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into a pain
Sharp
pains, numbness, and a
tingling sensation were only a few
of the symptoms that interfered with
young professional Amy Dossey’s busy
life of travel and work as a certified
public accountant.
“The pain started in my left shoulder
and progressed into numbness and
tingling in my left hand, followed by my
right hand,” Dossey says. “My profession
involves being on a computer most of the
time, and numbness in my fingers made it
very difficult to do my job.”
Dossey thought perhaps she had
pulled a muscle on a trip to Canada
and decided to see her primary care
provider to investigate further.
“I tried muscle relaxers, physical
therapy, and steroid injections, but the pain
and numbness persisted,” she adds. She
then decided it was time to see a specialist.
“My doctor and I chose Brent
Morgan, MD, because he is ahead
of the curve with neuro-related surgery
and his reputation gave me a lot of
comfort,” she says.
Taking the next step
Dossey’s visit with Dr. Morgan, an
independently practicing neurosurgeon on
the medical staff at Methodist Richardson
Medical Center who specializes in
minimally invasive techniques for
treating disorders of the brain and spine,
revealed that she was a candidate for a
surgical procedure called anterior cervical
diskectomy and fusion (ACDF).
“ACDF is a common, standard proce-
dure, and I have had excellent outcomes,”
Dr. Morgan says. “ACDF is for someone
who has been experiencing nerve irritation
and has been through all of the conserva-
tive treatments. Seventy-five percent of
patients get the problem from wear and
tear, and it just comes on over time.”
Here’s how ACDF works: The surgeon
approaches the cervical (neck) spine from
the front and removes the herniated or
ACDF spine procedure eliminates nerve pain
10
Methodist Richardson Medical Center
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Winter 2011 – 2012