Teresa — Cusseta, AL
My name is Teresa Hoffman and I am 38 years old. I work as a financial assistant. I started noticing back pain when I was probably 31 years old. I had slipped and fell the first time I went to the doctor. I thought I had pulled a muscle and knocked something out of place. I saw a chiropractor for 5 years before I finally went to see a specialist. The chiropractor was not correcting the problem. The pain progressively got worse.
The pain was in the lower back area, across the hips, and radiated down both legs depending on what day of the week it was. The year before my surgery, I sat on baby's swim rings, like you would use in a swimming pool. The pain in the hip area actually radiated around the tailbone when I sat. I had trouble sitting and standing.
After five years, my chiropractor referred me to the Hughston Clinic. Dr. Dorchak found that I had a ruptured degenerated disc at the L5-S1, and he suggested that we remove the disc and do a fusion on the area. We did the study instead of using the bone from the hip. The deciding factor for using the study procedure was the back surgery my sister had two years earlier. Her surgery was in the same kind of area, but the problem was a little different. They actually took bone from her hip to do her surgery, and I knew her recovery period was extended over the full two years. She still to this day has some trouble where they took the bone from the hip. I felt like this was something that could possibly speed up recovery time, and that was something that I wanted to do.
I was in the hospital for the surgery on Tuesday and I went home on Saturday. I was a little sore from the surgery. When they asked me to get up and walk to the bathroom, I was totally amazed. The only pain I had was from the incision. Every now and then, I have a little stiffness, because I have overworked my back. The stiffness is more like exercising muscles that have not seen exercise in a while. Since the surgery, I have been to amusement parks, water parks, and played softball with the kids, all of which I could not do before the surgery.
It is important that you discuss the potential risks, complications, and benefits of the INFUSEŽ Bone Graft/LT-CAGEŽ 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.
