Success Stories
Our patients describe their experiences at Beth Israel Deaconess.
"If I needed this surgery again and my neurosurgeon was in China, I would go there."
At 51 years old I thought I was going to be paralyzed or very impaired after a serious spinal injury. I couldn’t move my arms and legs.
I went first to a local hospital, but it didn’t feel right. The minute I came here, everything was completely different. Everyone we met took great care of us. My neurosurgeon, Dr. Groff, explained everything. If I needed this surgery again and he was in China I would go there.
My recovery has been unbelievable; I’m pretty much back to normal, and going to the gym every day.
– – Ted Trudon, Connecticut
"The surgeon told me I needed a neurological workup, not spine surgery. He was right."
I am 77 years old, retired from a diverse career. In April of 2008, I had a very severe bout of C dif. It lasted three weeks and I was asleep almost 24 hours a day. I lost a lot of weight. I came out of it weaker, and progressively have become weaker, in my legs, feet, arms and hands. I saw a neurologist in New Hampshire who suggested that since I have stenosis, I should see a spine expert to find out if it was contributing to the problem. My primary care doctor in Cambridge recommended BIDMC, and I saw Dr. McGuire, bringing with me an MRI.
Dr. McGuire examined me and looked at MRI and when he was all finished, he said yes, I had stenosis…but less than the average person my age, and he didn’t think that accounted for my condition. He said the surgery was straightforward and could be done, but it would only offer a two percent improvement and wouldn’t address the problem. He wanted me to see a neurologist and made an appointment for me to see Dr. Narayanaswami. She is an excellent neurologist and did a complete neurological workup on me, together with Dr. Zhu. After a second visit and more MRI studies, she told me that I had ALS. I am following up with her and beginning as a patient in the ALS clinic.
Regarding Dr. McGuire, I was so appreciative: Here I go to see a surgeon specializing in spine, and he looks the whole thing over and says what you need is not surgery, it’s a neurological workup. That means the guy is first and foremost a medical doctor and then he is a surgeon. My hat’s off to him.
– – Steve Thomas, Peterborough, NH
"I called him my favorite doctor."
At sixty years old, I started to have pain in my neck and arm that was so bad I couldn’t drive. It was hard for me to hold my head normally – I had to lean over. I had to sleep in a funny position. Over three months, as it got worse, I tried several medications and went from place to place. Then my primary doctor referred me to Dr. McGuire [a surgeon in the Spine Center at BIDMC]. Dr. McGuire said there were nonsurgical options.
As a next step I met with Dr. Keel [the Spine Center’s physiatrist]. He told me what it was: a "pinched nerve" or cervical radicular pain caused by arthritis of the spine and disc displacement. The next day he performed an injection. You don’t know what he did for me. It really gave me some relief. I was 95 percent better. The fourth or fifth day afterward, I was on a plane headed for vacation with my husband. I’m usually uncomfortable on a plane, but I actually went to sleep.
Dr. Keel’s bedside manner was excellent. He was so calm, and he explained everything. He and his technician were so gentle. At my follow-up, I called him my favorite doctor.
– – Katie Lindsey, Massachusetts
“My neurosurgeon gave me my hand and legs back.”
I injured my neck playing football in middle school, and my condition was getting worse. I had numbness in my fingers and thumb. Then I took a nasty fall playing softball -- my arm went numb and I was in a lot of pain.
In April ’07, I went to my neurologist, and he said “Do you trust me? You need cervical spine surgery, and I’m sending you to one of the best.” Dr. Papavassiliou at BIDMC operated on me on a day in December ’07 at 2 p.m. By 9 p.m., I felt fantastic – I already had feeling back in my hand.
When I needed a second surgery in September ’08, I came back to Dr. Papavassiliou. I had a lumbar laminectomy and am feeling great. Dr. Papavassiliou is very thorough about explaining what he’s going to do. I appreciate that – and the results!
– – Greg Mowrey, Massachusetts
"My surgeon used a new approach that’s less invasive."
I’m a supervisor for a company that manufactures plastic liners for drums. It’s a physically demanding position in which I’m involved with machinery. When I learned that I had spondylolisthesis, I had to decide whether to undergo surgery or get injections. I opted for injections. After three years, I started getting pain again, and injections didn’t work. This time, I opted for surgery.
My orthopaedic practice recommended Dr. White. I researched him online and was impressed. After X-rays and CT scans, Dr. White described what he could do for me. He explained everything thoroughly and answered all my questions. Some of my questions he didn’t expect, but he said, "Good question." A few weeks before surgery, he called with good news: After reviewing his notes and my images, he thought he could go at it a different way that was less invasive, with a much faster recovery. I agreed to it.
As a surgery patient, I found that the hospital was well-managed, and the staff members were experienced and courteous. After the surgery, I was sore but I was walking and able to leave the hospital the next day. The surgery relieved the symptoms – my feet, ankles and legs feel better, and the back pain itself has dissipated a lot. I went back to work within several weeks. To other patients, I would say, "Lay out all your options, do your research, and see what’s the best thing for you." That’s what I did.
Read the surgeon's perspective on this case.
– – Thomas Nelson, Massachusetts
“Dr. Muzin made me hopeful.”
Waking up that morning pain free took Elena Carangelo by surprise. For months, she suffered with severe hip and lower back pain. “I had problems standing; walking, especially up stairs; and sleeping. The pain was affecting every aspect of my life. My doctor prescribed pills, but they didn’t help. I was depressed and just tried to bear with it.” Then she got a referral to Dr. Muzin. After a thorough review of her history and physical exam, Dr. Muzin appropriately diagnosed the condition and explained that it could be successfully managed with one injection to the hip, rather than with surgery or more pills. She says, “I was skeptical at first because nothing to this point had worked, but he took the time to explain everything to me, which made me hopeful and more confident in the treatment.”
Elena had the hip injection treatment in an outpatient procedure and went home to rest. “The next morning, I got up not even thinking about it, when all of a sudden I realized that there was no pain. I had slept through the night. I went to the door to get the newspaper at the bottom of the steps. I picked it up and walked back up the steps normally – pain free! It was amazing. Unless you’ve lived with pain, you cannot know the feeling of what it means to be pain free. I’m so grateful for the everyday joys and life’s simple pleasures.”
"The day of surgery, all the pain went away."
I travel a lot for my work in high tech sales. After one trip I woke up with a stiff neck. Motrin made it better but then my arm and shoulder started to hurt and I started to get twitching down my neck and arm. I went to the ER twice that weekend, and got pain medication, but it never got any better. I couldn’t lie down to go to sleep.
On Monday I went to my PCP, Martha Wu at Beth Israel Deaconess, and based on the numbness in my arm and hand, she diagnosed it immediately as some kind of disc problem. She sent me for an MRI that showed a ruptured disc. Dr. Wu said to call the Spine Center.
Dr. McGuire had a cancellation and I got right in. (In the meantime, I got cortisone injections.) Dr. McGuire examined me and my MRI, and then sat down with me and talked through pros and cons of surgery. He was very down-to-earth, he explained everything, and he gave me choices. He said, "I don’t recommend surgery very often…but in your case I do." I agreed to it. Dr. McGuire’s assistant, Liz LeBlond, was wonderful – she scheduled everything I needed in one day and got me an early OR time.
I had the surgery (cervical discectomy) four days later. For six weeks I hadn’t been able to lie down because of the pain. The day of surgery, all the pain went away. There were none of the possible side effects I’d read about on the web. My numbness is slowly going away. For anyone looking at this type of surgery I would certainly recommend Dr. McGuire, and I would recommend the Spine Center because it focuses on just the spine and includes everything.
– – Ronald Villa, Falmouth, MA
“If I had to rate the care from 1 to 10, I’d give it a 10+.”
At 75 years of age, I found that I was experiencing tingling in my fingers. I couldn’t move my arms over my head, and was walking in a crooked line. I learned that my condition was cervical myelopathy due to spinal cord compression. I went to other specialists before Dr. Papavassiliou. At that meeting I knew he would be the one to operate on me. He was a professional who knew what he was talking about. He was very nice, with some smiles although it was a serious topic.
I had an anterior cervical discectomy with fusion. I was treated with dignity, and everything they said they would do, they followed through. I made a special request about anesthesia and everything went exactly as I had asked. I had the procedure on Monday morning and was quite surprised to be up and walking with a nurse’s help on Monday night.
I can now lift my arms and walk in a straight line, and I can hold things without dropping them, which I couldn’t do before. I was more than satisfied with the doctor and his team. If I had to rate the care at Beth Israel Deaconess from 1 to 10, I’d give it a 10+. Also, they sent me home with all the forms filled in and I didn’t have to worry about a thing.
– – Lorraine, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
"I was relieved to learn that I didn't need surgery."
When the arthritis in my spine led to an injury, the nerve pain was horrific.
Everyone at the Spine Center has been fabulous. The medical assistant was so pleasant. The doctor I saw, Dr. White, was phenomenal and genuinely caring. And my physical therapist makes me want to keep appointments.
I was relieved to learn that I didn’t need surgery. After several weeks of physical therapy, I know I’ll reach my goal and be able to take long walks again.
– – Lynne Brophy, Massachusetts
“I’m back to doing everything.”
At 53, I had a herniated disc in my lower back. The nerve pain went down my leg all the way through my foot, and no pain medication or treatment brought relief. I couldn’t sit, stand or walk for very long. It was hard to grocery shop and to do other normal things. One of the things I missed the most was walking.
I went to my primary care doctor and to a chiropractor. I tried cortisone shots for pain management. They helped, but didn’t fix the problem. My primary care doctor sent me to see a local surgeon, and I also wanted a second opinion. I got a lot of names for surgeons in Boston. My son wanted me to see Dr. McGuire. I had done my research, so when I met Dr. McGuire, I knew everything he was going to say. The situation was very scary for me, but the meeting was good. He was clearly very knowledgeable, and good at sharing that knowledge while explaining my options and the pros and cons. His assistant Liz and everyone at BIDMC was great. I knew I could call anytime with questions or concerns.
I had the procedure at BIDMC [a minimally invasive lumbar discectomy]. Everything was explained and I was comfortable with what was being done. When I came out of anesthesia, immediately the only pain I had was the temporary pain at the incision site. I was out the next morning, and walked from the beginning. I’m back to doing everything, including walks with my black lab, Pepper. I tell people who ask that I have no qualms about sending anyone to BIDMC!
– – Jane Rabesa, Cape Cod
