Wilson Yeung’s back pain was a nuisance at first. It came on when he turned 40, so Wilson figured it was just a function of aging. Then the pain grew worse. Five years and several complementary and alternative medicine techniques later, Wilson’s degenerative spine disease advanced to the point that he began experiencing a terrible, persistent pain in his leg that wouldn’t go away.
He knew it was time to seek surgical help, and his wife, who works in the medical industry, advised him to drive from their West Covina home to receive treatment from Burak Ozgur, M.D., chief of service for the Neurosurgery Spine Program at Hoag’s Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute.
“When my wife searched for the best spine surgeon, she found Dr. Ozgur,” Wilson said. “He explained the procedure very well to me and prepared me really well.”
Under Dr. Ozgur’s care, Wilson became the first patient on the West Coast to undergo surgery using the Mazor X Stealth™ Edition Robotic Guidance Platform for Midas technology, the most advanced robotic-assisted, minimally invasive spine surgery technology available.
“As soon as I woke up from the surgery, I no longer felt the pain,” said Wilson, who underwent the innovative procedure in February.
The Mazor combines 3D pre-operative planning tools and analytics with intra-operative trajectory precision. This allows surgeons to plan out the best approach before the surgery starts, improving precision and efficiency, reducing need for x-rays, and minimizing pain and recovery time after surgery.
“This revolutionary technology provides our patients and clinical team with the most advanced minimally-invasive tool available,” Dr. Ozgur said. “This robotic instrument allows the surgeon to be in complete control, but gives them the superior benefit of 3D-guided navigation in one easy-to-use tool.”
Hoag’s expertise in robotic-assisted, minimally invasive surgery has earned the hospital many national, state and local accolades and designation as a Center of Excellence in Robotic Surgery (COERS) from the Surgical Review Corporation. “The use of minimally invasive technologies, such as the Mazor robot, allows us to treat complex spinal disorders while minimizing blood loss, reducing muscle damage and accelerating recovery times,” said Hoag Neurosurgeon Vik Mehta, M.D.
In Wilson’s case the results have been particularly impressive. Years of pain kept the father of two teenagers from normal activities, including playing at the park with his daughter and football-loving son.
“I was not an active person before, but now I’m power walking on the treadmill,” Wilson said. “With every step I take, I really appreciate how I’m getting the quality of my life back.”
For more information, call 888-320-6397.
