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Health and Wellness
NEUROSURGEON DR. SCOTT MEYER SAVES LOCAL RESIDENT FROM POSSIBLE PARALYSIS DUE TO DEGENERATIVE DISC DISEASE By: Atlantic NeuroSurgical Specialists “You are at risk of becoming a quad- riplegic.” Imagine hearing these words when your only symptoms prior to that day were not much more than a stiff neck? That’s exactly what happened to 32-year-old Joseph Chiarella of East Hanover, NJ. Mr. Chiarella started to feel neck dis- comfort back in early June, but he brushed it off, attributing it to sleep- ing or sitting in the wrong position. After all, he never had an injury or accident in his life. Over the course of a few months, his pain would increase and other symptoms began to arise, like numbness in hands, arms, fingers, and eventually into his chest and legs. On Saturday, October 18th, Chiarel- la woke up in such serious pain that it took him almost an hour to get out of bed. As the day progressed, so did his symptoms, which led to lack of control over his limbs. By the time he met Atlantic NeuroSurgical Specialists (ANS) spine surgeon Scott Meyer in the ER, he was terri- fied about his condition. After reviewing the patient’s MRI and per- forming a neurologic exam on him, Dr. Meyer knew time was of the essence. “Mr. Chiarella suffered from cervical disc herniations com- pressing his spinal cord and had rap- idly progressing symptoms. He had already lost most of the function in his lower extremities. Without mov- ing quickly and removing the discs that were applying pressure to the spinal cord, Mr. Chiarella ran the real risk of permanently losing movement and feeling in his limbs. Surgery could potentially restore the function he had lost that day and prevent him from not being able to walk or use his hands at all for the rest of his life. I operated as soon as possible, performing an anterior cervical discectomy and fusion.” How does a 32-year-old suffer from degenerative disc disease? “While the disease itself is seen more com- monly in older patients where symp- toms may develop gradually, younger patients can acutely develop symp- toms when a large disc herniates from the disc space,” says Dr. Meyer. “In Mr. Chiarella’s case, there was no specific traumatic event that led to this injury. He likely had moderate degenerative changes and more disc material herniated acutely, leading to rapid neurologic deterioration.” Degenerative disc disease is a term used to describe the loss of fluid in your discs. Discs that were once soft and compressible break down, or degenerate. Tears in the disc’s outer layer allow the gel-filled material normally inside the discs to escape, causing the disc to bulge or leave the disc space entirely. In the cervi- cal spine this can lead to spinal cord compression. After spending a couple days in the hospital and a stay in Atlantic Rehab Institute for a week, Mr. Chiarella completed his physical and occupa- tional therapy and was released to go home to his family, including his 3-year-old daughter, Isabella Rose. He is able to walk on his own and use his hands. “I want to thank Dr. Meyer,” says Mr. Chiarella. “I am so thankful for my health and he was instrumental in my diagnosis and treatment. I was faced with a lot in a short amount of time and Dr. Meyer really comforted me and walked me through every decision that had to be made. He made me feel at ease, was very explanatory, and I appreciated his knowledge and training in new tech- niques and technology that allowed me to go home to my little girl, Isabella Rose. She means the world to me.” For more information about ANS and Dr. Meyer, visi t www.ansdocs.com o r call 973.285.7800. Doctor’s Orders Avoid Bridges and Tunnels 310 Madison Avenue Suite 300 Morristown, NJ 07960 973.285.7800 11Overlook Road Suite 180 Summit, NJ 07901 908.516.2941 3700 Route 33 Neptune, NJ 07753 732.455.8225 781Route15 South Jefferson, NJ 07849 973.729.0266 Glenpointe Centre Atrium 400 Frank W. Burr Blvd. Teaneck, NJ 07666 201.530.7035 www.ansdocs.com Atlantic NeuroSurgical Specialists (ANS) is one of the nation’s leading neuro-surgical practices. Our sub-specialized practice consists of board-certified neurosurgeons, including 5 fellowship trained spine specialists, 3 fellowship trained endovascular surgeons and a team of fellowship trained brain tumor specialists offering minimally invasive endoscopic skull base surgery. We are nationally renowned and among the very best practicing medicine. This type of high level collaboration and multidisciplinary approach to surgery and care doesn’t happen everywhere, but it does happen here. With access to state-of-the-art equipment and the best treatment options available, patients no longer have to travel to big cities to get the advanced care they’re looking for — we’re in your backyard, ready to help you when you need us. For more information on ANS, vis it www.ansdocs.com o r call 973.285.7800 . Not sure about your insurance coverage?We can help! Ask to speak with our insurance counselor.PAGE 57