Zina's Story - Back Surgery Helps Woman Get Back to Her Life

Zina Stepanenko was used to living with pain. The 56-yearold Lakewood resident had endured knee pain — the result of arthritis — for many years. Surgery relieved her knee pain, and Zina thought she was done with living in discomfort. But then she began to experience pain in her back that radiated down her leg.

"If I tried to walk just a few feet, I'd have shooting pains down my legs and numbness and spasms in my feet," Zina says. "The pain was affecting my quality of life — I couldn't even do simple chores, such as shopping or housework."

Searching for Pain Relief

An MRI in March 2010 showed that Zina had severe spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal cord that puts pressure on the nerves in the spine. Symptoms often get worse with time, and many people with spinal stenosis have difficulty walking. "The pain was really terrible," says Zina. "It got so bad that I couldn't stand for more than five or 10 minutes at a time."

Looking for relief, Zina saw her regular arthritis doctor, who referred her to a pain specialist. The pain specialist recommended a series of cortisone injections, a standard treatment for ongoing back pain, but the relief didn't last.

Surgery was the next option, and Zina knew she wanted to see a specialist for the procedure.

Locating an Expert Near Home

Zina found Aasim Kazmi, M.D., a neurosurgeon at Ocean Medical Center, using the physician directory on Meridian's Web site.

"From the moment I met Dr. Kazmi, I had a really good feeling about him," she says. "He was pleasant, patient, and very knowledgeable. And he spent a lot of time explaining the surgery to me."

Dr. Kazmi was confident surgery would help relieve Zina's pain and recommended a new, less invasive surgery called ILIF, or interlaminar lumbar instrumented fusion. "This type of surgery gives patients less postoperative pain and a quicker recovery," says Dr. Kazmi. "I thought it would be the best option for Zina."

Getting Back to Life

Zina had surgery on December 2, 2010, and was able to return home after just three days. She had physical therapy in the hospital and today does daily exercises she learned from Dr. Kazmi.

The work has paid off. "I'm able to stand and walk again without pain or numbness," Zina says.

Now that she's mobile again, she's looking forward to getting back to walking outdoors, gardening, and spending time with her two grandsons, Braeden and Damien. "It's such a relief to finally have the pain gone," she says.

 

About the Doctor

Aasim S. Kazmi, M.D.
Neurosurgery
Wall | 732-974-0003