Spine Surgery Gives Anita Her Life Back
Anita is back to enjoying an active lifestyle, following spine surgery at Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Center. Crystal Clinic is a national leader in spine care, consistently rated a Top 100 Hospital in America for spinal fusion and spinal surgery.
Prior to surgery, Anita was living with debilitating, constant pain, particularly shooting pain in her legs, due to osteoarthritis and a misaligned disk. An avid walker who routinely walked 10,000-12,000 steps per day, she was struggling to walk 3,000 steps a day. When physical therapy and pain management did not offer relief, surgery was recommended.
“I’m a firm believer in Crystal Clinic, and have already been a patient there for both a broken hand and a broken foot. I knew I wanted to see a spine surgeon there too,” she said.
Crystal Clinic’s board-certified spine surgeons, including Anita’s surgeon, Dr. Douglas Ehrler have pioneered the use of advanced, robotic-guided technology that allows for extreme precision in spinal surgery. Crystal Clinic was the first hospital system in northeast Ohio and one of only about 200 hospitals in the nation to invest in the Mazor X StealthTM robotic guidance system for spine surgery. Crystal Clinic continues to be a leader in the adoption of this new technology.
“One of the major advantages of robotic-guided technology in lumbar spinal fusions is that it facilitates more complex, difficult cases, including those cases that may have previously been considered inoperable,” Dr. Ehrler said.
Anita’s surgery with Dr. Ehrler took place on Nov. 14, 2023.
“Immediately after surgery, the shooting pain was gone. Twenty-four hours after the procedure, I went home,” she said.
Less than 10 days after surgery, Anita felt well enough to host Thanksgiving. She’s also been able to enjoy activities like fishing and attending Cleveland Guardians’ games once again. She has season tickets to the Guardians, but before surgery, she was unable to walk to her seat near the field.
“This procedure has truly given me my life back,” she said.