing complicated trauma cases, before coming to the U.S.

In addition, Dr. Hasan completed an internship in internal medicine at Flushing Hospital Medical Center in New York and a residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo and Erie County Medical Center before his fellowship at the Penn Spine Center.

Dr. Hasan earned many academic accolades throughout his training. In 2005, he tested second in the country on the national self assessment exam of the American Association of Neurology and Electrodiagnostic Medicine. He also received the Best Resident Research Presentation Award at SUNY Buffalo.

For more information or to make an appointment, call 800-535-6232.

Download a high resolution photo of Dr. Hasan at: http://www.uchc.edu/ocomm/images/images_news/hasan.jpg

The University of Connecticut Health Center includes the schools of medicine and dental medicine, John Dempsey Hospital, the UConn Medical Group and University Dentists. Founded in 1961, the Health Center pursues a mission of providing outstanding health care education in an environment of exemplary patient care, research and public service. To learn more about the UConn Health Center, visit our website at www.uchc.edu.

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