Age: 50
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Surgeon: University of California, San Diego Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, La Jolla, CA
Procedures: eXtreme Lateral Interbody Fusion (XLIF®) and laminectomy
Surgery Date: September 16, 2010
Life Prior to Surgery: For most of his life, Gregg ran, played basketball, hiked and mountain biked. These pounding sports, however, took a toll on his back.Over a period of five to seven years prior to surgery, a pain started radiating into his glutial area. It was like the pain one experiences the day after performing a bunch of squats – but the pain never went away. Gregg realized that he needed to find the cause of his pain. He researched his condition and learned about the minimally disruptive XLIF procedure. Then, after reading a newspaper article about Basketball Hall-of-Famer Bill Walton’s struggle with chronic back pain and how the XLIF procedure brought him relief, Gregg was convinced that the XLIF procedure was what he needed, too. He grew up idolizing Bill and believed if Bill could get back to an active lifestyle after such a surgery then maybe he could too. Gregg met with a spine surgeon and decided that working with him was a “slam dunk decision.” Although Gregg had already suspected that surgery was the only way to get rid of the pain, hearing it from his surgeon convinced him that it was the best course of action.
Situation Today: Gregg underwent XLIF surgery with a laminectomy procedure in September 2010. He stayed in the hospital for six days to begin his recovery, but was up and walking after three days. Immediately after the surgery, the radiating pain was gone. Gregg was given a brace to wear for confidence and stability when walking. With his surgeon’s approval, he also began working with a physical therapist about three months after surgery. Gregg has returned to his active lifestyle – mountain biking, hiking, playing tennis and softball, and participating in whatever else it takes to stay in shape. Although he remains hesitant to take up running again, Gregg basically has no limitations!
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