‘I Literally Feel Like a New Person,’ Says Edna Zitko
of Newport Beach, the First Hoag Patient to Benefit from the New Technology
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. – Aug. 20, 2013 – Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian is the first hospital in Orange County to offer a newly approved alternative to cervical spinal fusion – and the first patient to undergo the procedure, a woman in her mid-40s who suffered from debilitating neck pain and upper extremity numbness, was up and walking within hours afterward.
The new procedure is performed using the SECURE®-C Cervical Artificial Disc. Globus Medical, Inc, a leading spinal implant company, developed the SECURE-C as a motion-preserving alternative treatment of neck and arm pain disorders related to disc abnormalities. The Food and Drug Administration approved SECURE-C on September 28, 2012.
“Providing our patients with the finest care guides everything we do, and we’re always excited to offer cutting-edge treatments and procedures that speed up their recovery and improve their long-term well-being,” said Dr. Burak M. Ozgur, a neurosurgeon and Chief of Service for the Neurosurgical Spine Program at Hoag.
SECURE-C enables qualified patients suffering from severe spinal conditions to avoid cervical spinal fusion surgery, which often leaves them with significantly reduced motion and requires a longer recovery period. SECURE-C was designed to help patients retain a range of motion similar to that of the natural cervical spine.
In clinical trials leading up to its approval in September 2012, SECURE-C provided patients numerous benefits at two and five years following surgery compared to traditional spinal fusion procedures. Among others, these benefits included preservation of the normal range of motion for the spine; better disc height; a lower rate of secondary surgery; and overall higher patient satisfaction.
“My pain and discomfort were horrible for years, but I absolutely dreaded the prospect of spinal fusion surgery,” said Newport Beach resident Edna Zitko, 44, who suffered from severe chronic neck pain and debilitating upper extremity numbness. “I had pretty much given up hope that I’d ever be better, so when Dr. Ozgur explained the SECURE-C procedure, I was still skeptical. I laugh now when I think of my doubts, because the difference is remarkable. I literally feel like a new person.”
Zitko, who underwent the procedure at Hoag on August 6, was able to get up and walk within a few hours. She went home the next day.
Dr. Ozgur, who performed the procedure, called it “a highly promising innovation for our patients who have been struggling with spinal-related pain.” Hoag’s willingness to embrace the new technology, he added, is another demonstration of its commitment to “extraordinary health care that strives to enhance patients’ quality of life.”
For more information, visit www.hoag.org or call 949-764-HOAG (4624).
About Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian
Hoag is an approximately $1 billion nonprofit, regional health care delivery network in Orange County, California, that treats more than 30,000 inpatients and 350,000 outpatients annually. Hoag consists of two acute-care hospitals, seven health centers, and five urgent care centers. Hoag Hospital Newport Beach, which has served Orange County since 1952, and Hoag Hospital Irvine, which opened in 2010, are designated Magnet hospitals by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Hoag offers a comprehensive blend of health care services that includes five institutes providing specialized services in the following areas: cancer, heart and vascular, neurosciences, women’s health, and orthopedics through Hoag’s affiliate, Hoag Orthopedic Institute. Hoag has been named one of the Best Regional Hospitals in the U.S. News & World Report Metro Edition. National Research Corporation has endorsed Hoag as Orange County’s most preferred hospital for the past 17 consecutive years and, for an unprecedented 17 years, residents of Orange County have chosen Hoag as the county’s best hospital in a local newspaper survey. Visit www.hoag.org for more information.
