From Excruciating Back Pain to No Pain – Thanks to Spine Surgery

Never let it be said that Michael Fletcher took it easy on his body.

The South Africa native spent his youth joyfully riding dirt bikes, violently tackling opposing rugby players and enthusiastically riding the waves in the Atlantic Ocean. As an adult, he continued his active pursuits while traveling the world. His career in telecommunications took him to far-off places (Sri Lanka and Senegal, just to name a few). It allowed him to tackle major projects such as providing internet access in underdeveloped countries. With his endless energy and trademark sense of humor, Michael could have starred in a Netflix documentary about how to get the most out of life.

That is until Father Time and the laws of biomechanics caught up with him several years ago. Old sports injuries flared up, leading to constant neck pain and a lack of fine motor skills. Even putting a key in a lock was challenging. Michael had cervical spine (neck) surgery in 2006 and again after he moved to the U.S. about 10 years later.

The surgeries significantly relieved his neck issues. However, lower back pain became a serious problem. At first, the pain was nagging, then bothersome and then excruciating.

“I could walk with minimal pain, but I couldn’t stand still for any length of time,” says Michael, now 59. “If I had to stand around at a work function or something like that, the pressure on my spine was unbearable. The pain was very much affecting my quality of life.” 

Time for a second opinion

In 2017, Michael went to see a spine specialist in Seattle, who told him he needed surgery to replace a damaged disk in his lower back. A disk is the rubbery material that separates each vertebra (spinal bone). The doctor’s advice was to delay surgery for as long as possible — essentially “grin and bear it.” Michael did so, but by 2022, he couldn’t take it anymore. So he scheduled an appointment with spine surgeon Viral Patel, MD, at UW Medicine.

“Dr. Patel has a calm, logical demeanor that is reassuring,” Michael says. “He told me, ‘I know you are uncomfortable, but we need to understand the cause of your back issues and make sure surgery will fix the problem.’ Talking to him and knowing he was with UW Medicine, which has such a great reputation for medical innovation, put me at ease.”

Extensive testing revealed Michael had degenerative disk disease in his lower spine. Unfortunately, disk replacement was no longer an option, and Patel recommended a more extensive surgery.

The procedure would involve making two large incisions, one on the front and one on the back of the torso. Patel would remove a damaged disk and replace it with a titanium “cage.” Then, he would fill the cage with donated bone marrow to promote healing. He would also fuse three vertebrae to provide stability. Titanium rods and screws would hold the rebuilt structure in place.

“I didn’t think surgery could possibly make my situation worse, so I decided to move forward,” Michael explains.

Signs of success

The 10-hour surgery took place at UW Medical Center – Montlake in January 2023. Michael remembers being in a lot of pain for the first week or so. Within 10 days of his surgery, he stopped taking prescription pain medication. He could sit and lie down without discomfort, as well as walk around his house unassisted. By the six-week mark, he knew the surgery had been a success.

A new lease on life

“Dr. Patel put me on restrictions for about nine months to give my body time to heal. At the nine-month mark, I was back at the gym. Now, I can run and go mountain biking and snowboarding, and two weeks ago, I went kite surfing with no pain. The surgery was a life changer for me,” Michael says.

Even Patel is surprised by how well Michael fared after surgery.

“I usually tell patients to expect an 80% improvement, but he is running closer to 100%,” Patel says.

Michael has a new lease on life and a message for anyone with debilitating back pain.

“Surgery always comes with risk, but it also has the potential to change your life,” he says. “If you are living with that kind of pain, see a specialist. If you are uncomfortable with their advice or it doesn’t work, don’t give up — see someone else.”