Jatana Spine: Testimonials | Dr. Jatana | Fusion Surgery

Testimonials

See what Dr. Jatana's patients have to say of their experience in their own words.

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.”

Jeanie Iberlin

I sought help from Dr. Jatana after struggling with pain from a back injury. A discectomy that I had undergone previously provided a brief period of relief, but then my pain reappeared and ranged between a five and a nine on the pain scale. When it reached nine, it was truly unbearable.

My left leg radiated pain in my nerves. My lower back felt like it was constantly swollen. I wasn’t myself at all. Working out was out of the question (and I had been a regular runner with 14 marathons under my belt). The pain also affected my sleep and my ability to sit in meetings. My pain was beginning to severely affect my quality of my life.

I visited Dr. Jatana after researching his experience and credentials. His welcoming, knowledgeable staff, coupled with his professional and peaceful demeanor helped solidify my trust in this fine surgeon. Dr. Jatana provided me with numerous options and his recommendation was that I have an Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion, one of several techniques used to achieve a spinal fusion. Dr. Jatana explained that it involved approaching the spine from the front, removing the disc completely and replacing the disc with either bone and/or a synthetic spacer (cage) filled with bone. The advantages of this procedure, said Dr. Jatana, include faster recovery, mobility and less muscle pain.

In his presence, I knew I had choices; I felt as if he truly heard and understood what I was going through.

I underwent an ALIF one day before my 51st birthday, and what a gift to myself! Within hours after the ALIF, I was on my feet. By the next morning, I had done two laps around the surgical center and I had gone up and down stairs twice. I went back to work within 10 days. The best news is that I took no pain pills after leaving the hospital. Going from a pain level of nine to pain of zero to two was amazing.

A big thanks to Dr. Jatana and his incredible team.

Paige Jacobi

I have a long history of cervical spine issues that began when I broke my neck in a car accident at the age of 19 and had a fusion to stabilize my neck. In the years since, I’ve experienced successive degeneration and eventually had another fusion done. I have a peripheral nerve stimulator that helps immensely with neck pain, but I was starting to have more neurologic symptoms that were difficult to figure out and pain that the nerve stimulator couldn't help.

I had become less and less active to the point that I was only able to work part time and I couldn't exercise at all. I was struggling to work 20 hours a week. I had started to wear a neck brace if I rode in the car or had to walk longer than 15 minutes.

I was looking for a doctor who could give me a better understanding of what was causing my varied symptoms and when or if anything should be addressed surgically. I had already been referred to a big specialty spine clinic out-of-state where they looked at my imaging but didn't care to listen to me. I felt like I was running out of options.

At my first visit with Dr. Jatana, I felt like he really listened and understood what my concerns were. I had a much better understanding of what was likely causing my symptoms and what the next diagnostic step would be to figure it out. Dr. Jatana was able to sort thru a complex history and make sense of it all.

I had some diagnostic injections that helped point to the C4-5 level as the source of most of my pain. The injections gave me more than enough information to proceed with the C4-5 fusion. I also had a questionable pseudarthrosis (fracturing that won’t heal without intervention) at the C7-T1 level. Dr. Jatana recommended doing the C4-5 surgery first and waiting to see if the C7-T1 pseudarthrosis was still problematic after I recovered. There wasn’t a quick or easy solution for me and I really appreciated that Dr. Jatana conveyed to me that patience was part of my treatment plan.

Dr. Jatana operated on me in September 2013. The crushing pain on top of my shoulders and the nerve root pain that I was experiencing was better immediately after surgery. I’m able to work and exercise now. I am getting stronger every day and am able to do things that I haven't been able to do for years.

Martha Lord

In March 2013, I developed a stiff neck that quickly turned into some arm pain. My primary care doctor put me on a regimen of oral steroids, pain medication and physical therapy – all of which I did, but to no avail. During a vacation to Florida, my pain started getting worse and I had an MRI, which showed a rupture of a cervical disc and nerve compression.

I had some cortisone injections done in April, but by May, the pain was back again. I had to take pain medications all day long to function. There was a period where I was on the floor all day long. I wasn’t driving. I couldn’t even lift a gallon of milk out of the fridge.

I first saw Dr. Jatana in June. He told me exactly what was going on- what surgery I was a candidate for and which one I wasn’t. He seemed to take the most minimally invasive approach as possible. I liked how he explained the options and explained what was best for me.

In the meantime, I visited two other doctors. One told me I was a great candidate for a fusion surgery and it was just a matter of when to do it. Another told me what my options were, but didn’t give me any specific recommendations. Dr. Jatana was the only doctor who said I believe you have a window for disc replacement surgery and the longer the pressure is on the nerve, the longer it will take for the nerve to act normally. Given my age and physical condition, I decided that disc replacement gave me the best chance to get back to my normally active lifestyle.

I woke up from surgery absolutely pain-free. It was the first time in months that I didn’t need pain medication. I was able to play with my kids. There’s nothing in my daily activities that I need to limit.

I could’ve done the fusion surgery, but I am glad I chose the surgery I did. I felt so confident in what I was doing and a lot of that is because of Dr. Jatana.

Deborah Wittman

Very gradually, I started experiencing an ache in my right arm and a very subtle loss in strength. At first, I thought I just had lactic acid built up in my arm. I dropped a ten-pound weight and did not have the strength to do a bench press. I actually fell off the bench – that’s when I knew I had a problem.

I called a physical therapist, who referred me to a doctor. For three to four weeks, I had to wrap my arm in heating pads. I also went to acupuncturists and had weekly massages, but nobody could help me.

I heard about Dr. Jatana from one of his former patients who had a very positive experience with his office and a successful recovery. I had a pinched nerve and he diagnosed it immediately. He knew my problem and he knew he could fix it.

The problem was in my neck, but I had no pain there. Dr. Jatana recommended surgery and they fused two discs in my neck. I had had radiating pain down my arm for three months, but when I woke up after surgery it was gone. I took just one pain killer and never had to take another pill. It was a phenomenal result. I have no pain or issues in my arm.

Everyone in Dr. Jatana’s office was so responsive. It was such a positive experience. They provided a tremendous solution to a physical problem I was having. It was so well explained that I understood exactly what needed to be done. They didn’t miss a thing.

My surgery was late in the day on October 1, 2013 and I climbed Waynapicchu (this is a peak that is 1,000 ft. straight up at the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu), on November 1, 2013—30 days later with my rigid neck brace on. I could not have made this climb prior to my October 1 surgery!

KIM CONSTANTINESCO

My symptoms started after a snowboarding accident in February 2011. I was doing an inverted aerial and landed upside down on my head with my arms extended. Initially, the pain started in the shoulder, but then I started to have neck pain.

My symptoms included tingling and numbness down my right arm into my fingers. After numerous MRIs, a herniated disc was found in my cervical spine. I saw various doctors, receiving facet injections and cortisone injections, and I went to physical therapy twice a week for months. Nothing seemed to relieve the pain.

I was in pain 24/7. When you're in that much pain, it affects all areas of your life, physically and emotionally. The day-to-day grind of being in pain and seeing that nothing was working was the most disheartening. I remember leaving an appointment with one doctor in tears because I felt helpless and hopeless. That's when I decided to seek out a surgeon and Dr. Jatana came highly recommended.

During our first meeting he could see the frustration on my face and right off the bat we started talking about surgical options. At that point, I was willing to do anything to take care of the pain.

I had a cervical fusion to repair the C5-6 disc on September 30, 2011. After the surgical pain subsided I was pain-free no more than three weeks later and I had no more symptoms.

During my recovery, I set small incremental goals in order to get back to the big one - doing a back flip again on my snowboard. Setting these goals helped me focus my attention and effort, and inspired me to persist through this setback. Exactly one year ago to the day that my accident happened, my friends and I went to the exact location of the accident, and I did my back flip.

I am more than pleased with the surgery and Dr. Jatana. I feel like my old self again, but stronger.

JULIO ESCOBAR

In 2010, I was involved in a pretty serious car accident that totaled my car. I went to the emergency room but no serious injuries were detected. About six months later, I noticed a tingling in my legs and on the side of my body. That turned into a lower backache that got worse and worse.

I am a very active guy, accustomed to running 20 miles a week. However, the problem got so bad I had to stop running. It took a horrible toll on my family too. I would get home from work and go somewhere in the house to lay on the floor by myself. That was the only way I could handle the pain as it was constant. I would pray for 30 seconds of no pain.

I went to physical therapy, acupuncturists and chiropractors and nothing helped. They weren’t sure what the problem was. They all thought I had sciatica.

Since I wasn’t having any luck, I talked to my nephew who had suffered through a Degenerative spine condition when he was a teenager. Dr. Jatana had treated him and he was the first person my nephew told me to see.

When I met with Dr. Jatana he suggested that an MRI would help show us what the problem was. It revealed a herniated disc and we scheduled an epidural steroid injection of cortisone. That helped, but for only a very short amount of time. I was now at the point that I was unable to work , so instead of doing more shots, I opted for surgery.

Dr. Jatana was very compassionate and empathetic. He provided me with a good understanding of surgery and he walked through the procedure more than once. At that point I was so determined in my decision that I would take any liability to get the problem taken care of. I knew he specialized in the procedure I was having done and I had no problem putting my life in his hands. I would gladly do it again.

By the day after surgery, I already had an incredible outcome. When I got home I started walking and within a week I was walking a mile. I feel like a million bucks. Every Saturday night, my wife, my daughter and I have a dance party where we all dance and sing together. Now that I can participate again, I can tell how deprived they were of my attention.

Since the surgery, my life has been just fantastic. I have no pain at all! I can sleep again and now start to live an active life with my family. There is no comparison to how I was living before seeing Dr. Jatana. I have no problem recommending Dr. Jatana’s services, in fact, I already have.

Paul Gassman

I was in my late forties when the pain in my neck started getting worse. When my left arm went numb I really got worried, so I went to see my chiropractor. It had been a year since my last visit.

I was diagnosed with a severely herniated disc. My chiropractor told me about a seminar he just attended on disc replacement, a procedure I had been reading about for years. I contacted Dr. Jatana at Denver Spine and went to see him the next day. Dr. Jatana said that disc replacement was FDA approved for the lower back, but not the neck. He told me about a clinical trial comparing disc replacement with fusion surgery, and even though the trial was for a limited number of patients, he managed to get me in. I am now part of a study that will hopefully make this procedure available to the general public in a few years.

My surgery was done early on November 22, 2005. I was out of recovery by noon and walking at 4PM. On December 1, they took off the hard collar and put me in a soft collar, and cleared me to drive! Three months later I was snowmobiling. Today I am pain free and I feel great, even at work or when I'm horseback riding.

Dr. Jatana is a wonderful surgeon and his positive attitude helped make my recovery easier. I recommend him to anyone facing the same decision I had to make. This surgery changed my life. You don't have to live in pain. You do have options.

Grand Junction, CO
January 3, 2010

Rebecca Hammer

I had my first consultation with Dr. Jatana in June 2001. I had been in pain for many years and still had persistent symptoms that were left untreated from my previous back surgery in 1990 for a herniated disc.

I was in an HMO and tired of the doctors just giving me pain meds. I didn't believe they had my best interests in mind. Nothing was working. Eventually, I was able to switch to a PPO. I had done some research on Dr. Jatana, and made the decision to go see him.

At my very first appointment, I was immediately grateful Dr. Jatana didn't just hand out another prescription. Instead, he listened well to all my thoughts and answered my many questions. He performed basic tests and got right on it and scheduled an MRI. There, he was able to diagnose the issue that would follow me to present day.

Since then, I've had several surgeries. The first was for another disc herniation in April 2002. Dr Jatana's giftedness as a surgeon helped immensely! I would say that my first surgery with him helped for the immediate need and the needs that would follow years later.

I still live with chronic back pain, however, Dr. Jatana, is the best doctor I have ever had. I know he has my best interests in mind and is committed to the process of seeing me well. He is an exceptional doctor and one in whom I trust.

JACKIE ADAMS

Five years ago a tree fell on me, injuring my neck and back. Gradually, my neck pain became unbearable. I also started experiencing tingling and numbness in my right arm and hand. I tried several different types of treatment, but I was told by physicians that I would probably have to give up my daily activities as I am an avid skier and barrel racer. Depression set in. I was at the end of my rope, and the pain continued to increase. I was struggling at work, household chores and had many sleepless nights.

I was referred to a pain management clinic and after explaining the symptoms and level of pain to the physician, he highly recommended that I see Dr. Sanjay Jatana. On my drive down from Steamboat Springs for my first appointment I was expecting the same response I had received from other professionals. I was wrong. Dr. Jatana looked over my images and explained in detail why I was in pain and how it could be corrected. Dr. Jatana answered all of my questions and concerns, leaving me, for the first time in several years, confident that I was going to get my life back.

After my surgery, Dr. Jatana and his staff were always available to address any concerns that I had. I am now two months post surgery and have not felt this great in years! I highly recommend Dr. Jatana to anyone suffering from neck or back pain. You couldn't ask for a greater group of people. They make you feel welcome and they are truly concerned for your wellbeing.

I thank Dr. Jatana and his staff for the excellent care they have provided me before and after my life changing surgery.

Jackie
Steamboat Springs, Colorado

BRUCE GUETTICH

I battled migraines on and off for 34 years. By 2006, the headaches had become so severe and frequent that I had episodes lasting as long nearly two months! Desperate for relief, I tried a laundry list of traditional and alternative treatments. I swallowed countless prescription medications, received shots of Botox, snorted nasal spray, had nerve roots severed in my spine joints, wore magnets on my head, had a nerve stimulator implanted in my forehead and bathed in special mineral oils. I also made drastic lifestyle changes – including quitting alcohol, tobacco and caffeine and changing careers to reduce stress.

Unfortunately none of those efforts provided a solution and my migraines persisted. In October 2008, my pain management doctor concluded that my migraines were caused by two bulging discs in my neck – the result of an injury I had sustained in a car accident in 1976. I was eventually referred to Dr. Jatana, whose diagnosis was pinched nerves, bone spurs and narrowing of the spinal nerves.

Dr. Jatana was always very accommodating regarding my concerns and questions and although he was very confident that surgery was a good remedy for my migraines, he never pushed surgery on me. In August 2010, Dr. Jatana performed a neck fusion on three of my vertebrae. I have been symptom-free since my surgery and feel like I’ve been given a new lease on life.

I can now engage in a wide range of activities without worrying about when a migraine might hit. I also no longer worry about migraines interrupting my athletic endeavors, which include mountain biking, snow skiing and competing in international footbag (Hacky Sack) competitions. I will always be grateful to Dr. Jatana for ending a long cycle of pain.

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