A new outlook on life: Groundbreaking surgery relieves pain, preserves motion
For more than a year, Jeanne Aaker endured long periods of intense pain in her left shoulder blade, with pain shooting down her left arm. "Just trying to find a comfortable way to sit or lay was awful. For sitting, I'd get the best relief by holding my left arm high in the air. For sleeping, I'd use the recliner," says Jeanne, a 53-year-old nurse from Lakota, N.D. "It was all pretty miserable."
"When you've been in the kind of pain I was in, it's an unbelievable feeling when it's gone."
Jeanne Aaker
Jeanne's pain resulted from problems in her cervical spine – the area of the neck made up of seven vertebrae separated by shockabsorbing discs. The discs let the neck bend and rotate, but can degenerate with age. Jeanne's degenerative disc disease included a herniated disc and a bone spur pressing against the spinal cord. She had tried conservative measures, including physical therapy, traction and medication, but the pain returned, growing worse with each several-week episode and eventually causing numbness in her left hand. Even so, Jeanne continued working at Mercy Hospital in Devils Lake, N.D., but activities such as golf went by the wayside. "You do what you have to do and try not to complain too much," she says. "And you keep hoping the next thing you try will work."
A surgical answer
For Jeanne, an appointment last fall with Dr. Alex Mendez, neurosurgeon at MeritCare, offered the next avenue of hope. "Based on imaging tests and my medical history, Dr. Mendez thought I would be a very good candidate for a new type of artificial disc surgery that would not only relieve the pain, but also preserve my range of motion," says Jeanne. "I was really excited to hear about it and hoped it would work for me."
Previously, the only surgical option for Jeanne would have been spinal fusion, which involves fusing two or more vertebrae together. Still considered a good surgery, spinal fusion relieves pain, but can also limit movement and put added strain on remaining discs. Dr. Mendez explains how the new surgery differs: "It's groundbreaking because it offers an entirely new way to surgically address problems of the cervical spine," he says. "By removing the damaged disc and replacing it with the new artificial disc, we can preserve the patient's range of motion. For the right patient, it's an excellent procedure." Two more distinct advantages: less pain and faster recovery. The new procedure costs about the same as spinal fusion.
"The pain is gone"
On Feb. 11, Jeanne became the first patient in North Dakota to undergo artificial cervical disc surgery. Her specific condition met the strict criteria. In addition, Dr. Mendez worked with Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota to ensure the procedure would be covered. "Anytime you have a new procedure, you expect close scrutiny from insurance companies, and that's the way it should be. I thank Blue Cross Blue Shield for their consideration of this procedure," says Dr. Mendez.
Jeanne extends her thanks as well. "The surgery was a piece of cake. I went home the next day and was back to work a week and a half later. The pain disappeared, it's easy to get comfortable and I'm so pleased with my range of motion," she says. "When you've been in the kind of pain I was in, it's an unbelievable feeling when it's gone." Jeanne looks forward to a summer of long walks, yard work and golfing.
To learn more about the new artificial disc procedure, please call (701) 234-4023 or (800) 437-4010.
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