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Article Category: PeopleCare

ValerieCare: Spine surgery success at Wellstar North Fulton Hospital

Published on March 08, 2021

Last updated 03:40 PM March 08, 2021

Valerie and her dog out in the woods.

One of Valerie Orff's favorite things is walking and hiking with her dog.

Valerie Orff was done with excruciating pain.

After suffering with severe back aches for 30 years, the Roswell resident had tried everything. Massage therapy, chiropractic care and even dry needling. But nothing provided permanent relief — until she went to Wellstar.

When Valerie’s pain, which had been steadily worsening over the past eight years, got to the point where she couldn’t play soccer with her grandchild, dance or sit on a motorcycle (one of her favorite past times), she told her primary care physician she needed a true solution. That’s when Wellstar stepped in.


Personalized Spine Care

Dr. Basheer Shakir, a neurosurgeon at Wellstar North Fulton Hospital, carefully and thoroughly examined Valerie and discovered what had been bringing her discomfort and slowing her down — a disc in her back was degenerating, and one of her vertebrae was moving back and forth on another one, instead of staying in place.

“This was causing back and leg pain that affected her daily activities and quality of life,” Dr. Shakir said.

Dr. Shakir knew Valerie was hesitant about getting surgery. But after spending time getting to know Valerie, and learning about her busy, active lifestyle, the two decided on a minimally invasive surgery that could quickly get her back to her routine.


Minimal procedure. Maximum results.

Valerie’s Wellstar team was able to perform a fusion operation by accessing the disc through her side, without traumatizing the muscles in her back. This shortened her hospital stay, minimized her pain after surgery and accelerated her recovery.

Although she had initially been nervous about spine surgery, Valerie said Dr. Shakir listened to her concerns, presented all her options and explained everything in detail so she knew what to expect. In short, he treated her as much more than just a “neuro patient,” but as a person.

Now, 12 weeks after surgery, Valerie is pain-free for the first time in three decades.

“I put my faith and trust in him, and now I can’t even tell you how good it is to get up every day and go to bed with no back aches. I sleep through the night, go to the gym and lost 15 pounds,” she said.

If you are struggling with back pain, Wellstar’s expert neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons can help you decide if spine surgery is right for you. 

Schedule an appointment with Dr. Shakir in North Fulton today.

Call Now

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Basheer Ahmed Shakir North Fulton Hospital Neuro Care
PeopleCare
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Doing good CPR is critical to save someone from cardiac arrest.

PeopleCare

KevinCare

There aren’t many people out there who can say they survived cardiac arrest at 30. Kevin Miskewicz can.

According to the American Heart Association, more than 90% of people who experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest die. Those who survive often have permanent neurological disabilities. But Kevin’s story has an incredibly fortunate ending, thanks to the highly coordinated work of his medical experts at Wellstar.

Recovering from cardiac arrest is something Kevin will never forget. It lives forever as a piece of his health history — one that includes a dedicated healthcare team — and his wife, who was the first to save his life.

There aren’t many people out there who can say they survived cardiac arrest at 30. Kevin can.

CPR to the rescue

Kevin woke up on Labor Day 2017 at 5:30 a.m. to take the dog out. Pausing to adjust the thermostat as he came in, he fell, knocking over a lamp.

He was in cardiac arrest.

With no symptoms and no known pre-existing condition, this was unexpected, but that didn’t stop his wife, Andrea, from jumping into action.

“If it weren’t for me knocking over a lamp when I passed out,” said Kevin, “she would have never woken up and saved my life.”

In addition to calling 911 and unlocking the door for the paramedics, Andrea performed CPR for 10 minutes.

“Kevin’s wife doing good CPR was critical,” said Dr. Arthur Reitman, the interventional cardiologist who was a vital part of Kevin’s treatment team at Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center. “More than five minutes of poor blood flow to the brain can result in permanent irreparable injury from which a patient is unable to recover.”

Coordinating multidisciplinary care to save a life

When paramedics arrived at Kevin’s home, he had no pulse and was not breathing. As the paramedics performed their lifesaving work, he technically died two times.

The ambulance took him to Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center, where he was initially assessed and treated by Dr. David Jacoboff. The interventional cardiologist implanted an intra-aortic balloon pump to stabilize him. Then, he transferred Kevin to Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center for highly specialized heart care.

When Kevin arrived at Kennestone by helicopter, his heart function wasn’t strong enough to support his body. Dr. Reitman and a team of doctors including a cardiologist, a pulmonologist and critical care doctors worked in tandem to put Kevin on an advanced life support system called veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Better known as VA-ECMO, it took the heart “offline” so it could heal. The technology removed unoxygenated blood from his body, oxygenated it and pumped it back in for the next three days.

“Very few places in the state — only four or five hospitals — have the technology and specialized training to put a patient on ECMO,” Dr. Reitman explained.

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Highlights

Wellstar Paulding Medical Center Launches Spine Surgery Services

Wellstar Paulding Medical Center now offers spine surgery, giving patients in Paulding County and surrounding areas access to expert care for spinal conditions. 

Spine surgery can help people like patient Ulysses Price find relief from chronic pain and get back to the activities they enjoy. 

“Low back pain is such a common complaint among patients, and there are a limited number of specialists who are able to address these concerns,” said Wellstar Neurosurgeon Dr. Phillip Parry. 

If you are experiencing neck or back pain or managing a spinal condition, Wellstar’s Neuro Care team will work with you to create a personalized care plan and decide if surgery is the most effective treatment option. Wellstar’s spine surgeons help patients with a variety of spinal conditions, including scoliosis, sciatica, arthritis, herniated disks and spinal deformities.  Our spine surgeons perform cervical disk replacements and cervical fusions for cervical neck pain syndromes and offer both simple and complex spine surgical options for patients with low back pain syndromes. 

Surgeons at Wellstar Paulding Medical Center also perform peripheral nerve decompression surgery for patients with carpal tunnel syndrome and other compression neuropathies. 

“Wellstar offers a unique opportunity for patients to receive comprehensive, compassionate and close-to-home care for whatever disease process they may have,” Dr. Parry said. “The spine care provided here at Wellstar is world-class.” 

Schedule an appointment with a neurosurgeon in Hiram by calling (770) 422-2326. 

Keep reading
Exterior photo of Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center. Wellstar, American College of Surgeons and Georgia Department of Public Health logos

Newsroom

Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center Reverified a Level II Trauma Center

Wellstar Health System, which has one of the largest trauma networks in the state, is proud to announce that Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center was again verified as a Level II Trauma Center by the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) and American College of Surgeons (ACS). Wellstar North Fulton has been a Level II Trauma Center since 1987 and was the first in Georgia to be verified by the American College of Surgeons in 2015. This marks the third time the hospital has been designated a Level II Trauma Center, demonstrating its commitment to patients in their time of need.

The option to be verified by the ACS is voluntary and is in addition to the State of Georgia designations. Only a handful of trauma centers are verified by the ACS in Georgia, even though they have state designations.

“This designation represents a unique distinction for a community hospital because it demonstrates we are managing trauma cases according to the highest national standards,” said Mark Gravlee, MD, trauma medical director, Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center. “We are reevaluated by the ACS every three years and continue to meet their rigorous standards, so patients in North Fulton and surrounding communities can rest assured they’ll be cared for expertly and with excellence now and well into the future.”

Wellstar North Fulton’s highly skilled trauma team is ready 24/7 to save lives. Level II Trauma Centers provide 24-hour immediate coverage by general surgeons, as well as coverage by the specialties of orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, anesthesiology, emergency medicine, radiology and critical care. They also offer trauma prevention and continuing education programs for staff, and a comprehensive quality assessment program. Wellstar North Fulton has board-certified trauma surgeons standing by to offer a heightened level of care.

“We are proud to receive this designation again, and more importantly, to be able to offer the advanced care our patients in Northeast Atlanta suffering from accidents, incidents and injuries need,” said Jon-Paul Croom, president, Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center and senior vice president, Wellstar Health System. “This designation is a shining example of our commitment to deliver world-class care to every patient, every time.”

Other trauma centers across the System include Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center (Level II), Wellstar Cobb Medical Center (Level III), Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center (Level IV), and Wellstar Paulding Medical Center (Level IV). Wellstar’s Trauma Network serves patients across the state of Georgia, and the health system is proud to play a critical role in Georgia’s trauma network, collaborating with peers across the state to ensure patients receive the care they need.

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