Making Rounds
An active retiree finds relief in minimally invasive spine surgery
Bruce Brown is not one for sitting still. The retired paratrooper has always enjoyed an active lifestyle, full of adventure and travel.
“I love hiking, swimming, surfing, snorkeling, all of that,” he said. “In 2018, I was hiking in the Alps.”
But a couple of years ago, back trouble began slowing him down.
“I’d get an ache in my lower back,” he said. “It extended down into my legs, and I would get spasms in my thighs.”
The culprit was two bulging discs: the cushions between vertebrae in his lower spine were getting compressed, pushing outward into nerves that run down into the legs.
“I would stand up,” he said, “and then both of my thighs would kind of lock up for a second. I’d have to stop and move my legs a little bit. And then finally it would ease up, and I could walk.”
He began physical therapy to strengthen his core and decrease the pressure in his spine. Steroid injections also provided some relief, but not for long.
“I got to the point where standing for more than 10 to 15 minutes was really painful,” he said. “I just had to find a chair.”
The best option left was surgery, and that decision was timely: orthopedic surgeon Daniel DeRosa, DO, was joining Cape Fear Valley with a specialty in minimally invasive spinal surgery at Valley Orthopedics & Sports Medicine.
That may sound like a contradiction in terms, but it’s a breakthrough for patients like Brown.
“I think when people hear about spine surgery, they are picturing big, open incisions on your back,” said Dr. DeRosa. “But what I do is through very small incisions, about an inch long.”
Keeping the incisions small has a number of benefits: decreased blood loss, fewer complications, a shorter hospital stay and a faster return to mobility and function.
“Only about 30 percent of spine surgeons in the country perform the type of surgery that I do,” he said, “and really no one in Cumberland County does this.”
Brown knew he would be in good hands, not just because of this expertise but also because Dr. DeRosa was coming to Cape Fear Valley after a long career in the Army.
“Both of us being prior military, we had that camaraderie, and I liked him a lot,” Brown said. “He showed me exactly what needed to be done, and I was ready.”
Surgery day came a couple of weeks after that first consultation. After about two hours in the operating room, Brown was awake and recovering. As predicted, he was discharged to go home the very next day.
At home, Brown continued to get stronger. Between careful laps around the house, he sent an email to Cape Fear Valley CEO Mike Nagowski, who he knows from Kiwanis Club, to express gratitude for the nursing care he had received during his short hospital stay.
Dr. DeRosa says it’s not unusual for great nurses to make the experience so pleasant and memorable for his patients.
“I want patients to know that I’m here to help them with their goals. Spine surgery can be life-changing.”
– Daniel DeRosa, DO
“Spine surgery is a hundred percent a team effort,” he said.
“Cape Fear Valley has been phenomenal every step of the way. We have amazing surgical techs and nursing staff. And at my clinic, the nursing and office staff just are unmatched, truly.”
Dr. DeRosa hopes stories like Brown’s will help others feel more at ease with the possibility of surgery, should they need it.
“I want patients to know that I’m here to help them with their goals,” he said, “whether that’s addressing nerve pain so they can run again, or helping a grandparent who’s desperately wanting to get on the floor and play with their grandbabies. Spine surgery can be life-changing.”
Brown is continuing to recover at home, taking slow and cautious steps toward his usual energy level. He’s looking forward to getting back to Kiwanis and to his active involvement with Hay Street United Methodist Church.
He’s also looking forward to some fun.
“I’m not allowed to play golf until at least the three-month mark,” he said. “Maybe closer to six months. But I’ve got some trips on the calendar, and I can ride around in the golf cart until I’m ready to get out and play.”
If you have chronic back pain, call (910) 609-5000 to get help with Valley Orthopedics & Sports Medicine.
Learn more at capefearvalley.com/ortho
