Beverly — O'Fallon, MO
My name is Beverly, and I am 48 years old. I am married, have three children, and one grandchild. I am a hairdresser, specializing in hair replacement. My back pain started in 1989, when I was about 36. I had lower back pain where it was numb on one side of the buttocks and going down one leg.
For 10 years, I had been to 7 or 8 doctors. Some doctors told me it was in my head and I would have to live with the pain. I was on Flexall®, Vicodin®, and cortisone injections. I think they were just treating the symptoms. As time went on, I had to cut down my hours at the salon from full time to part time because I stand on my feet all day. This constant standing aggravated my pain, and I would end up laid up in bed. I could not put my shoes or socks on, and I would have to get help to go to the bathroom.
One of my clients mentioned Missouri Bone & Joint Clinic. I went to Dr. Matthew Gornet and before he even got my MRI results completely out of the envelope, he said, "honey, it's not in your head." I had a collapsed degenerated disc in the L5-S1. If they had diagnosed it earlier, I would have only needed a simple fusion, but now it was bone on bone. At this time, the disc had totally collapsed, and I would need to have a cage. He told me about a new product that was being studied. The current procedure uses a bone graft taken from the hip, and most people complain after surgery that the hip area where the bone is extracted was more painful than the back surgery itself. Fortunately, I was able to get the new procedure, INFUSE® Bone Graft with the LT-CAGE® Device, and was really happy with the results. After surgery, I was out of the hospital within two days, and within six weeks, back to work and working full-time. My life started over on January 6, 1999.
Now I have no lower back pain at all. For over ten years, I was limited to what I could and could not do. I could not even pick up my grandchildren. I am back to swimming laps, and I can go to the market and do my household chores without being in pain or drugged up. I can't thank Dr. Gornet enough and whoever invented this procedure, but my life has begun all over.
It is important that you discuss the potential risks, complications, and benefits of the INFUSE® Bone Graft/LT-CAGE® Lumbar Tapered Fusion Device with your doctor prior to receiving treatment, and that you rely on your physician's judgment. Only your doctor can determine whether you are a suitable candidate for this treatment.
After reading this please keep in mind that all treatment and outcome results are specific to the individual patient. Results may vary. Complications, such as infection, blood loss, or nerve damage are some of the potential adverse risks of spinal surgery. Please consult your physician for a complete list of indications, warnings, precautions, adverse events, clinical results, and other important medical information.
