spine-education.org

FROM SURGERY TO A MARATHON: A TRAUMA SURGEON'S STRUGGLE WITH DEGENERATIVE DISC DISEASE
An Internationally Acclaimed Spine Surgeon's Operation on a Fellow Trauma Surgeon Leads to a Full Recovery and Will Culminate in the Completion of the Steamboat Springs Marathon

The remarkable journey of one surgeon's plight from a debilitating disease to the completion of a marathon with the help of another fellow surgeon, will serve as a testimony to the success of a total disc replacement procedure.  Nine short months after surgery on her lumbar spine, Dr. Jennifer Emmett, a surgeon-patient, will be competing in a marathon.

Dr. Jennifer Emmett is a female trauma surgeon at Denver Health Medical Center, the largest Level 1 trauma center in the state of Colorado.  Dr. Emmett was suffering from severe low back pain, which was detrimentally limiting her career and athletic lifestyle.  She was faced with an inability to care for her patients.  Dr. Emmett was diagnosed with a degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine.  She was referred to Dr. Michael Janssen to find a solution to this debilitating disease.

In September 2006, Dr. Janssen, using advanced technology, successfully completed a mechanical total disc replacement on the lumbar spine of Dr. Emmett.  After a short, yet full recovery period, this patient-surgeon has been able to return to her medical practice, athletic activities, and is currently training for one of the most competitive marathons in the world.  As a culmination to her journey from this disc disease, Dr. Emmett competed in the Steamboat Springs Marathon on Sunday, June 3rd, 2007.