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Putting the Pieces BACK Together After a bone-jarring car accident in January, Alexandra Tritto found herself in an ambulance on the way to CentraState Medical Center. The 21-year-old hairstylist from Morganville suffered a fracture in her fourth lumbar vertebrae and a broken collarbone. After her arrival at the hospital, Emergency Department physicians and staff stabilized Alexandra and delivered some frightening news: her fractured vertebrae could lead to permanent paralysis if her spinal cord was disturbed. Alexandra’s broken back would require extensive surgery, and she would have to lie completely still until its completion to avoid complications. Concerned about a lengthy recovery, Alexandra was hesitant to undergo the necessary surgery. However, Grigory Goldberg, MD, board-certified orthopedic surgeon with Advanced Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Institute and on the medical staff at CentraState, set her mind at ease by recommending a minimally invasive alternative to stabilize her fractured spine with nominal risk. “At first I was told I would need back fusion surgery, which scared me,” Alexandra says. “But Dr. Goldberg decided to perform a minimally invasive surgery that only a few surgeons in New Jersey can do. I was so grateful he chose to do that instead of a more invasive surgery.” The Rewards of Minimally Invasive Surgery Traditional lumbar fusion involves large, deep incisions in the muscle tissue in the back that allow surgeons access to the spine. Recovery from such surgery can be lengthy and painful. In contrast, the minimally invasive lumbar fusion performed by Dr. Goldberg uses several half-inch incisions. Muscle tissue is gently pushed aside, helping to reduce recovery time while minimizing the risk of scarring and pain after surgery. Dr. Goldberg performed the minimally invasive spinal stabilization procedure just two days after Alexandra’s hospitalization. She started walking the same day as her surgery and left the hospital just one day later, a feat Dr. Goldberg attributes to the experienced surgical team at CentraState. “We have extensive experience with minimally invasive surgery, such as the stabilization procedure I performed on Alexandra,” Dr. Goldberg says. “In these cases, it’s important to have a dedicated team of well-trained nurses and technicians in the operating room, and I believe that’s what sets CentraState apart.” Although she has enjoyed spending her recovery walking every day and honing her songwriting and photography skills, Alexandra is eager to begin physical therapy in August after the titanium rods and screws in her back are removed. “In addition to losing weight, each health condition that was discovered in my precertification process has been corrected, and I no longer take medication for any of them,” Alexandra says. To learn more about minimally invasive spine surgery at CentraState, call The Spine Institute of Central Jersey at (855) SPINENJ (855-774-6365) or visit www.centrastate.com/orthopedics. HD The Spine Institute of Central Jersey The Spine Institute of Central Jersey is certified by the McKenzie Institute International and offers custom therapy plans, specialized evaluation and treatment methodologies for back-related problems, and a multidisciplinary team of experts in: • Neurosurgery • Orthopedics • Pain Management • Rehabilitation • Sports Medicine