Defeating Pain with Successful Spine Surgeries at Wellstar

When someone has breast cancer, catching it early can be life-saving. As part of Wellstar’s efforts to address health inequity and enhance the well-being of those we serve, Wellstar recently offered free mammograms so local women could check in on their breast health.

A $5,000 grant from the American Cancer Society provided the mammograms, helping to remove barriers to healthcare access. Mammograms, which were promoted through the American Cancer Society website, were available at imaging facilities at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital, Wellstar Cobb Hospital, Wellstar Douglas Hospital and Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center. 

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women worldwide, excluding skin cancer. 

“Unfortunately, one in eight women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime, so early detection is key,” said Dr. Paula Greaves, Wellstar’s chief women’s health officer. “There are some risk factors that women cannot change, such as genetics, but there are some that women can reduce, such as smoking and nutrition.”

Breast cancer is more treatable when it is caught early and treatment can start as soon as possible. 

“Mammograms are essential in early detection,” Dr. Greaves said. “It is recommended that women start getting mammograms at age 40, or earlier if there has been a family history of breast cancer — and to continue not only getting mammograms but seeing their gynecologist for regular breast exams.”

To ensure our communities are educated about cancer screenings and have access to essential care, Wellstar has partnered with the American Cancer Society’s Return to Screening initiative. 

“The American Cancer Society’s Return to Screening initiative has brought together mammography leaders from across the state for a meeting once a month to brainstorm and collaborate on ways to get women to have their annual screening mammograms,” said Lynn Hanks, executive director of medical imaging operations for Wellstar. “The learning collaborative allows us to share best practices and what has been successful at other locations.”

To schedule a mammogram, call (678) 581-5900. 

New Shockwave technology at Wellstar is expanding access to life-saving heart care.

If a patient has a complex calcium blockage in their heart arteries, this innovative technology will break up the blockage using sonic pressure waves. It safely cracks the calcium to prepare the artery for stent placement, keeping treatment efficient when time matters most. 

Calcium makes the blockage more difficult to reopen with traditional treatments, including balloons. Previously, if a patient’s artery could not be opened using a balloon, the patient would need to be transferred to Kennestone Regional Medical Center with open heart surgery capabilities to undergo an atherectomy — where a physician would break up the blockage with a small drill or laser.  With this new shockwave technology, open heart surgery services are not needed as a backup.

Wellstar’s talented and experienced interventional cardiologists are currently using Shockwave technology, also known as intravascular lithotripsy, to treat complex blockages at Kennestone, Cobb, Douglas, Paulding, North Fulton and West Georgia hospitals, allowing complex care to be performed expeditiously, safely and close to home.

Visit wellstar.org/heartcare to learn more about how Wellstar can keep your heart healthy. 

With minimally invasive spine surgeries and compassionate, expert caregivers, Wellstar’s spine patients are returning to their routines, pain-free.

Brenda Hawkins was having problems with her neck, and it got to the point where she couldn’t lift her arms above her head. 

As her issues got progressively worse, she sought care from neurosurgeons who were unable to treat her. Then, she went to Wellstar North Fulton Hospital, where she not only found a solution, but a true healthcare partner.

Dr. Basheer Shakir, a neurosurgeon at Wellstar North Fulton Hospital, specializes in spine and neck procedures that are minimally invasive, reducing recovery time for patients. Through the front of Brenda’s neck, he was able to remove discs that were pinching her nerves and causing neck and arm pain. She went home from the hospital the next morning.

A few months later, Brenda found herself struggling with a lower back issue that made it hard to walk. She returned to Dr. Shakir, who presented her with another option that was minimally invasive. This time, he did a procedure through the side of her spine to decompress her nerves and fuse her lumbar spine. She was able to walk out of the hospital three days later.

Brenda said Dr. Shakir is "such a great person and did a great job.”

“He's very personable. I just wanted to walk again, and he enabled me to do that,” she said.

Brenda is one of many patients who have benefited from spine surgery at Wellstar North Fulton Hospital. Spine surgery doesn’t just fix back pain — it can also address issues including weakness, loss of dexterity, numbness, bowel or bladder issues and improper posture. 

Solutions for long-term pain

Liz Helgesen had been dealing with low back pain for 20 years. She couldn’t sit for long periods of time, travel on long car rides or get dressed and put shoes on, and she was experiencing muscle spasms after performing simple tasks. To deal with the pain, she had tried several methods including exercise, yoga, physical therapy, dry needling and medication.

Dr. Shakir was also able to help Liz, performing a procedure to shave the bone and make room for the nerves that were being compressed.

Just three months after her surgery, Liz is able to turn and bend without back pain, and she has told her friends and other healthcare providers about how Dr. Shakir has helped her live more comfortably. 

Finding a healthcare family after injury 

Jeff Chandler has also been able to recover with the help of Dr. Shakir and the team at North Fulton. When Jeff fell off a roof last year, he snapped his pelvis in half and broke his ribs and right shoulder. His July 2020 surgery rebuilt his pelvis and sacrum, stabilized his lower spine and decompressed the nerves. 

Jeff said his inpatient rehabilitation care team at North Fulton became like family as he began recovery. He’s now able to walk again with no support after the surgery done by Dr. Shakir. 

“Dr. Shakir is great. He is kind, encouraging and realistic — which can be scary, but he is very thorough and a good listener,” Jeff said. “He focuses on the bright side of things and did an awesome job in surgery. He is confident and comfortable.”

Wellstar’s expert neurosurgeons can help stop pain, reduce spine degeneration and help you get back to your everyday routine.

“North Fulton offers state-of-the-art procedures and all modern, minimally invasive techniques that allow operations to be done outpatient or with a very short hospital stay with speedy recovery,” Dr. Shakir said.

To make an appointment with Dr. Shakir and find out if spine surgery is the solution for you, call (770) 664-9600.