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IITS News

About IITS

The IITS (formerly IITTSS) is a 501C3 non-profit organization whose focus is on intradiscal therapy aided by the endoscope as the least invasive, visually-guided treatment for discogenic pain.

The International Intradiscal Therapy Society (IITS), formerly the International Intradiscal and Transforaminal Therapy Society (IITTSS), was founded in 1987 and is now headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona.

IITS LEADERSHIP

Anthony Yeung, MD
Executive Director

James Yue, MD
President

Girish Datar, MD and Luke Kim, MD
Co-directors of Medical Education

International Intradiscal Therapy Society (IITS) Logo
PAST IITS WORKSHOPS

These one-of-a-kind workshops featured practical information on MIS techniques utilized by Endoscopic Spine Surgeon Dr. Anthony Yeung, and the surgeons at Desert Institute for Spine Care (DISC).

They included educational lectures, live operations performed by Dr. Yeung, and a cadaver workshop for surgeons to learn his techniques.

Dr. Anthony Yeung gives talk at the 14th Annual Congress of Chinese Orthopaedic Association

November 15, 2019
November 2019 – Dr. Anthony Yeung attended the 14th Annual Congress of Chinese Orthopaedic Association held in Shanghai, China. There, he was invited to give a Master Talk about emerging technologies in the field of endoscopic spine surgery. This historical update and discussion on the current status of endoscopic spine surgery summarizes Dr. Anthony Yeung’s 30 years at DISC. Dr. Yeung retired from DISC in 2019, leaving his legacy to his son, Dr. Chris Yeung, and his team of fellowship trained spine surgeons with similar interest and in-house training in MIS spine.
2019 COA Group Photo

The Legendary Dr. Anthony Yeung Announces His Retirement

November 8, 2019
DISC TeamDr. Anthony Yeung, DISC Orthopedic Spine Surgeon and the Executive Director for the International Intradiscal Therapy Society (IITS), announced his retirement in an official statement on the IITS website. Below is an excerpt from the announcement. “2019 was time for me to finally stop operating (at age 78) to focus my time on publishing my extensive experience of over 11,000 cases since 1991. I became very comfortable that my legacy will be carried on my son Chris Yeung and his team of fellowship trained spine surgeons with similar interest and in house training in MIS spine at our ASC, Squaw Peak Surgical Facility. The DISC team put together by Chris Yeung provides a wide spectrum of spine surgery options based on what is best for their patients Using training in open MIS spine surgery and endoscopic spine surgery. It was time to finally officially retire.”

2018 Report on Recent Travel and Lectures

October 26, 2018

From the desk of Anthony Yeung, MD Executive Director of IITS


Trends from 1997-2018 for Article Publication
I have witnessed the exponential acceleration of interest in endoscopic spine surgery in the past two years, from 2017-2018, especially in Asia. Tremendous interest and growth now comes from China, where Chinese President Xi’s directed economic reform has produced visible changes not only in news reports about their military presence, but in Health Care Reform. I have also personally experienced, and witnessed the changes and directives in spine care in my recent travels to China as an invited keynote speaker, stimulating more surgeon visits that I can accommodate. Chinese minimally invasive surgical organizations, Chinese medical associations, and now even Chinese traditional medicine have embraced endoscopic surgery for their members. My concern is that interest should be accompanied by appropriate training in the United States. China is different than the West where Key Healthcare opinion leaders and Political leaders are more focused on volume and have their own requirements for training. China has a universal health care system where almost all providers are employed by Nationally ranked health care entities that filter down to regional and local facilities. More private practice hospitals are being developed. Their training centers are much different than in the West. […] I report on my activities this year, along with pictures that chronicle interesting geographic, tourist, and historic sites in Asia. I encourage those interested to visit iits.org for updated material. To read the Full 2018 December Report, please visit iits.org.

LEADERS IN MINIMALLY INVASIVE SPINE CARE
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DISC - Desert Institute for Spine Care