Richard
Procedure: Spinal Fusion
What was your initial medical issue?
After some difficult times in 2010-2011 with neck, shoulder, and arm pain, along with some bouts of high blood pressure from the pain, I was diagnosed as having compressed discs in my neck. The issue also involved pressure on the nerve to my right side rendering arm movement painful with some loss of dexterity.
What did this issue prevent you doing?
The pain and sensitivity loss in my fingers made my job difficult. Even though my work is from a desk, even typing and the use of the mouse were somewhat difficult.
What made you decide to do something about your problem?
The details of the issue were discovered only after I was hospitalized with many symptoms of a heart attack, most attributed later to the common attributes of the compressed disc problems.
Why did you choose Dr. Sinicropi?
The doctor that correctly diagnosed the problem as being an issue with disc compression referred me to the Midwest Spine & Brain Institute, and specifically Dr. Sinicropi, commenting that he was highly regarded in the field.
What treatment/procedure did you have done?
After several rounds of steroid shots in the area of the troublesome discs, I opted for the surgery of decompression and disc fusion in 2012. The first thing I noticed in the recovery room is that the pain was gone. There was no doubt in my mind in 2016, when similar issues occurred on the left side, that surgery to fuse the next level of my neck was the best choice to reduce the new set of problems.
How did you feel after treatment?
The success of the procedures was so complete that I was astonished. Except for a very small reduction of head rotation, everything about the functionality of my neck seems normal. I have been very careful to follow the prescribed post-operative activities restrictions to promote healing and I feel the results have been phenomenal. I could not have been more satisfied.
What advice would you give other patients in a similar situation to you?
If the diagnosis is a problem with disc degeneration or neural foraminal stenosis, I feel it is wise to follow the surgeon’s advice for surgery to ‘fix’ the problem. I am so happy that, by age 65, I have experienced the repairs to my neck that make my life as normal as it could be.
