Let’s Go to Hawaii

We had the sweetest 86 year old female as our patient recently. She had a genuine kind heart and positive attitude. The patient had many years of wear and tear on her back. Over time she lost the normal curvature of her spine and developed scoliosis with associated pinched nerves. She had tried medications, physical therapy, and even pain management injections. However, she was told by other surgeons that her back was “too bad” and she was simply “too old”.

I could tell she was nervous during our initial consultation. Afraid that she would once again be told that there wasn’t anything we could do. However, rather than attempting to complete a major multilevel spinal deformity correction surgery, we focused on her most symptomatic area. She had one level of her spine that was the source of her main pain complaint. We simply did a L3-4 laminectomy and medial facetectomy for her. In fact, the surgery was out-patient and she went home the same day.

Today is a good day.

When she presented for her two-week post-op visit before I could even ask how she was doing she stopped me and said – “Watch this” and she demonstrated how easily she could adjust from a sitting to a standing position now. A majority of her back pain and even leg pain was significantly improved and nearly gone.

At the end of her visit she said – “I’m so grateful, If I could send you and your team to Hawaii, I would!”