THE MERCYtouch 21 “I’ve done it all,” she says. “I had physical therapy, massage therapy, chiropractic treatment and epidural shots.” But her pain was unrelenting. One of the discs in her lower spine had deteriorated, she explains, causing the vertebrae to press on her spinal nerve. “I had severe pain around my back and side that interrupted my sleep every night,” she recalls. “By the time I got up in the morning I had to struggle to loosen up enough just to go to work.” Adrienne was referred to David Segal, MD, a neurosurgeon practicing at Mercy Medical Center who is using a surgical procedure called XLIF (eXtreme Lateral Interbody Fusion) to bring relief to people suffering from chronic back pain. Adrienne finally found relief from her agonizing pain. Dr. Segal explains that degeneration of spinal discs results in compression or instability that may cause pain ranging from mild to debilitating. For patients with severe pain that doesn’t respond to other forms of treatment, surgery is used as a last resort to fuse the spinal vertebrae together to relieve the rubbing or pressure. Using the XLIF procedure, Dr. Segal works through two small incisions in the patient’s side. Guided by a fluoroscope continuous X-ray and using a neuro-monitoring system to avoid impacting nerves, he is able to clean out the remaining disc and tap in a kind of manufactured bone – a ceramic piece that induces fusion – between the vertebrae. Compared to traditional lumbar fusion surgery, the procedure requires shorter surgery times, less tissue damage and blood loss, and shorter hospitalization, allowing for a more rapid return to normal activities. After undergoing XLIF, patients generally spend two nights in the hospital and may have minor pain for a day or two, but most are able to return to work within a couple of weeks. “I’m reluctant to recommend traditional fusions because of the magnitude of the surgery and the healing process,” Dr. Segal says. “This opens up fusion surgery for many more people because it is less invasive.” Adrienne says she was eager to try the new approach. “Dr. Segal explained it extremely well. I felt really comfortable with it, and I was hopeful and anxious to give it a shot because I was in so much pain.” Her post-surgical relief was so dramatic that she was afraid it wouldn’t last. “They got me up that night, and the pain was gone. I was holding my breath thinking that it would come back after the anesthesia wore off and the pain medicine was gone, but it never has – not even a twinge.” Adrienne Dobbins had tried a wide range of remedies to relieve her excruciating lower back pain. Pain relief is spelled XLIF Adrienne Dobbins is pain-free and back to work. 20 SPRING 2011 www.mercycare.org David Segal, MD Neurosurgeon Watch for Dr. Segal in an upcoming PBS educational documentary called "The World of Neuro-Surgery,” hosted by Joan Lunden.

Neurosurgeon is spelled XLIF - Mercy Medical Center

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Page 1: Neurosurgeon is spelled XLIF - Mercy Medical Center

THE MERCYtouch 21

“I’ve done it all,” she says. “I had physicaltherapy, massage therapy, chiropractic treatmentand epidural shots.” But her pain wasunrelenting. One of the discs in her lower spinehad deteriorated, she explains, causing thevertebrae to press on her spinal nerve.

“I had severe pain around my back and sidethat interrupted my sleep every night,” sherecalls. “By the time I got up in the morning Ihad to struggle to loosen up enough just to go towork.”

Adrienne was referred to David Segal, MD, aneurosurgeon practicing at Mercy MedicalCenter who is using a surgical procedure calledXLIF (eXtreme Lateral Interbody Fusion) tobring relief to people suffering from chronicback pain. Adrienne finally found relief from heragonizing pain.

Dr. Segal explains that degeneration ofspinal discs results in compression or instabilitythat may cause pain ranging from mild todebilitating. For patients with severe pain thatdoesn’t respond to other forms of treatment,surgery is used as a last resort to fuse the spinalvertebrae together to relieve the rubbing orpressure.

Using the XLIF procedure, Dr. Segal worksthrough two small incisions in the patient’s side.Guided by a fluoroscope continuous X-ray andusing a neuro-monitoring system to avoid

impacting nerves, he is able to clean out theremaining disc and tap in a kind of manufacturedbone – a ceramic piece that induces fusion –between the vertebrae.

Compared to traditional lumbar fusionsurgery, the procedure requires shorter surgerytimes, less tissue damage and blood loss, andshorter hospitalization, allowing for a more rapidreturn to normal activities.

After undergoing XLIF, patients generallyspend two nights in the hospital and may haveminor pain for a day or two, but most are able toreturn to work within a couple of weeks. “I’mreluctant to recommend traditional fusionsbecause of the magnitude of the surgery and thehealing process,” Dr. Segal says. “This opens upfusion surgery for many more people because itis less invasive.”

Adrienne says she was eager to try the newapproach. “Dr. Segal explained it extremely well.I felt really comfortable with it, and I washopeful and anxious to give it a shot because Iwas in so much pain.”

Her post-surgical relief was so dramatic thatshe was afraid it wouldn’t last. “They got me upthat night, and the pain was gone. I was holdingmy breath thinking that it would come back afterthe anesthesia wore off and the pain medicinewas gone, but it never has – not even a twinge.”

Adrienne Dobbins had tried a wide range ofremedies to relieve her excruciating lower back pain.

Pain reliefis spelled XLIF

Adrienne Dobbins is pain-free and back to work.

20 SPRING 2011 www.mercycare.org

David Segal, MDNeurosurgeon

Watch for Dr. Segal in an upcoming PBS educationaldocumentary called "The World of Neuro-Surgery,”

hosted by Joan Lunden.