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About Us >> Patient Success Stories
Patient Success Stories
Alex
Miami doctor back to active lifestyle after unique
minimally invasive spine surgery
Alex is a successful chiropractor and
has spent years helping others with
musculoskeletal conditions return to activity.
On Christmas Day in 2010, while trying to save
a man from drowning, Alex was injured. Only,
he didn’t realize at the time the severity of his
injury.
Not long after the injury, Alex started having
mild pain in his middle back along with
numbness and tingling that radiated down into
his right leg. At first, he figured his symptoms
would go away after a little rest. Unfortunately,
instead of getting better, the numbness and
tingling worsened. Alex made an appointment
with an orthopedic specialist and an MRI of
his lumbar spine was ordered. The MRI results
came back clear. A brain MRI also showed normal
results.
Alex decided to give his symptoms a little
more time and tried nonsurgical care for relief.
He took anti-inflammatories to help relieve his
back pain. Alex also tried some specialized
exercises to help relieve the numbness he was
experiencing.
His back pain and neurological symptoms
continued. Alex noticed increased weakness
into his right leg and had lost nearly two
inches of muscle mass. Normal activities, such
as working and helping care for his children,
were becoming difficult because of his condition.
Recreational activities that Alex enjoys,
such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and running, were
impossible.
As a chiropractor, Alex knows many physicians,
surgeons and specialists. He was referred
to an orthopedic surgeon who specializes
in spine. Alex made an appointment with
the surgeon and an MRI revealed that he had a
large herniated disc in a very difficult to reach
location in his upper back. The surgeon explained
to Alex that a complex thoracic spine surgery would be necessary, Alex remembers,
“He looked at me and told me I needed to see
Dr. John Regan, who pioneered VATS —
a technique
to access thoracic discs without major
surgery”.
Video Assisted Thoracic Surgery (VATS) is
a minimally invasive (keyhole) surgical procedure.
It allows the surgeon to directly examine
the chest cavity without a big incision. Dr.
Regan is one of a few surgeons in the U.S. who
is proficient in the surgery. Three or four small
incisions are made to allow the surgeon to use
the special instruments (video camera and endoscope)
needed for this operation. During
the procedure, a small video camera is used
to project pictures of the chest cavity onto a
screen.
Because Alex lives in Miami and Dr. Regan
is located in Beverly Hills, his first consult with
Dr. Regan was on the phone. Dr. Regan viewed
Alex’s MRI and discussed with him in detail the
thoracic spine surgery necessary to repair the
herniation. Alex knew he couldn’t continue to
live with his symptoms and needed to return to
work. He scheduled the surgery with Dr. Regan
and made travel arrangements.
Dr. Regan performed the video assisted
thoracic surgery in March of 2011. Alex felt
immediate relief from his back pain and his
numbness was improved. Though recovery
from surgery was not easy, he gradually introduced
activity back into his life. He started
with walking for short periods and increased
his distance gradually. At the same time, his leg
numbness continued to improve and now Alex
has full relief from all numbness and tingling.
Today, Alex has returned full-time to his
busy chiropractic practice. He is free to enjoy
an active life with his wife and three children.
The family recently enjoyed an outing at Disney
World and looks forward to skiing this winter.
Click here to download a PDF of Alex's successful recovery from spine injury with help of Dr. John Regan.
Click here or select the image above to watch as Alex talks about his recovery from a spinal injury.
If you would like more information, please contact:
John J. Regan, M.D.
8750 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 350
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
(310) 385-8888
Email: mhosmann@discmdgroup.com
Quick Links: Home | About Dr. John Regan, Los Angeles Spine Surgeon | Contact Information for Los Angeles locations | Appointment Scheduling | Get a Second Opinion | Spine Conditions | Spine Treatment Options: Nonsurgical Spine Care, Spine Surgery including surgery for Cervical, Lumbar and Thoracic Disc Herniation, Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery, Lateral Access Surgery, Anatomic Facet Replacement System | Clinical Trials | Patient Center | Educational Resources | For Physicians | Appointment Scheduling for Dr. John Regan, Spine Surgeon in Los Angeles, CA
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