It’s the simple acts in life often taken for granted: tying shoes, getting out of the car, or for 33-year old Maquoketa resident, Jami Ledding, putting her bakery school training to the test by spending hours in the kitchen. “Focaccia, sourdough, baguettes, sandwich bread, you name it. I just love to bake loaves and loaves!”
But prolonged standing to pursue her favorite hobby was out of the question. “Just putting on my shoes and socks was the most challenging part of my day. I can only describe my back pain as ‘lightning.’ It would shoot down my lower back and into my calf, and my left leg was so numb I felt like it was a ‘peg leg.’”
ORA Fellowship Trained Spine Surgeon, Dr. Mohammed Hussain, says Jami’s familiar symptoms of lightning-like pain, numbness, and trouble walking were confirmed in an MRI as a herniated or bulged disk in her lower back. The diagnosis meant surgery, but we offered Jami an option that minimizes scarring, rehab and can reduce recovery time by half.
Dr. Mohammed Hussain
Dr. Myles Luszczyk
“She was the perfect candidate for an ultra-minimally invasive surgical technique called ‘Endoscopic Lumbar Microdiscectomy. It’s been tested globally and has found traction in the US.” Dr. Hussain, with the assistance of Dr. Myles Luszczyk, another ORA Fellowship-Trained Spine Surgeon, performed the outpatient procedure at Crow Valley Surgery Center.
They were the first surgeons in the State of Iowa and the Quad Cities to perform this ultra-minimally invasive surgical spine procedure. “It’s not experimental, it’s tested, and it’s gratifying to offer this option to our patients.
“Our philosophy is to minimize the amount of damage from back surgery and this procedure accomplishes that goal. In Jami’s case, we made two very tiny incisions on her back, and from there, used an endoscope to insert a small camera to view the disk herniation and then remove the damaged tissue.
“Because we perform tiny incisions and only need to pull back a small section of muscle, her recovery time greatly improved and there is a lower risk for infection.”
Dr. Hussain says traditional back surgeries typically require larger incisions and muscle dissection that can lengthen recovery time by weeks or even months. But Jami was eligible for this option that allowed her to resume her love of baking without extended rehab, pain, and scarring.
Jami says that prior to surgery, she was on three different pain medications. “I just couldn’t believe at age 33, I had to have back surgery. But Dr. Hussain showed me the X-rays and MRI, so it was really clear to see what he was going to do.
“I literally hobbled into the surgery center and walked out. Even when I woke up I felt immediate relief. My rehab could’ve been six to eight weeks, but it’s been closer to two or three.
“It has totally worked and I’m so much better. I couldn’t live the way I was.”
The procedure works especially well for either herniated or compressed discs (stenosis) on any section of the spine. Age isn’t necessarily a factor. “In fact, for many young or older patients, because the incisions are so small, we can help prevent longer-lasting pain that often accompanies more invasive back surgeries.”
VIDEO
If you are facing potential back surgery schedule an appointment at ORA Orthopedics to be evaluated as a potential candidate for this ultra-minimally invasive Endoscopic Lumbar Microdiscectomy procedure.