Spine Surgery Restores Quality of Life

The couple returned home and fired up their laptop. Familiar with the reputation of The University of Kansas Health System, Kent and Brenda searched neurosurgeons. The profile and credentials of neurosurgeon Phillip Hylton, MD, felt like a fit, so Kent called his office and booked an appointment for 3 days later. Kent's primary care provider's office quickly submitted a referral.

"At this point, I could not walk without assistance," Kent says. "When I met Dr. Hylton, I could barely shake his hand. When he asked me to walk for him and watched me struggle to get up out of a chair and take a step, he told me to sit right back down."

Dr. Hylton's exam and review of Kent's MRI revealed 3 discs severely pinching Kent's spinal cord.

"As soon as I saw him, I knew it was serious," Dr. Hylton says. "Kent was in an emergent situation. The prior 2 weeks had shown rapid and progressive deterioration. He could easily have woken up at home one morning unable to move. He needed surgery, and he needed it quickly."

Kent says, "I was ready. We had packed a bag." He was admitted to the hospital. His surgery was scheduled for the following day. Though Kent's insurance coverage had not yet been confirmed, plans for surgery and securing coverage unfolded simultaneously.

"Some battles can be fought later, but others have to be fought now," Dr. Hylton says. "Kent's safety and quality of life were my first concerns."

"I really appreciated that," Kent says. "Dr. Hylton knew I had to get this done, or the damage could become irreversible. He was more concerned with my well-being than with getting paid, and he had the experience to know we could do both."

A dramatic turnaround

During a 2½-hour surgery, Dr. Hylton performed an anterior cervical fusion of vertebrae C4, C5 and C6. In this procedure, the vertebral discs are removed from between the cervical vertebrae and spacers are placed to hold the vertebrae the appropriate distance apart. A titanium plate placed over the vertebrae and screwed to each then keeps them from moving and allows fusion to develop.Kent was moved to a patient room. Within 2 hours, he was up out of bed and walking to the restroom.

"It was amazing," he says. "I could actually pick up my leg and walk unassisted. I'd only been able to walk with a cane, scooting my foot along. I still felt numbness in my left fingers, but I could raise my right arm to brush my teeth. Just hours earlier, I could not do that."

Kent had been advised to expect a stay in inpatient rehabilitation. But, upon evaluation, the rehab team had other thoughts.

"They came in and saw me and said, 'Do we have the right room?'" Kent says. "I could walk, move my arms and legs, climb stairs and get in and out of a simulated car. 'You don't qualify for rehab,' they told me. 'You don't need it!'"

Dr. Hylton, Kent recalls, had a similar reaction.

"He hadn't seen me since I'd been hobbling around and hardly able to shake his hand," Kent says. "He looked at me with a blank look on his face and in total silence. 'See?' I said to him. 'You don't even know how great a doctor you are!'"

"It was all about the exam," Dr. Hylton says. "Too often, workups are done based on patient complaints, but too little time is spent on an objective exam. Patients are here for our expertise. It is our responsibility to be thorough and accurate and provide the care that achieves the best possible quality of life."

Kent was advised to get moving, to avoid heavy lifting or straining, but to stand, walk, raise his arms and legs and get his nerves firing. Just 6 weeks later, his balance, equilibrium and ability to walk had all improved dramatically. He visits a gym daily and works out with a physical trainer.

"Dr. Hylton is a fabulous person and a wonderful doctor," Kent says. "The nurses in the office are super people, as are the hospital nurses. Everyone who helped me was fantastic."

Next up for Kent and Brenda: Estes Park, Colorado, and another state sticker for their map.