According to Detroit Free Press the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan in Detroit is working with the Lisbon program, which so far has performed 37 of these surgeries.

"18-year-old Cortney Hoffman, paralyzed by a 2002 auto accident, underwent spinal cord surgery over the weekend in Portugal and woke up Monday with a tingling sensation in her hindquarters, an indication that the procedure may well be worth the tens of thousands of dollars it cost and the 4,000-mile journey required to get it done."

Because they use the patient's own stem cells, taken from the nasal cavity, there is no ethical controversy such as that surrounding embryonic stem cells. The work gives hope to thousands of patients who've suffered spinal cord injuries.

The Rehab Institute already is heavily involved in the work, screening patients for Lisbon and doing pre-operative and post-surgery therapy. Officials there must urge doctors in Lisbon to complete scientific study on patients to help boost the chances for FDA approval of a trial. If successful, a clinical trial in Michigan could provide the research that would open a wider door to these procedures being done in the US.