Georgia Orthopedic Institute Patient Story: Lee Dooley
No More Back Pain for Police Officer
Imagine living with constant pain that feels like an ice pick in your back.
That's the reality for people who suffer from spinal problems, like Lee Dooley of Fayetteville. It was almost impossible to enjoy work, time with family or even a good night's sleep.
Dooley, a police officer, husband and father of four young daughters, was in so much pain he had to go on light duty at work and couldn't play with his children. Finally, he turned to Southern Regional and the team at South Atlanta Neurosurgery. They treated Dooley using a new minimally-invasive technique known as AxiaLIF.
Only at Southern Regional
Southern Regional is the only institution in Georgia to offer this new technique, according to Dr. Shahram Rezaiamiri, medical director at South Atlanta Neurosurgery.
"Mr. Dooley was essentially incapacitated with back pain," says Dr. Rezaiamiri.
"But with the AxiaLIF procedure-and another minimally-invasive technique called XLIF-we are able to offer patients pain relief options they can't find at most other institutions."
Dr. Rezaiamiri was Dooley's surgeon for AxiaLIF. It involved making a one-half inch incision near the tailbone for the procedure in order to correct degenerative disc disease and relieve the pain that goes along with it.
It took less than an hour compared to conventional surgery, which can take four hours and requires an incision as long as eight inches.
Back to Enjoying Life
Dooley was amazed by the results.
"When I woke up from the surgery, I didn't feel any pain other than some tenderness where they made the incision," he said. "The difference in how I feel is like night and day."
Dooley went home just two days after his surgery and returned to light-duty work less than a month later. Now he's back to his favorite activities, such as riding his motorcycle, playing with his kids and going for bike rides with his family.
Back pain is one of the many conditions that specialists at the Georgia Orthopedic Institute can treat. Our highly-trained team specializes in helping patients with injuries to tendons, ligaments, joints, bones and muscles. We offer the best surgical options to help reduce your pain, restore your independence and get you back to the activities you enjoy.