Minimally invasive disc replacement surgery, better known as ADR surgery, has allowed our patients to regain their quality of life. 70% of them have been able to return to sports. This is the case of Fernando, who at the age of 41 was able to return to one of the sports he is most passionate about: surfing. Read his story below.
Fernando first came to Instituto Clavel in July 2018, when he began to be bothered by discomfort in his lower back. Fernando is from Puerto Rico, and he traveled from his country to Spain with the hope of finding a solution to the pain that was interfering with his ability to carry out any type of activity.
At that time, Dr. Clavel determined that it would be best to perform an ADR surgery, to replace the degenerated disc with an artificial prosthesis that fulfills the functions of a healthy natural disc. After having this operation, Fernando was able to enjoy surfing again, a sport he loves, but that he had been forced to give up before because of the pain in his lower back.
One of the main causes of disc degeneration is age-related. As the spinal discs age, they tend to lose their water content, which means they decrease in height. This can cause the vertebrae to become closer to each other, and as the discs are no longer able to act as cushions to impacts, it causes discomfort.
Over a period of 15 years prior to coming to Instituto Clavel for lumbar ADR surgery, Fernando had two laminectomy surgeries in Puerto Rico. However, this procedure only provided temporary relief from the pain, and when the pain came back again, he decided to look for a different kind of treatment.
Four years after having his lumbar ADR, Fernando began to notice pain in his left shoulder. Although he didn’t think of it as having anything to do with his cervical vertebrae, this pain is one of the main symptoms of discs wearing out in this area of the spine. This brought him back to Instituto Clavel in April of this year (2022), for a disc replacement surgery at the cervical level.
Find out what Fernando has to say about the process he went through, as well as the symptoms he had, and improvement he experienced after the surgeries. The following is an excerpt from an interview we held with this patient.
Can you describe the back pain that you were suffering in 2018?
My lower back started to hurt and bother me. Then the pain began to spread down my left leg. It was an annoying pain. After that, I began to suffer tension in the sciatic nerve, which was unbearable.
How did the pain interfere with your daily activities?
It was hard to me to do any kind of physical activity. When I had my good days, I went fishing. However, I knew that later I would have to deal with the pain again. I started taking pills and treating myself with non-traditional methods of medicine to deal with the situation.
I sell medical equipment, and sometimes I had to cancel meetings or leave the office because of the pain. I had to spend a lot of time in front of the computer and at the same time visit the client, make presentations, and so on.
How did you find out about Instituto Clavel?
A friend of my father's had surgery with Dr. Clavel two years ago, for a cervical disc replacement, and the man was back to doing normal activities, without pain or anything. So, I said to myself, "this is the solution, we have a good reference, let’s contact Instituto Clavel". And I would estimate that it was within three weeks to a month later that I was already in Spain having surgery with Dr. Clavel.
Why did you decide to travel from Puerto Rico to Spain for surgery?
I saw a neurosurgeon in Puerto Rico and he suggested doing fusion surgery. I told him that I didn't think that fusion was the right solution. I asked him about disc replacement surgery and he said that, unfortunately, that was not available in Puerto Rico. Then, everything I read about Dr. Clavel was positive. And that's how I came to make the decision to do this procedure with them.
What can you tell us about that first operation? How would you describe the experience?
After having the surgery, I spent another 20 days in Spain. I went to physical therapy at the rehabilitation center they have at Instituto Clavel; great place and great staff, very attentive. My treatment there consisted of doing gentle stretching movements and they gave me massages. I returned to Puerto Rico without without any back pain, but with a little discomfort in my abdomen, because the surgery had been performed through the abdomen using the anterior approach.
What was your recovery process like?
I kept doing the stretches they had shown me to do. I would get up to go for a walk, I knew I needed to get more active. Although it hurt, I knew that if I stayed on the couch I was also going to hurt, but at least walking gave me some exercise. And so I improved little by little, and after a year had passed, I felt good and recovered. I started surfing again.
You have to make those prostheses move and activate, as well as the musculature around them. The muscles have to stretch a little, settle down so that they reach their normal shape, and the way to do it is with supervised physical activity.
This year, you had to have another operation. Why was that?
I began to feel a pain in my shoulder, and, honestly, it didn't think it had to do with my cervical vertebrae. I had x-rays taken of my shoulder and everything looked OK. However, when I would go surfing, as long as I was in the water, it didn’t hurt, but when I got out, then it did hurt me to the point that I couldn't even rest my left arm on anything.
I had an MRI and they confirmed that I had degenerative disc disease at three levels. So, I contacted Dr. Clavel again. I decided to take action quickly and go to Spain to have surgery at the Instituto Clavel.
Why did you choose to come back to Instituto Clavel for the second time?
Because of the success of the first surgery and the care they provide. The team is very good. They inform you very well about what the procedure is going to be like and what to expect after the surgery. A team doctor visits you constantly while you are hospitalized.
How is your recovery going after this second surgery?
They emailed me the stretches I need to do. They are small stretches, with the neck as well. I have to walk at least 15 or 20 minutes a day. Now I can sleep on my side on my left shoulder again; before I couldn't, because the pain made me get back up.
Would you recommend Instituto Clavel to other people?
Instituto Clavel, Dr. Clavel, and his team gave me back the quality of life I was looking for. I wanted to feel normal, pain free, with no mobility restrictions, and to enjoy life again. To be able to smile and not need to take pills. For me, personally, the Instituto Clavel gave me back that quality of life. So I would recommend it.
Categories: Spine treatments, Surgery, Testimonials