Submitted by ANS
Many people who suffer from debilitating back pain resist surgery. But not Denise Kordulak, a 66-year-old retired x-ray technician from Neptune.
Years of pushing, lifting and carrying equipment and positioning patients took a huge toll on her back. Fourteen years ago, she had surgery to relieve her pain and restore the feeling in her feet. While it was somewhat successful, she never returned to normal and Denise started walking with a hunched back.
Last year, the pain became unbearable. She lost feeling in her left leg from the knee down, and the pain was so bad she couldn’t stand for more than a few minutes. So Denise contacted Dr. Pinakin R. Jethwa, a board-certified neurosurgeon at Atlantic NeuroSurgical Specialists (ANS).
“Denise was suffering from a complex lumbar spine issue,” Dr. Jethwa said. “Compression of the nerves was causing leg pain. Degeneration of discs was causing back pain. One of the bones of her spine had slipped out of place, causing her hunched back. In an eight-hour surgery, we performed a multi-level spinal decompression and fusion operation.”
The parts of the bones and discs that were compressing Denise’s nerves were removed. Screws and rods were placed in the bones to stabilize and fuse the degenerated discs, and the bone that was slipped out of place was realigned into a more normal position.
“Since then, she has been pain free,” Dr. Jethwa said. “She actually drove herself to the office and, for the first time in years, walked in unassisted. Denise told me she has her life back. In her case – and many others – the benefits far outweighed the risk.”
For more information about spinal decompression and fusion, contact ANS at 732-455-8225 and visit ansdocs.com.
Atlantic NeuroSurgical Specialists (ANS) is New Jersey’s largest neurosurgical practice and one of the most advanced in the country. Since its founding in 1958, ANS has specialized in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders affecting the nervous system. Its Spine Center is known for evaluating spine disorders and, when possible, treating them with innovative non-surgical and surgical treatments. ANS is changing the way patients are treated by actively participating in an outcomes database that measures the quality and efficacy of common spinal and neurosurgical procedures.