Lisa's story

Before arthritis began eating away at Lisa Teran’s spine, she enjoyed an active life as a mother and photographer. Over time, the effects of degenerating, bulging and collapsing discs significantly changed her lifestyle and overall well-being.

“It affected my left leg the most and got progressively worse,” Lisa recalled. “I couldn’t put much weight on that leg because of the constant pain, numbness, and tingling. I had to hold the rail to get up the stairs. I would often lose my balance and bump into the walls. And — remember back in school, when someone came up behind you and hit the back of your knee — well, my leg would do that on its own, give out and collapse, so I’d stumble.”

At 65 years old, Lisa knew she still had a lot of living to do, and she really wanted to be able to play with her grandkids. So, she went to see the neurosurgeon who had performed a microdiscectomy on her spine 13 years previously. He told her there was nothing more he could do.

Five months later, at her annual physical, Lisa’s primary care doctor referred her to Dr. Michael Steinhaus at the Intermountain Spine Institute. The moment she walked into his office, her life changed.

“Dr. Steinhaus was so positive from the very beginning. He talked to me about robotic surgery possibilities and was sure he could help me. I was really relieved! That day, right there in the office, I told him, yes, I wanted to do it.”

Dr. Steinhaus specializes in robot-assisted, minimally invasive spine surgery, which has numerous patient benefits, including less pain, less blood loss, lower infection risk, faster recovery and smaller scars.

Detailed X-ray and MRI scans allowed Dr. Steinhaus to evaluate Lisa’s condition. Initially, he scheduled her for spinal decompression/fusion surgery at L5-S1.

“I was happy about that, but I was also worried about my L4. It was in bad shape, and I thought it might also need surgery. But then Dr. Steinhaus called — after office hours, on the Friday night before my Monday surgery — to tell me that he’d been studying my MRIs and wanted to add decompression at L4-5. I was impressed by how thoughtfully and carefully he was considering my surgery!”

For insurance reasons, Lisa’s surgery and pre-op workup were scheduled at Lone Peak Hospital. She’d never been there before.

“Lone Peak was such a nice, pleasant surprise. I’d like to go there for everything,” Lisa exclaimed. “They took great care of me. After waking from surgery, they had me up and walking almost immediately. I only stayed at the hospital for one night.”

It ended up being a very difficult night. Sadly, Lisa’s brother passed away from stage 4 cancer while she was in the operating room.

“I cried all night, and the nurses were so kind. Their concern was for both my physical and emotional pain. Everyone at Lone Peak made sure I had everything I needed every step of the way — before, during, and after surgery.

“When I left the hospital, I remember being sent home with lots of care and concern and all the equipment I needed, including a back brace so that I could travel to my brother’s funeral.”

Now, six months after surgery, Lisa has regained the life she lost to arthritis.

“I feel like I’m ten years younger! I do strength training and boxing three times a week. I can run up the stairs. I have a happier disposition because I’m not in pain all day, every day. I was in pain because I didn’t know I had treatment options.

“I hope that the effects of this surgery last a long time. But if I have to do it again, I’ll go back to Lone Peak.”