Posts Tagged ‘spine’
Minimally invasive spine surgery technology makes outpatient spine care possible at Inova
In general, minimally invasive surgery refers to procedures performed using small incisions with the aid of specialized instruments such as tubes, cameras or endoscopes, rather than the larger incisions used in traditional open surgery. The goal of minimally invasive surgery is to minimize collateral tissue damage while achieving the same surgical objectives and outcomes as…
Read MoreSurgery for neck pain: Cervical Spine Fusion vs. Disc Replacement
Corey J. Wallach, MD, is a fellowship-trained spine surgeon, board-certified in orthopaedic surgery. He serves as the medical director of the Inova Spine Program at Inova Alexandria Hospital and Inova Mount Vernon Hospital. If you’ve experienced severe neck pain, you’re not alone. Up to 70% of Americans experience significant neck pain at some point.…
Read MoreCarolyn is on top of the world after spine surgery at Inova
Carolyn Bivens has seen the world. As an advertising executive for USA today, and later president of Initiative Media, Carolyn traveled all over the globe – sometimes 200,000 miles a year – throughout her 35-year career. But beginning in 2015, back and leg pain began to slow her down. Carolyn was diagnosed with spinal stenosis…
Read MoreTom Looks Forward to the Future After Spine Surgery Repairs Fractured Neck
Thomas Bull, 82, understands better than most how a person’s life can change in an instant. In March 2022, Tom was hanging a picture in his living room when he fell off a step stool and fractured his neck. After his first neck surgery failed, he came to neurosurgeon Andrew Fanous, MD, FAANS, Section Chief…
Read MoreSherry Goes from Spinal Cord Injury, Surgery and Rehabilitation to Full Recovery, Part 2
After a catastrophic accident in 2013 left her paralyzed from the neck down, Sherry Embrey beat the odds to walk again. In Part 2 of her story, we hear about her postsurgical journey back to full mobility. Read part 1. After recovering from surgery at Inova Fairfax Hospital to repair her broken neck and relieve…
Read MoreSherry Goes from Spinal Cord Injury, Surgery and Rehabilitation to Full Recovery, Part 1
After a catastrophic accident in 2013 left her paralyzed from the neck down, Sherry Embrey beat the odds to walk again. In Part 1 of her story, we hear about her injury and the surgery that saved her. Read part 2. One minute, Sherry Embrey was helping her great niece blow out the candles on…
Read MoreWhat Is Spinal Stenosis?
Ali Moshirfar, MD, is board-certified in orthopaedic surgery. He is a member of the Inova Neuroscience and Spine Institute and Chairman of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Director of spine surgery at Inova Loudoun Hospital. The term “stenosis” means a narrowing of some sort. Spinal stenosis is the term we use when your spinal…
Read MoreWhy Back Surgery Is Not One-Size-Fits-All
Ronald Childs, MD, is a board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon at Inova Health System. He serves as the Section Chief for the Inova Spine Program, across all Inova locations. It’s easy to think of back surgery as a single procedure to treat a single problem: back pain. After all, the spine is a long, interconnected set…
Read MoreSean Gets Back on His Feet Quickly After Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
Sean Spera was getting ready for dinner one evening in July 2022, carrying a few items into the kitchen from the garage, when he suddenly found himself on the floor. Although he had dealt with back pain for more than 15 years, Sean, a 22-year veteran of the Prince William County Sherriff’s Office, had begun…
Read MoreBeret’s Back Pain Is History After Spine Surgery at Inova
Beret Fisher can’t afford to slow down – she’s a middle school history teacher responsible for educating 145 students, fostering their love of history, and giving them the tools they need to grow into productive and engaged citizens. But with severe degenerative disc disease, Beret couldn’t even bend over to tie her shoes. “I have…
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