Life-changing spinal surgery helps M Health Fairview patient regain mobility

Sharon Werbowski’s symptoms were getting worse. By the time she met Christopher Martin, MD, a spine surgeon with M Health Fairview, numbness and weakness in her arms and legs were making it difficult to stand or walk without assistance and she was living in severe pain. 

As Martin and his team discovered, these severe symptoms had a complex cause.

The problem turned out to be threefold: Werbowski had a severe cervical deformity that was pushing her spine out of alignment and making it impossible to hold her head upright. She also had cervical myelopathy, which is a condition caused by severe pressure on the spinal cord. It was this pressure that was causing the numbness in her limbs. In addition, a bacterial infection had spread throughout her spine, adding to the weakness and numbness in her legs and making it impossible for her to walk.

Martin, who specializes in complex cervical deformities, ran a series of tests and obtained advanced imaging to get a full picture of what was happening in Werbowski’s spine. They planned for a three-part procedure to clear out the bacteria, address her severe deformity by realigning the spine into a neutral position, and alleviate the pressure on her spinal cord.

“Sharon had a number of ongoing chronic medical issues, but in spite of that, we felt that surgery was necessary,” added Martin. “Without surgery, she likely would have been permanently paralyzed.”

“Everyone on Dr. Martin’s team was extremely comforting and compassionate,” said Werbowski. “They made me feel like I had some hope.”

Martin and his team first went in to clear out the bacterial infection, then performed an anterior cervical fusion to remove the discs and arthritis material that was pinching Werbowski’s spinal cord. Martin also used a combination of plates and screws to put her spine back into normal alignment.

“Spinal cord compression can be dangerous for patients – it’s very damaging to their overall health and their ability to function,” said Martin. “Being able to intervene in a positive way and not just stop any progress but help restore patients to a higher level of function and get them back to the life they want to live is really rewarding.”

During the second procedure, Martin and his team placed rods and screws along the back of Werbowski’s neck to maintain her spinal alignment and to help achieve bone healing. Both of the surgeries were successful, and she has since seen significant improvement in her neck pain and overall function.

With the aid of physical therapy and support from a multidisciplinary team with M Health Fairview, Werbowski is back to walking with support from a walker and is able to hold her head upright again with much less pain.  

“Dr. Martin saved my life,” she said. “My spine is straight for the first time in my life and my severe pain is greatly alleviated. Because of Dr. Martin and his team, I have a future with my family.”

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