Welcome
Jeff Roth
Category: Lumbar Surgery
Before undergoing surgery at Orthopedic Spine Associates, I'd had degenerative disc disease for quite a few years. I'd gone for years with constant back pain — the kind that woke me up at night, kept me from doing much during the day and made it hard to get through a day at work. It was constant, and was getting to be unbearable.
Once I had an MRI and received a diagnosis, I was referred to Dr. Scott Kitchel at Orthopedic Spine Associates.
Ever since going to Orthopedic Spine Associates, it's been nothing but a good experience. I began to discuss my options for treatment with Dr. Kitchel, and he made sure I'd already gone through all the prerequisites to ensure the problem couldn't be fixed through more conservative approaches. However, I'd already gone through all the other options, such as physical therapy and cortisone shots, to no avail.
Together, we determined I was a candidate for ProDisc spinal disc replacement and in summer 2004, I had the surgery. I was able to get in for the surgery relatively quickly, and the care I received was excellent. I'm so pleased with the results — I'd even do it again! If I ever have another [degenerative disc] I'd go through this again. It's a major surgery, but the results are really worth it.
Karen Thompson
Category: Lumbar Surgery
I'd had sciatica issues periodically throughout my life. It would get worse and then get better again. I'd done physical therapy for about a year leading up to my surgery and worked to find nonsurgical ways to deal with the issue, but this time, it wasn't getting any better.
I finally had an X-ray and discovered that one of my vertebrae had been knocked out of place. There wasn't any way to fix it with physical therapy or other nonsurgical methods, so I started looking into surgery and began calling around for referrals. Dr. Scott Kitchel was recommended several times from physicians around the country. My husband had a similar surgery years ago in Colorado from a surgeon we respected and trusted a great deal, so we called to get his opinion. He knew of Dr. Kitchel and verified his great reputation, so I went for it and decided to have the surgery.
Before the surgery, Dr. Kitchel called me at home several times, which is something I haven't had a lot of — getting that kind of personal attention from doctors is pretty rare these days. He immediately answered any questions I had and always returned my calls in a timely manner.
I believe that surgery isn't just the doctor fixing a person. It's a team effort and the patient has to play an active role in recovery. With enough knowledge about what's being done, the patient really can be an active partner in recovery. Dr. Kitchel fosters a great recovery process — it's a team environment with good physical therapy and good information given with patience and care.
Today, I'm still recovering, but I'm totally functional and back to physical activities and gardening that I'd given up before.
Tammy Roberts
Category: Lumbar Surgery
I started having back problems more than 20 years ago in college. I never knew what caused them, but I'd have these incidents where I'd throw my back out and would have to see a physical therapist to get better. When I was younger, it'd happen once a year or so. As I became older, the incidents started getting closer and closer together.
It eventually turned into constant nagging pain; it was really limiting my activity. I have three children, a husband and active lifestyle, and my back was interfering with what I wanted to do. I never really knew what was wrong with my back, but I finally decided that I'd had enough and wanted to figure out what had been causing my pain.
I discovered that I had congenital disc disease, and no amount of physical therapy would ever make it better — when a disc is gone, it's gone.
There were two surgery options available to me: disc fusion surgery, which was standard, and an experimental disc replacement surgery. At first I thought the disc replacement surgery sounded too risky, but I began to look into it and discovered that it was really a very good option for me. As I learned more, I found out that, as luck would have it, Dr. Scott Kitchel here in Eugene was one of 12 surgeons in the country who was chosen to participate in the trial. Dr. Kitchel was recognized by all of his peers as someone eminently qualified to be on the leading edge of a procedure that's revolutionizing spinal care.
In my initial meeting with Dr. Kitchel, he explained all of my options. He never pushed surgery, but we explored the various reasons for and against each course of treatment. He gave me all the information I needed to make a sound decision for myself and for my family.
The moment I woke up from surgery, I could feel that the pins-and-needles feeling in my legs and toes was gone for the first time in years, and that was very exciting. I had a quick recovery process. Within a few weeks I was feeling great, and within three months I was able to walk a mile. Now, three years later, I'm working full time, and I'm back to my active lifestyle: horseback riding, walking, taking golf lessons. It really has given me back my life. It's been an amazing transformation for me.
Loretta Vance
Category: Lumbar Surgery
In winter 2005, I slipped and fell in my home and landed right on my lower back. I was in immediate pain and knew I'd seriously injured myself. I was taken by ambulance to Sacred Heart Medical Center, where I discovered I had three herniated discs.
I started physical therapy, but weeks turned into months of therapy and I was still in excruciating pain. I was so frustrated with how long it was taking to heal, and I was using up my time off at work and needed to find a solution.
That's when a physician I work with suggested I see Dr. Scott Kitchel. We called Dr. Kitchel's office, and I had an MRI scheduled for the very next day.
I went into Dr. Kitchel's office the morning after my MRI to discuss my options. He outlined what we could to do to correct the problem, but emphasized that it was my decision. He even told me not to make my decision right then — he told me to go home, think seriously about it, and to call him when I was ready. I left his office, and called him an hour later with my decision. I simply couldn't stand the pain anymore, and I told him to schedule me for a discectomy. I was at the end of my rope.
Within a week, I was in surgery. On the day of my surgery, I went in that morning, and by 1:30 that afternoon, I was pain free and walking — and I hadn't done that in six months! I couldn't believe that I could actually have back surgery and get out of bed and walk around without pain the very same day.
Now, I do everything like I did before. Dr. Kitchel is the best surgeon in town for back surgeries, and I'd let him do it again in a minute. And it's not just him, but his entire office. They're a very caring staff and make you feel like part of the family.