Success Stories
Our patients describe their experiences at Beth Israel Deaconess.
"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 am impressed that I have come this far along."
An avid bicyclist, Professor Ken Lane, age 68, suffered a debilitating injury -- the result of an accident while riding that left him barely able to walk. “I had nerve damage and pain from my hip down to my knee,” said Lane.
His primary care physician referred him to Dr. Keel, who saw him quickly and identified that Lane had inflammation of the lumbar spinal nerve due to a herniated disc, resulting in severe pain and dysfunction. Lane was eager to resolve the problem. He had an upcoming trip planned: four months of physics research and cycling in France.
“My experience with Dr. Keel was excellent,” says Lane. “He performed a series of two steroid injections that relieved the pain." Dr. Keel used radiologic imaging to precisely place anti-inflammatory medicine at the site of the herniated disc.
Postponing it only by a week, Lane made his trip to France four weeks after his accident. “I engaged in physics research and biked up several passes that are often featured in the Tour de France, although not as quickly as the Tour riders! I feel completely recovered now and am impressed and delighted that I have come this far along and am able to get back to doing what I like to do.”
– – Professor Ken Lane, Brookline, MA
"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, MA
"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, MA
"I could see on their faces they were suffering with me. They are a special group."
“Just like that, I came running out of the room. It was wonderful,” says George Pinksten of the first morning he woke up pain free, after five weeks of suffering.
Pinksten fell on his back on an icy January morning and was taken by ambulance to a local community hospital for x-rays, prescribed medication and sent home. “I couldn’t sit down; I couldn’t lie down; the pain was debilitating,” says Pinksten.
He was referred to the Spine Center, where he met Musa Aner, MD, anesthesiologist and pain medicine specialist. Pinksten recalls, “The first thing he said was, ‘I can see that you’re suffering.’ He ordered a CT scan and an MRI. The technicians must have apologized a dozen times, because positioning me for the tests was very painful.”
Pinksten was diagnosed with a lumbar fracture. His treatment plan involved medication for the pain and being fitted for a back brace. He was followed closely at the Spine Center, where medications were adjusted and the brace prescription was changed to nighttime use only.
Pinksten says, “The first time I walked into Dr. Aner’s office and sat comfortably in a chair, he said, ‘That’s great!’ Everyone in the office was smiling. They are a special group.”
– – George Pinksten, Revere, MA
"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.”
– – Elena Carangelo
"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
"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, 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, MA
"Before my surgery I didn’t go out…but now I’m on the move!"
“For 30 years I had back problems resulting from an old back injury. I’m 61 years old, so that tells you how long I have had problems. It had gotten to the point where I was walking with a cane and shuffling around like a 99-year-old man. It was frustrating because I’m an active guy, and I own my own business. My primary care physician referred me to a specialist, who tried steroid shots, but I didn’t see much improvement. I was then referred to Dr. White, who talked to me about the possibility of surgery and I didn’t hesitate – I had the surgery.”
Dr. White performed a laminectomy without fusion to correct Sciore's lumbar spinal stenosis. “After the surgery, I immediately felt better. It was like a miracle had happened. The months before my surgery, I didn’t go out if I didn’t have to, but now, if you’re going to hang around with me, you better be on roller skates, because I’m on the move! Everyone at the hospital was wonderful.”
– – Timothy Sciore, Brockton, MA
"My doctor showed genuine concern."
An acute flare up of lumbar radiculitis, more commonly known as sciatica, sent Pamela Gostanian-Tewksbury, 54, by ambulance to BIDMC with debilitating lower-back pain. There she met Dr. Muzin. An MRI showed that she was suffering from lumbar spondylosis (a spondylotic ridge contacting a nerve root in the spine). “Dr. Muzin took the time to explain everything with me and suggested an epidural steroid injection. I was a little nervous. I didn’t like the idea of getting a shot in the spine, but he was wonderful. He showed genuine concern and during the procedure, he was very good to me.” Pamela received a transforaminal epidural steroid injection and is back to doing everyday tasks without any pain. “I am very happy I had it done and very happy with Dr. Muzin.”
– – Pamela Gostanian-Tewksbury, Roslindale, MA
"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, MA
"I have never been so happy. The care changed my life."
For two years, Paula Kelly walked with a cane, unable to work, go grocery shopping, sleep, and most disappointing of all, hold her newborn grandson because of excruciating back pain. She had been injured in a car accident years ago that required spine surgery. Over time she developed arthritis of the spine.
She says, “It was the worst pain you could imagine. Nothing anyone tried worked for any period of time. I was told to take pain killers and try physical therapy, but I didn’t want to be someone who just sat around all day taking medication. I am a very active person. I’ve worked more than 20 years in the restaurant business and that’s what I enjoy; but there’s nothing about the restaurant business that goes along with a cane!”
The pain began to take its toll in other areas of her health. She developed high blood pressure and high blood sugar. It was then that her sister-in-law, a BIDMC employee, encouraged her to make the trip from the South Shore to the medical center, where she was referred to Dr. Keel. “He is a miracle worker. He changed my life!”
Dr. Keel performed radiofrequency ablation, which "deactivates" the sensory nerves that go to the joints of the spine, and can thereby stop pain for long periods of time, even several years. “It took 45 minutes, and the moment I got off the table I could stand straight up, on both feet, on my tip toes. I haven’t done that in two years. And I can hold my grandson! I still have a long way to go, and am working with a new physical therapy plan, but now I’m on the right path. If anyone can be helped the way I was, I encourage them to see Dr. Keel.”
– – Paula Kelly, Braintree, MA
"My PCP steered me in the right direction when he referred me to the Spine Center."
For months, Carol Theriault, 78, suffered from the pain of spinal stenosis. “The pain went down my back to the front of my legs. I couldn’t walk or stand for any period of time. I couldn’t even walk through the grocery store it was so bad. I first went to see Dr. McGuire who suggested I see Dr. Muzin. He gave me a transforaminal epidural steroid injection. I got up off that table with no pain and I haven’t had any pain since. I can’t believe it. It’s like a miracle. I saw my family over the Easter holiday and they couldn’t believe how well I was doing. I told my primary care doctor that he steered me in the right direction when he referred me to the Spine Center. I can walk. I can shop. I have a part-time job that requires me to stand, but now I work with no discomfort. I’m so happy.”
– – Carol Theriault, Brockton, MA
“I wrote to my primary care physician and thanked her for referring me to Dr. Keel.”
“I have spinal stenosis and was suffering debilitating pain from sciatica for months. I could not do many of the things I enjoyed because of the pain that occurred in my back and left leg whenever I walked. I was told that it would be impossible for me to get steroid injections to relieve the pain because of the condition of my spine, but my primary care physician referred me to Dr. Keel. He performed a transforaminal epidural steroid injection, and now I am pain free. I was so impressed by his skill and, needless to say, extremely relieved to be able to walk comfortably again. I was so grateful that I wrote to my primary care physician and thanked her for referring me to Dr. Keel."
– – Patient, Newton, MA
“If I could have gotten a halo, I would have given it Dr. Papavassiliou. He did an excellent job.”
Sudden numbness in his hand and left foot caused by bulging disks on his spinal cord left Clarence Buggs unable to participate in any of his favorite activities. “I could hardly walk. I had to use crutches and drag my leg along,” he says.
After a consultation with Efstathios Papavassiliou, MD, neurosurgeon at the Spine Center, he underwent surgery to correct the problem, which was diagnosed as cord compression due to cervical disc herniation. “The morning after the surgery, I could move my hand and was moving my leg. If I could have gotten a halo, I would have given it to Dr. Papavassiliou. He did an excellent job,” says Buggs.
An avid fan, Buggs now is able to attend Boston Public Schools’ sporting events again and listen to his favorite rhythm and blues music much more comfortably. “The crutches are put away; my physical therapists are thrilled; I’m getting stronger every day,” he says. “I look forward to going fishing this summer.”
Of his care at the Spine Center, he says, “Dr. Papavassiliou went above and beyond the call of duty to make sure I was okay. I didn’t have a worry in the world. He took all my fear away and did a tremendous job.”
– – Clarence Buggs, Dorchester, MA
“That man was a genius. I went from a wheelchair to being 85 percent back to normal.”
In the early morning hours of an August Saturday, Barbara Legatowicz was awakened by excruciating back pain. She says, “It just hit all of a sudden, and the pain didn’t work itself out.” Barbara emailed her primary care physician, Peter Zuromskis, MD. “I saw Dr. Zuromskis and we began trying to identify the problem and alleviate the pain. He prescribed medications, ordered imaging studies, and referred me to physical therapy. When the pain persisted, he said the next logical step was a referral to the Spine Center,” she says.
After looking at the MRI, Andrew P. White, MD, orthopaedic surgeon at the Spine Center, identified three disk herniations that could be related to her pain. Legatowitz says, “Although surgery was an option, Dr. White suggested trying an epidural injection treatment to see if that would help. That’s when I met Dr. Muzin. He told me what to expect before, during and after the injections. Two weeks after the second one, I was able to walk a half mile. That man was a genius.” Today, Legatowicz continues her recovery with help from the physical therapy department at Beth Israel Deaconess’ Lexington location.
“I questioned whether I would be able to do anything,” says Legatowicz. “When the pain was at its worst, I would set tiny goals for myself—find a comfortable position to sleep sitting up, use an office chair with wheels to get from one room to the next, stand for five seconds. I arrived at the Spine Center in a wheelchair because I couldn’t get from the front door to the office. I give everyone I met at BIDMC credit, from the people who do the scheduling and the radiology technicians, to the doctors and the physical therapists. Now I am 85 percent back to normal. I was able to shovel snow and rake the roof this winter, and am looking forward to getting back to golf this summer.”
– – Barbara Legatowicz, Lowell, MA
“Dr. Papavassiliou was determined to find the problem with my back.”
For two years, 65-year-old Constance Sharp went from doctor to doctor trying to find out what was causing her debilitating back pain and get relief. It wasn’t until she met with Dr. Papavassiliou that she got some answers and eventual relief. “I was having chronic pain in my back down to my feet. I went to everyone imaginable, including to some of the other teaching hospitals. Nobody could tell me what was causing the pain because I can’t have an MRI. I was prescribed medication and physical therapy, but they didn’t work and I still didn’t know what was causing my pain. The pain was so bad it was difficult to do anything.
“Dr. Papavassiliou got down to the nitty-gritty. He was the only one who was determined to find the problem with my back. He did a different type of screening -- a myelogram -- and discovered what everyone else couldn’t; that I had stenosis. He performed lumbar laminectomy and spinal fusion surgery using a piece of hip bone. That was about three years ago. I subsequently had other problems and Dr. Papavassiliou performed two other surgeries including an additional lumbar laminectomy and a spinal fusion surgery. Now I am much better! People don’t understand that back problems don’t affect just your back; they affect everything from the back down. Now I am able to do the day-to-day things around my house that I couldn’t do before and I am back to walking. For a while I didn’t see my young granddaughter because she couldn’t understand why grandma couldn’t play with her, but now I am able to see her and enjoy playing with her. I just finished my physical therapy and I would send anyone who has back problems to see Dr. Papavassiliou.”
– – Constance Sharp, Taunton, MA
