OMAHA, NE – February 2, 2024 – Jami Frederick is no stranger to always being “on the go.” From golfing, boating with family and keeping up with her three granddaughters, the 52-year-old enjoyed living her life on the move. That is, until she began experiencing extreme pain in her lower back, making simple activities completely unbearable.
“I couldn’t walk very far or even go down a flight of stairs,” Frederick said. “The things I loved to do were slowly being taken away from me. I started staying home, and if I did go somewhere, it wasn’t enjoyable because I was in so much pain.”
Her wish? To get back to living her life.
“My doctor at OrthoNebraska [Dr. Katie Berky] told me she’d brought my case to her colleague, Dr. Matthew Miller, who specializes in a unique spinal fusion technique,” she recalled. “It meant a lot to me that the team got together to discuss my situation. They determined what I needed to do next – surgery.”
Traditionally, spine surgery requires an incision over the spine with additional work detaching muscles from the bones to reach the spine. An invasive procedure, open spine surgery can have a long and challenging recovery process.
Dr. Matthew Miller brings a unique skill set to OrthoNebraska, one that would greatly impact Frederick’s quality of life. As a neurosurgeon who specializes in back and neck surgeries, Dr. Miller recommended a minimally invasive approach: Prone eXtreme Lateral Interbody Fusion (pXLIF). The procedure is only carried out by select surgeons who have received extra training and requires just a single position to gain access to the spine from the side and the back, avoiding major vessels and sensitive nerve roots.
Fortunately for Frederick, Dr. Miller is the only physician in the area doing this procedure.
“There are many benefits of minimally invasive spinal surgery and prone XLIF,” Dr. Miller said. “Recovery for my patients typically includes wearing a back brace for a month post-surgery and then starting physical therapy. Within three months, patients should be able to return to their normal activities, while traditional spinal fusions typically take a year to recover.”
OrthoNebraska patients are typically seen, diagnosed and treated faster, experiencing shorter hospital stays due to less invasive approaches. By providing individualized and high-quality care, OrthoNebraska offers patients a choice other practices don’t. That was important to Frederick when choosing where to have her procedure done.
“Dr. Miller knew how much it meant to me to get this procedure done as soon as possible. He worked miracles to get me scheduled,” she said. “My back was in bad shape, and he had to do a lot of work to get it better. The surgery lasted more than four hours, but I only had three small incisions near my hip. More importantly, I was able to go home the very next day.”
Now, more than eight weeks post-operation, Frederick says she’s pleased with her recovery process. The best part? She gets to do all her post-op care in her hometown of Norfolk, Neb.
“It’s been such a blessing to have an OrthoNebraska clinic in Norfolk,” Frederick said. “Instead of having to drive two hours, I’m only 15 minutes from home. It just shows that the doctors at OrthoNebraska are willing to help their patients in any way they can.”
Frederick says she is most looking forward to being that grandma again who plays games, runs around and takes her grandchildren to the park.
“I am just ready to get back to living,” she exclaimed.
