Patient Stories

ArthrexEndoscopicSpine.com

At age 80, Pam Doherty is no stranger to back pain. Diagnosed with scoliosis as a child, she’s undergone surgery many times, including a major operation to straighten her spine 30 years ago.

“I’ve got plates and screws all over,” Pam said. “Golf was always my passion and the neurosurgeon at that time told me, ‘I will straighten your spine as much as I can, and I should be able to give you 20 more years of golf.’”

While she enjoyed those years, Pam said that intractable pain came roaring back, almost exactly 20 years later.

“Chronic pain takes a toll on everything in your life. For one thing, you’re really crabby. It’s difficult to want to smile or be a part of a group,” Pam said. “No matter what I did it hurt. It was hard to walk, even to lie down; I was in constant pain.”

Despite seeing numerous pain specialists and undergoing several additional procedures over the ensuing ten years, nothing helped. Then in January 2024, a friend referred Pam to neurosurgeon Edison Valle, MD (Naples, Florida).

“Pam came to me in terrible pain and with a complex medical history,” Dr. Valle said. “Just a few years ago, I would have had to say, ‘I’m sorry, I can’t help you.' We would have had to do a thoracic to pelvis fusion, and that might have killed her. We just would not have been able to take the risk.”

But now, thanks to an ultra-minimally invasive technique using 4K visualization, Dr. Valle performed a medial branch nerve transection (MBT). The procedure is designed to relieve pain caused by arthritis in the facet joints between the bones of the spine. Dr. Valle transected the sensory nerve that was sending pain signals to Pam’s brain, effectively disconnecting it. The procedure alleviated her pain while allowing her to continue to walk and move normally.

“Instead of a 10-hour surgery that could have kept her in the hospital for two weeks and taken six months to even begin to recover from, this was a 20-minute procedure done through an incision that is just 4 to 5 millimeters long--literally the size of your pinky nail,” Dr. Valle said. “It takes longer to put the patient under than it does for me to do the surgery.”

Within weeks, the relief from the pain was remarkable, Pam said.

“I truly have my life back. It’s wonderful to get up in the morning and not want to immediately go back to bed,” she said. “I won’t be able to play golf again, but I love walking with my husband and going out to eat again.”

For the right patient, like Pam, Dr. Valle says the MBT procedure can be life-changing.

“This is a lower risk surgery for someone with chronic, acute back pain that has lasted more than six months and has not responded to conservative treatment like physical therapy and anti-inflammatories,” he said.

Today, Pam’s prognosis is excellent, and she is thrilled to be able to live her life again, as she looks forward to celebrating her 25th anniversary with her husband.

“He is as relieved as I am,” Pam said. “I put my faith in Dr. Valle and the procedure, and I am so glad I did. To be rid of that pain — it still blows my mind.”

Disclaimers:

This is not medical advice and is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by a surgeon or other qualified medical professional on the use of these products. You should talk with your physician or health care provider for more information about your health condition and whether Arthrex products might be appropriate for you. The surgeon who performs any surgical procedure is responsible for determining and using the appropriate techniques for surgical procedures on each individual patient. Arthrex recommends that surgeons be trained on the use of any particular product before using it in surgery. A surgeon must always rely on their own professional medical judgment when deciding whether to use a particular product when treating a particular patient. A surgeon must always refer to the package insert, product label, and/or directions for use before using any Arthrex product.

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This real patient was compensated for the time they took to share their experience.

Physician is a paid consultant of Arthrex, Inc.