Age: 79
Hometown: Georgetown, TX
Surgeon Georgetown Orthopedics, Georgetown, TX
Procedure: eXtreme Lateral Interbody Fusion (XLIF®)
Surgery Date: March 31, 2014.
Life Prior to Surgery: Jerry was in the U.S. Air Force the first time he had to see a doctor about his back. At that time, he was on flying status as a flight mechanic. A mechanic’s job on an aircraft requires a lot of heavy lifting. On occasion, his back would flare up and require a doctor’s visit.
When the pain got worse, Jerry was advised to avoid flying. He finished out his 20-year Air Force career as a nurse recruiter and recruiting area supervisor, retiring in July 1974 and became a consultant. In February 2010, Jerry had to retire from his job as a consultant on maintenance management computer systems due to extreme back pain.
“The pain got to the point where I could no longer work a full day,” said Jerry. “I usually worked ten- to sixteen hour days and the pain just kept getting worse and worse.” Jerry soon became limited to his chair because of the pain. He managed the pain by taking over-the-counter pain medications. He also tried pain management, but the nerve blocks only provided him relief for two months.
When Jerry met with a surgeon, they discussed his options. Initially, Jerry was leery of surgery because he feared losing feeling in his legs. His neighbor, who was operated on by the same surgeon, spoke very highly of her results. Jerry then consulted with his surgeon again and decided to take his recommendation and have surgery.
Situation Today: Jerry underwent XLIF surgery in March 2014. He spent four nights in the hospital and was able to get up and walk the very same day of surgery!
“I experienced the usual post-op pain,” said Jerry. “But the pain that I felt in my legs and back before was completely gone!”
Jerry continued to walk as a form of therapy, but also met with a physical therapist to help him with daily exercises. Jerry is back to mowing the lawn and doing other household projects with his wife. He continues to make progress every day, but is so happy to be able to get up and work around the house!
15-NUVA-0662