Dan's story
Spinal stenosis, ALIF, Revision surgery
Spine surgery helps Dan recover from pain ‘that just wears you out’
Dan was determined not to let spine surgery, or any of his multiple surgeries, keep him from living his best life.
“I’m not one of those people who’s going to stop living because I’m getting older,” says Dan, 75. “I can’t do everything that I used to do, but I can stay active.”
His latest operation was a two-stage spine surgery to stabilize and strengthen his entire lower back. After a lengthy recovery from the surgery, he’s been able to do more of what he loves to do. For Dan, that means gardening, working in his wood shop and biking through the neighborhood – oh, and plenty of rides in his 2008 BMW Z4 convertible.
“I’ve always liked cars and motorcycles, so since I can’t ride my motorcycle anymore, I can pop that top on my 2-seater and have almost much fun,” he says.
That life is possible because Dan consulted with Dr. Zach Plummer, a neurosurgeon at Mayfield Brain & Spine. Dr. Plummer found severe spinal stenosis at levels L5-S1 and L1-L2 of his lumbar spine. Spinal stenosis is the narrowing of the bony canal housing the nerves and spinal cord.
Dr. Plummer says Dan’s symptoms had accelerated quickly enough that he recommended surgery, not only to decompress the nerves at the two affected levels, but to secure the entire lumbar spine. When more conservative measures such as physical therapy and pain injections failed to provide lasting relief, it was time.
“The impingement on the nerves at two levels of Dan’s spine was severe enough that it was affecting daily functions like tying his shoes,” Dr. Plummer says. “His goals were clear: to regain enough mobility and strength to get back to an active life. After trying several alternatives, he agreed that surgical intervention was the best choice.”
It would not be Dan’s first spine surgery at Mayfield. He had weathered years of pain after a motorcycle accident, and finally had surgery in 2020, and again in 2021, with a surgeon who has since retired.
Dan learned something about pain – not only in his back, but down his right leg. Any prolonged walking or standing made the problem even worse.
“It wasn’t debilitating. It was just hard all the time,” Dan says. “Pain is very fatiguing. It just wears you out because you’re always in pain. That’s why I went ahead and had the surgery.”
When Dan reached Dr. Plummer in late 2024, he also learned something about how the spine reacts to surgery.
“What I didn’t know is that the level on the top (of the previous surgery) and the level on the bottom get a lot more work,” he says. “There’s just a lot more strain on the spine.”
The phenomenon is called adjacent segment disease, which often leads to subsequent surgery to repair the levels above and below the original operation.
Dr. Plummer recommended a global solution to try to prevent future spine trouble. The surgery came in two stages. First, he would fuse and decompress the vertebrae at L5-S1 and L1-L2 to relieve pressure on the adjacent nerves. Then, during the second stage a day later, he would stabilize and strengthen the entire lumbar spine from the middle of Dan’s back (Level T10) all the way down to the pelvis, inserting medical rods, screws and other hardware to keep it secure as the spine heals.
During the second stage, surgery was performed to stabilize and strengthen the entire lumbar spine from the middle of Dan's back (Level T10) all the way down to the pelvis
“This technique is common in revision surgery to try to stabilize a larger area of the spine and prevent future damage,” Dr. Plummer says. “The surgery itself can be difficult. The two-stage operation allows us to ensure that we appropriately decompress the nerves before securing the spine from the pelvis into the thoracic region.”
Today, Dan is free of the pain, back to his woodshop and his garden and his beloved convertible. Full recovery can take six months to a year, but he’s glad he had the surgery.
“They told me it would be a tough recovery, and it was,” he says. “During my first few days in the hospital, I thought, ‘Is this pain worth it?’ And my answer is, ‘Yes, it was!”
~ Cliff Peale
Hope Story Disclaimer -"Dan's Story" is about one patient's health-care experience. Please bear in mind that because every patient is unique, individual patients may respond to treatment in different ways. Results are influenced by many factors and may vary from patient to patient.
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