Mike Graber

Like many people, when Mike Graber was hit with debilitating back pain, he turned to the Internet for help. A search for “the best spine surgeons in Denver” yielded Dr. Jatana’s name and Mike was thrilled to obtain an appointment relatively quickly.

For months before, Mike had struggled with a tingling in the finger tips of his left hand and shoulder soreness. Eventually, the pain migrated to Mike’s spine, making it difficult for him to stand up. An active guy, Mike was forced to give up his work-outs and got to the point where he was canceling business trips because he couldn’t leave the house. 

The first time Mike visited with Dr. Jatana he made clear that his goal was to eliminate his nearly constant pain. “He took it very seriously,” said Mike of his initial interaction with Dr. Jatana. “I think he put me on his surgical list either the first or second time I saw him.” 

An MRI revealed a bulging disc and after trying some non-surgical treatments, Dr. Jatana recommended an artificial disc replacement to relieve the nerve compression that was plaguing Mike. 

“What I really liked about Dr. Jatana is that he is on the leading edge of his craft and had done a lot of research on artificial disc replacement,” said Mike, who opted for the artificial disc replacement because of the faster recovery period the procedure offered and the potential for avoiding any future surgery. “When you fuse bones its puts pressures on the pads below and above disc so you end up back in surgery; chances are I wont need surgery again.”

Mike had his surgery at 4 p.m. and was headed home the next morning. He says he felt better immediately and was back at work within two weeks. “Once the disc was in, the pressure on the nerve completely went away,” he said. 

Mike is four months post-surgery and is running six miles three to four times a week and lifting weights again. He is pain free and was able to regain the mobility he had lost before his surgery.

“This has been such a pleasant experience. I am so happy,” says Mike. “I just can’t say enough good things about Dr. Jatana. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him to anybody.”