MILD was recommended to me by a pain specialist in Austin, Tx., and I'm waiting now to get a second opinion. My understanding is that it is supposed to work well for certain patients with specific issues. In my case it was advised because the ligament in my spine is double the normal thickness and is pinching the heck out of the nerves, and the intent of the procedure is to thin the ligament and make room for the nerves. However, I have read on Mayo Connect messages from folks who had MILD done and got no relief, or even got worse.

I do wonder what their particular issues were and whether the procedure was correctly prescribed. The article my doctor gave me stated that it could be helpful for "patients with LFH (ligamentum flavum hypertrophy) and multiple other spinal comorbidities, including lateral and foraminal stenosis." It also specifies that MILD candidates' ligamentum flavum has to be greater than 2.5 mm. My ligament is 5.4mm thick, and that's why the doctor I saw said I was an ideal candidate for the procedure. I trust that he knows what he's talking about -- he's done over 100 MILD procedures. However, the article he gave me to read about MILD was authored by people who might have received some compensation or had interest in promoting the procedure -- it was in a publication called Pain Management and was published in 2020.

Is there anyone out there who knows of more recent studies or has had MILD and had great results? If so, please weigh in. I'm noticing more bad comments than good here on Connect. But because of certain other problems with my spine, MILD might be the only option I have to deal with severe pain in my glutes, hamstrings, legs, ankles and feet.