rediscover Patient Ambassador
Less than 6 months after his surgery, John "took first place in his division" at the IBJJF open in Dallas.
John R.
Age: 39
From: Dallas, TX
Surgery Date: April 7, 2023
Procedure Type: Cervical Total Disc Replacement with prodisc
Interests: Ranching, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Weight Training, Running
Thinking back, husband and father of three, John could not recall any specific event that led up to needing a disc replacement. His active family, personal, and professional life has had many potential provocations over the years that could have led to a pinched nerve and herniated disc.
Since becoming a parent, John has lived in a bustling household where wrestling and playing with his children is a frequent occurrence, as is working with the children on his 100-acre ranch—caring for cattle and other animals as mostly weekend ranchers. In addition, John reckons his recreational passions could have also led to neck problems, such as his training to become a blue belt Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) martial artist. Finally, as a dentist in a very busy practice, John has spent a significant portion of his workdays with his head bent over his patients, another potential vector for neck issues.
As a part of his Jiu Jitsu training routine, John lifted weights several times a week. However, one day around Halloween of 2022, he discovered that his arm strength had decreased significantly, and he was only able to lift 60% of his usual load. Initially thinking he had injured his shoulder (rotator cuff), John went to an orthopedic surgeon to determine the level of damage.
After some initial discussion and examination, the orthopedic surgeon opined that John’s shoulder was likely not the source of the problem and thought he could have cervical injury to the nerves. So the doctor ordered an MRI to further diagnose the problem. Upon reviewing the MRI, the orthopedist suggested seeing a surgeon who specialized in spinal procedures.
John took his orthopedist’s recommendation to see a spine surgeon, who obtained a new MRI. This new MRI confirmed that John had pinched nerves and a herniated disc. With this new information, the spine surgeon informed John it would best to have surgery—not due to the loss of strength, but rather the ‘high risk for further damage’ or a potentially catastrophic injury.
Weighing these factors, John’s biggest concern with having spinal surgery was with the length of time for recuperation. Having heard and read that he could be out of work for up to 6 weeks, his busy practice would be significantly affected by this lengthy recuperation period unless his leave had been properly planned. Putting his concerns to rest, the spine surgeon informed him that disc replacement surgery was different than some of the other spine procedures he had learned about—if he had surgery on a Friday, he could potentially be back at work by early the next week.
Life After prodisc:Reassured, John planned his prodisc C Vivo surgery to take place on a Friday, taking Monday off from work. By the Tuesday after the procedure, he was still sore but ready for a full day of work. He spent the previous weekend recovering without the need for any prescription strength pain medicine to get through the days. In fact, within two weeks, his soreness had gone away, and he was practicing in his clinic without restrictions.
At his six-week follow-up appointment, he was given the go-ahead to begin training without weight restrictions, and he began to enter his full recuperation. Having halted his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training for nearly 2 months, it took him some time to recover lost ground. However, he began training for a Jiu Jitsu competition and, less than 6 months after his surgery, he took first place in his division at the IBJJF open in Dallas.
Now, John is back to running 3 to 5 times a week for 5 to 8 miles at a time, weight training, and conditioning for BJJ. He’s able to wrestle with his children, work as a ‘weekend rancher’ on his time off, and fully enjoy his life. Also, those headaches for which he was taking over the counter analgesics daily seem to have lessened.
John hopes others will have the opportunity to learn from his experience and gain the courage to take charge of their own future.
These individuals can inspire your journey to healing and life after disc replacement surgery—and the hope of freedom from spine-induced pain and discomfort.
With the total disc replacement, it’s like I’ve never had a neck problem!
Andrea L.
I feel like my activity level is now a 10 out of 10! My recovery after prodisc was amazing.
Brian
Being a patient myself, I understand... the journey. [prodisc] allows my patients to return to their lives.
Dr. Masson
I probably feel better today than when I was 30 years old!
Rory
prodisc [gives] my patients the option to thrive and maintain the highest quality active lifestyle.
Dr. Lanman
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