XLIF Patient Testimonials

James Horton: “A Better Overall Experience”

As if teaching eighth grade English isn’t challenging enough, 48-year-old James Horton has been living with degenerative disc disease for many years now. He had already had three open back fusion surgeries when the pain began to worsen last year in a different vertebra. As he explained, “It hurt to stand up. It hurt to sit down. And it hurt to lie down. I couldn’t get comfortable to sleep, and bending was out of the question.”

A disc in the middle of his back had deteriorated to the point where pain medications were no longer effective, so he and his surgeon, Dr. John I. Williams at Ortho NorthEast, began to explore his options. “Dr. Williams studied my x-rays and determined that I was a good candidate for minimally invasive eXtreme Lateral Interbody Fusion, or XLIF,” said Horton. Developed by NuVasive, Inc. in San Diego, XLIF employs a surgical approach from the side of the body — reducing the disruption to soft tissue in the back that occurs during traditional back surgery.

Horton underwent the minimally invasive XLIF procedure at Parkview Orthopaedic Hospital in Fort Wayne at the end of April 2009. “I had surgery on a Monday and was released from the hospital that Wednesday. The nurses had me up and around the day after surgery to begin the rehab process.” Having had open back surgery, Horton was able to compare his experience with the XLIF minimally invasive procedure. “I know I healed up faster this time, and my wife even noticed a big difference,” he said. “In fact, I felt well enough to go back to teaching much sooner than I expected.”

Horton says he judges how well he’s doing by how it feels to wash dishes. “I’m 6'5" so I have to bend over to reach the sink. Since the XLIF surgery, I’ve been able to stand there comfortably for the entire 10-15 minutes it takes.” Horton also reports that he no longer needs to take pain medication for his back. He wears a brace for support and has begun his rehabilitation therapy program at ONE.

James Horton is grateful to his doctors at ONE for making new procedures available close to home in northeast Indiana. “Procedures like minimally invasive XLIF offer new possibilities for people with back conditions like mine,” he said. “I would tell anyone who is a candidate that XLIF was a good overall experience.”

Ethel Weaver: “I Feel 20 Years Younger”

For Ethel Weaver, the pain in her leg was finally too much to bear. It had become so severe that she had to pick green beans from her garden on her hands and knees. Running the vacuum cleaner or doing the dishes was out of the question.

“I had so much pain in my left leg, and my doctor couldn’t figure out what was wrong” said Mrs. Weaver, a 77-year-old native of Syracuse, Indiana. “By the end of each day, I couldn’t stand up anymore. Eventually, I went for an MRI and was referred to Dr. John Williams at Ortho NorthEast. He said the pain in my leg was actually caused by degenerative disc disease in my back.”

Mrs. Weaver and Dr. Williams discussed her condition and treatment options. “He recommended a new procedure that had been very successful and would allow me to heal quicker,” she said. In fact, Dr. Williams is the first orthopaedic surgeon in Northeast Indiana to offer the minimally invasive eXtreme Lateral Interbody Fusion, or XLIF procedure. Developed by NuVasive, Inc. San Diego, XLIF employs a surgical approach from the side of the body — reducing the disruption to soft tissue in the back that occurs during traditional back surgery. It didn’t take Mrs. Weaver long to make her decision. “I was ready,” she said. “I was just tired of having so much pain.”

Dr. Williams performed Mrs. Weaver’s XLIF surgery on December 15, 2008. “I was in the hospital four days, and then I spent two and a half weeks in a rehabilitation facility until I was strong enough to go home,” she explained. “There, I underwent physical therapy—I was in very good hands.”

Looking back, Mrs. Weaver says her recovery seemed to go by very quickly. “When I went back to see Dr. Williams after one month, he was happy to see that I was walking on my own without a walker. By then, I only used it to make sure I didn’t lose my balance around the house.”

Six months later, Mrs. Weaver reports, she was back to her favorite activities. What a difference!” she said. “Last summer, I couldn’t bend over, and this summer, I was back to picking green beans just like old times.”

Mrs. Weaver’s advice to others in her situation? “Don’t suffer as long as I did.” She concludes, “Thanks to Dr. Williams and XLIF, I’m not only pain free—I feel 20 years younger!”