Age: 56
Surgical practice: Western Regional Center for Brain and Spine Surgery, Las Vegas, Nevada
Indications: degenerative scoliosis and
degenerative disc disease
Procedure: eXtreme Lateral Interbody Fusion (XLIF®)
Levels treated: L2-L4
Surgery date: November 7, 2008
Life prior to surgery: A congenital degenerative spine condition, aggravated by high school and college sports, set Brad down a long road of severe back pain. Heat, stretching, anti-inflammatory pain medications, and steroid injections did not relieve the pain. Decompression surgeries in 1995 and 2000 helped for only three or four years. A busy lawyer and family man, Brad could barely stand and walk and was reduced to regularly using a portable chair and scooter for mobility.
Situation today: Brad’s recovery started immediately following his XLIF procedure in 2008. Committed to rehabilitation, Brad participated in an aggressive formal physical therapy routine three days a week for six weeks and a daily home therapy program thereafter. Approximately seven months after surgery, he was taking short hikes and was about 75 percent recovered. At his one-year post-op anniversary, Brad completed a demanding six-mile hike in the mountains of southern Utah. Today, he’s mostly free of pain, participating in 5K walks, playing catch with his grandchildren, and exercising his body through different physical activities.
11-NUVA-949