Jeanie Iberlin

My left leg radiated pain in my nerves. My lower back felt like it was constantly swollen. I wasn’t myself at all. Working out was out of the question (and I had been a regular runner with 14 marathons under my belt). The pain also affected my sleep and my ability to sit in meetings. My pain was beginning to severely affect my quality of my life.

I visited Dr. Jatana after researching his experience and credentials. His welcoming, knowledgeable staff, coupled with his professional and peaceful demeanor helped solidify my trust in this fine surgeon. Dr. Jatana provided me with numerous options and his recommendation was that I have an Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion, one of several techniques used to achieve a spinal fusion. Dr. Jatana explained that it involved approaching the spine from the front, removing the disc completely and replacing the disc with either bone and/or a synthetic spacer (cage) filled with bone. The advantages of this procedure, said Dr. Jatana, include faster recovery, mobility and less muscle pain.

In his presence, I knew I had choices; I felt as if he truly heard and understood what I was going through.

I underwent an ALIF one day before my 51st birthday, and what a gift to myself! Within hours after the ALIF, I was on my feet. By the next morning, I had done two laps around the surgical center and I had gone up and down stairs twice. I went back to work within 10 days. The best news is that I took no pain pills after leaving the hospital. Going from a pain level of nine to pain of zero to two was amazing.