Delicate Spine Surgery at Ingalls involves top experts and the most sophisticated technology
Back pain is a leading cause of disability – and one of the top reasons why people see their doctor. Sean Crowley of Frankfort knows that firsthand. As a train conductor, 42- year- old Sean Crowley oversees the crew and operation of his daily Joliet- to- Chicago route on the Metra Rock Island line. One of his many responsibilities involves manually operating or “throwing” railroad track switches. For years, he’d done so without incident. But in the summer of 2012, the switch in the 51st Street yard malfunctioned when Sean applied force to move it. In the span of a moment, the Frankfort father of two was brought to his knees in pain. “I felt something sharp in my lower back, and my legs gave out,” he explains. The diagnosis: injury of two discs in the lower back that added pressure on the nearby nerves. Initially, Sean received epidural shots and physical therapy to relieve the pain. But they provided little relief – and that’s not good for a busy father of two. After nearly three years of treatments, Sean was given the green light to see a spine specialist. Two co- workers highly recommended renowned spine surgeon George Miz, M. D., on staff at the Ingalls Spine Center. “Sean had continuing pain and weakness in his lower back and legs,” Dr. Miz explains. “Surgery was the only option.” So Dr. Miz recommended a combination of procedures, including a decompressive laminectomy to remove a portion of the affected vertebrae that were irritating the nearby nerves and causing weakness in his legs – and a lumbar fusion to provide overall stability. Because of the complex nature of spinal surgery, Dr. Miz used a highly advanced threedimensional imaging system at Ingalls to assist him: the revolutionary Brainlab Airo Mobile Intraoperative CT technology.
Unprecedented 3D Viewing
In 2014, Ingalls became one of the first in the nation to install the mobile CT technology that allows surgeons to use intraoperative scans and navigation instruments to ensure safety and optimal positioning of surgical instruments. “The technology allows for detailed 3- D pictures of the complex anatomy of the spine, and the nerves and roots of the spinal cord to guide surgeons as they operate, giving them increased confidence when working around these delicate structures,” Dr. Miz explains. What’s more, the technology produces images in record time. While traditional X- rays or MRI scans can take up to 30 minutes to obtain needed images, the newer technology at Ingalls can produce 32- slice CT scans in just one to two minutes that offer unprecedented visualization of the bones and soft tissue. “Airo allows surgeons to image the entire spine in a single scan without having to move the patient,” he added. “It’s also very adaptable and can be moved to accommodate special setups for specific cranial, spine and trauma cases, allowing patients to be positioned lying down or even in a sitting position.”
Back at It
Following a brief twoday stay at Ingalls and subsequent recovery at home, Sean underwent physical therapy to regain his lost strength. “I felt very comfortable with Dr. Miz throughout,” he adds. Though he still feels occasional discomfort, Sean’s back to doing what he loves best: being a dad and a busy Metra conductor. The best part, he says, is that since surgery, his legs “don’t feel like they’re going to give out anymore.” And the once avid golfer just enjoyed his first swings of a club at an indoor golf range last weekend. “I was able to do the swinging motion,” he adds with a smile. “It felt a whole lot better than it did before the surgery.”