Shelley's Story

Innovative Surgical Solutions: Spine

Back To an Active Life

Shelley has less pain, is more active and looking forward to a full recovery after spine surgery at Holy Cross Health.

By the time Shelley Fig met with Philip Schneider, MD, medical director of the Spine Center at Holy Cross Hospital, she had tried just about every non-surgical remedy there is for her increasingly painful and debilitating back issues. None had worked. Dr. Schneider, though, was confident surgery could help. “The first thing he said was, ‘I do this daily and I’m going to fix you,’” Shelley remembered. “And he was right. He has fixed my problem.”

Dr. Schneider found that Shelley’s years of back pain, as well as numbness and loss of reflex in her legs, stemmed from misaligned bones (spondylolisthesis) and a narrowed spinal canal (spinal stenosis) that caused pinched spinal nerves. Surgery could correct all. “We had two goals,” he said. “Decrease the pain and increase functional activity.”

The surgery was complex. Dr. Schneider performed a laminectomy for the narrowed spinal canal, a spinal fusion from vertebrae L4 to S1, and even removed an unexpected benign cyst. Helping him at every turn were two highly advanced pieces of surgical technology. Holy Cross Hospital’s new O-arm CT scanner provides real-time 3D images of the surgical site during surgery, and StealthStation™ surgical navigation precisely guides each action the surgeon takes.

Shelley is glad she didn’t delay surgery because of the pandemic. “I was in a separate COVID-19-free floor, and everyone diligently followed safety precautions. I felt safe.” Three months after surgery, she has less pain and is more active, and is looking forward to a full recovery. “Already I’m doing more on my own,” she said. “I’m eternally grateful.”

"Holy Cross Health took our capabilities in spine care to a higher level during COVID, managing complex surgery very well in this stressful time — and doing it safely,” said David Gwinn, MD, Subsection Chair, Spine, Holy Cross Germantown Hospital.

The Spine Center at Holy Cross Hospital has earned The Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval^® since 2015.