THE DOCTORS EXCLUSIVE:

MEET THE MOST ADVANCED AMPUTEE IN THE WORLD

THE FIRST SURGERY PERFORMED IN THE U.S. ALLOWING AN AMPUTEE TO MOVE AND FEEL A PROSTHETIC ARM WITH THEIR THOUGHTS

(Hollywood, CA – September 20, 2016) – The Emmy® Award-winning, syndicated daytime talk show The Doctors, will air the first nationally televised interview with 43-year-old amputee, Melissa Loomis, and her doctor, Ajay K. Seth, MD. Loomis, from Canton, Ohio, lost her arm last fall after a seemingly benign raccoon bite on her wrist became severely infected. Dr. Seth, an orthopedic hand surgeon at Spectrum Orthopedics in North Canton, realized his patient would be a perfect candidate for an experimental surgery he learned about while attending a national medical conference and collaborating with physicians in Canada. The conference discussed a novel surgery that allows redirection of nerves to move a prosthesis with the brain. Dr. Seth and Melissa decided to go through with this experimental surgery in Canton despite being a surgery never performed in the U.S.

This was the first surgery in the U.S. that allowed an amputee to not only move a prosthetic arm with thoughts alone, but Melissa can actually feel the sense of touch that was restored in all five fingers via the prosthetic hand. The state of the art prosthetic being used is still a prototype, is initially being developed for use by the military, and is the only one of its kind. It is designed for a 200 lb. male soldier. Melissa’s successful test is proof that women, military women and civilians alike, will benefit greatly from this developing technology.

During the TSR/TMR (Targeted Muscle Reinnervation and Targeted Sensory Reinnervation) surgery, Dr. Seth utilized AxoGen’s AxoGuard Nerve Protector to help protect the transferred nerves. It is the only nerve wrap available made from natural tissue rather than collagen. With this medical miracle, she can also sense pressure and temperature. Surgeons at Walter Reed Military Hospital and researchers with the Department of Defense are saying, “Melissa is the most advanced amputee in the world.”

Melissa and Dr. Seth join The Doctors on stage to demonstrate this cutting edge medical science – showing the audience how she can control the prosthetic with just her thoughts and feel through a piece of machinery. The technology is not yet widely available and researchers hope for government and public funding to further advance this technology to be available in the future to the masses.

Taping Thursday, September 22nd and airing Wednesday, September 28 (check local listings).

Taped in front of a live studio audience in Hollywood, The Doctors is produced by Stage 29 Productions and distributed by CBS Television Distribution.

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