Pamela's Story

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Pam's journey through decades of chronic back pain and numerous surgeries finally found a turning point with a groundbreaking procedure.

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Overcoming Chronic Back Pain to Rediscover Joy in Life

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At 80 years of age, Pam Doherty is no stranger to back pain. Diagnosed with scoliosis as a child, she underwent surgery many times, including a major operation to straighten her spine 30 years ago.

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“I’ve got plates and screws all over,” Pam said. “Golf was always my passion and the neurosurgeon at the time of that procedure told me, ‘I will straighten your spine as much as I can, and I should be able to give you 20 more years of golf.’”

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Pam enjoyed those years, but persistent pain came roaring back, almost exactly 20 years later.

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“Chronic pain takes a toll on everything in your life. For one thing, you’re really crabby. It’s difficult to want to smile or be a part of a group,” Pam said. “No matter what I did, it hurt. It was hard to walk, even to lie down; I was in constant pain.”

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Despite consulting many pain specialists and undergoing various treatments over the next 10 years, Pam found no relief. Then in January 2024, a friend referred her to neurosurgeon Edison Valle, MD (Naples, Florida).

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“Pam came to me in terrible pain and with a complex medical history,” Dr. Valle said. “Just a few years ago, I would have had to say, ‘I’m sorry, I can’t help you.' We would have had to do a thoracic-to-pelvis fusion, and that might have killed her. We just would not have been able to take the risk.”

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Dr. Valle used an ultra-minimally invasive technique with 4K visualization to perform a medial branch nerve transection (MBT), a procedure designed to relieve pain caused by arthritis in the facet joints of the spine. During this procedure, the sensory nerve sending pain signals to Pam’s brain was transected, effectively disconnecting it. This alleviated her pain while allowing her to continue to walk and move normally.

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“Instead of a 10-hour surgery that could have kept her in the hospital for 2 weeks and taken 6 months to even begin to recover from, this was a 20-minute procedure done through an incision that is just 4 to 5 mm long, literally the size of your pinky nail,” Dr. Valle said. “It takes longer to put the patient under than it does for me to do the surgery.”

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Within weeks, the relief from the pain was remarkable, Pam shared.

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“I truly have my life back. It’s wonderful to get up in the morning and not want to immediately go back to bed,” she said. “I won’t be able to play golf again, but I love walking with my husband and going out to eat again.”

For the right patient, like Pam, Dr. Valle says the MBT procedure can be life-changing.

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“This is a lower risk surgery for someone with chronic, acute back pain that has lasted more than 6 months and has not responded to conservative treatment like physical therapy and anti-inflammatories,” he said.

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Today, Pam’s outlook is excellent, and she is thrilled to enjoy life again, celebrating milestones like her 25th wedding anniversary with her husband.

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“He is as relieved as I am,” Pam said. “I put my faith in Dr. Valle and the procedure, and I am so glad I did. To be rid of that pain—it still blows my mind.”

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This real patient was compensated for the time they took to share their experience. Physician is a paid consultant of Arthrex, Inc.

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