Spine Surgery Restored a Patient’s Independence After Debilitating Sciatica

Janet Dionne, 66, has always led an active lifestyle. Her routine consists of walking, gardening, and often driving 70 miles to see her daughter Michelle Ertel in Belleville, Illinois. She and her husband also travel every year during the colder months to Florida for a winter vacation.

Unfortunately, she had to scale back her active lifestyle due to persistent pain in her left leg and lower back.

For six months, Janet had intense sciatic pain. Sciatic pain occurs from irritation, inflammation, pinching, or compression of the sciatic nerve.

“She stopped wanting to do the things she normally does,” Michelle says. “She didn’t make the trips down to come see us as often because her back and her leg were in too much discomfort.”

Janet saw a physical therapist and a local doctor who completed basic X-rays, a CT scan, and an MRI. They identified a synovial cyst, a fluid-filled sac that develops in joints of the spine, as the cause of her severe sciatica. The cyst blocked 90% of the nerves going through Janet’s spinal canal.

“It was no wonder I was in so much pain,” Janet says. 

Since Janet’s pain continued to worsen, Michelle, a nurse anesthetist at Memorial Hospital in Belleville recommended her mom see a physician Michelle works with, Bradley Budde, MD, a WashU Medicine neurosurgeon. 

“Being on this side of health care, it’s nice to advocate for a family member and help guide them,” Michelle says.

Dr. Budde performed minimally invasive spine surgery on Janet using an advanced visualization technology system, allowing him to access the spine with smaller incisions than used in a traditional open procedure. He inserted a tubular retractor into Janet’s spine, creating a hole in the affected area. Using the retractor allowed Dr. Budde to push the muscle and soft tissue out of the way and place small tools in the hole to operate on the spine.

He also used a microscope, high-resolution cameras, computer-assisted and robotic support, and current X-rays of the spine. With minimally invasive surgery, patients have less pain and smaller incisions.

Janet’s recovery was seamless. She was able to go home the day after surgery with instructions to walk every day. She now sees Dr. Budde for a follow-up every three months.

Like Janet, Michelle thinks her mom’s recovery has been smooth. Everything is back to normal as things were before her surgery.

“She’s doing awesome,” Michelle says. “She’s moving much easier and doesn’t complain of any pain.”

Janet’s back to the active life she had before the surgery. She not only walks on a regular basis, but she is now in water aerobics, back to gardening, and back to traveling to see Michelle often. Dr. Budde cleared her to go on her annual Florida vacation last winter. The only condition was she had to take consistent breaks to stretch her legs out and walk a little.

“He wanted to send me to physical therapy, but he said I could go [on the trip],” Janet says. “I made it just fine without any pain.”

Michelle and Janet appreciate how thorough, attentive, and communicative Dr. Budde and his team were with her care.

“Dr. Budde’s team and his office were very good with my mom,” Michelle says. “I thought that they did a really good job in their communication and coordinating everything.”

Learn more about our spine surgery options and post-surgery care.