Successful treatment for a rare tethered spinal cord diagnosis: Debbie’s story
Debbie Kearney began experiencing intense back pain and numbness in her right leg. As a certified registered nurse anesthetist at LewisGale Hospital Alleghany, she understood the potential significance of her symptoms and immediately made an appointment with Orthopedic Surgeon. Debbie had suffered from back pain in the past and a previous magnetic resonance imaging test (MRI) revealed a herniated disc, so she assumed that was the cause of her current bout of pain and numbness. When Debbie underwent another MRI, though, it was discovered she had a tethered spinal cord, an extremely rare condition in adults where the spinal cord becomes entangled in surrounding tissue and is unable to move freely within the spinal canal. Because her diagnosis involved the delicate spinal cord and surrounding nerves, Dr. Pack referred Debbie to Joshua Prickett, DO, a board-certified and fellowship-trained neurosurgeon with LewisGale Physicians Neurosurgery.
Debbie recalls, “When I met Dr. Prickett the first time, I was so impressed with all the research he had done on me before I even arrived for my appointment. He had reviewed all of my MRIs and knew my medical history. He made me feel so comfortable, and I really admired his professionalism.” Dr. Prickett performed an additional MRI, this time with Debbie lying in a prone position and using a contrast dye to enhance visibility of her spinal column. It showed that her spinal cord did not move when she changed positions and was tethered to a lipoma, a benign fatty tumor just under the skin. The lipoma prevented Debbie’s spinal cord from moving freely and caused it to stretch more than it should, explaining her back pain and subsequent numbness in her leg.
According to the National Institutes of Health, tethered spinal cord syndrome is most often associated with children, affecting less than one percent of every 1,000 births. The condition is rarer in adults but is identified somewhat more frequently now with modern, state-of-the-art diagnostic tools. In fact, the condition is so rarely seen in adults that a neurosurgeon may only operate on one or two adult patients over the course of their entire career. “It was a bit nerve-wracking to think that I had such an uncommon condition, but Dr. Prickett instilled such confidence in me that I felt completely comfortable with him performing my surgery,” remembers Debbie.
Debbie was admitted to LewisGale Medical Center in Salem for her procedure. She was placed on her stomach under general anesthesia and given two intravenous lines. Dr. Prickett and his neurosurgical staff continuously monitoring Debbie’s condition to ensure there was no peripheral nerve damage during the operation. The surgery lasted about three hours, during which Debbie’s lipoma was removed to free her entangled spinal cord and steps taken to help prevent its regrowth. She was then transferred to the neurosurgical intensive care unit, where she was expected to recover for three to five days.
In fact, Debbie’s post-operative pain was so minimal and significantly less than her original back pain that she was discharged and permitted to go home the day after surgery. Since then, she has had two follow up appointments with Dr. Prickett, is back to work, and has resumed all of her normal activities. In her words, “I am so happy with my experience with Dr. Prickett and thankful for the outcome of my surgery. He is a credit to our community and deserves to be recognized as a phenomenal surgeon. He and his staff could not have treated me any better.”
To schedule a consultation with Joshua Prickett, DO, or the team at LewisGale Physicians Neurosurgery, call (540) 444-1240.