Russell Barling spent nearly four years living with pain.
Russell lived with chronic back pain for years. He chose Dr. Gigante for spinal fusion surgery.
Watch how his spinal fusion helped him return to golf, hockey, and the active life he thought he had lost forever. “They wanted to open up my back,” Russell says. “I left the office bewildered and scared.”
Russell Barling spent nearly four years living with chronic back pain.
After a serious fall, he suffered injuries to his spine that dramatically changed his daily life. Once an active husband, father, and sports enthusiast, Russell suddenly struggled with even the simplest activities.
Russell met with six neurosurgeons. He hoped to find answers. Instead, he left feeling scared and unsure.
“They wanted to open up my back,” Russell says. “I left the office bewildered and scared.”
Unsure of what to do, Russell delayed surgery. Instead, he relied on pain medicine. He slowly accepted a very different life.
Living With Chronic Back Pain Before Spinal Fusion Surgery
Before his injury, Russell loved spending time with his family and staying active. Ice hockey, golf, and swimming had always been a part of his life. As the years passed and his symptoms worsened, however, those activities became impossible.
“I wasn’t going to walk much longer,” he says. “I couldn’t bend over to put on shoes or underwear. I couldn’t get in the shower. I couldn’t do anything.”
The physical pain was difficult, but so was watching the life he loved slip away. Russell had always been independent and energetic. Simple tasks became difficult. Russell also worried his condition would keep getting worse.
Everything changed when his daughter recommended that he meet Dr. Gigante.
Finding the Right Spine Surgeon for Spinal Fusion Surgery
Russell remembers his first appointment with Dr. Gigante because it felt different from the start.
“When I went in to see Dr. Gigante, he said, ‘What do you want me to tell you that the other neurosurgeons haven’t?'”
Instead of overwhelming him with medical terminology, Dr. Gigante explained his condition in simple, straightforward language. Russell says that was the first time he truly understood what was happening in his spine and how surgery could help.
“He broke it down enough for me to understand what he wanted to do,” Russell says. “It was simple construction. He was going to reconstruct.”
That conversation gave Russell something he had been missing for years: confidence.
“The trust and confidence factor was far greater than what I felt in any other doctor’s office,” he says. “I looked at my wife and said, ‘We’ve got to use him.'”
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Why Spinal Fusion Was the Right Treatment
After years of worsening symptoms, Russell’s condition had reached the point where conservative treatments were no longer enough. Dr. Gigante recommended spinal fusion surgery. The goal was to stabilize Russell’s spine and relieve his pain.
Every patient is different. Spinal fusion may help when spinal damage causes pain, weakness, or trouble moving. It is often considered after nonsurgical treatments no longer help.
Life After Spinal Fusion Surgery
Russell didn’t know exactly what to expect when he woke up after surgery. He hoped the procedure would help, but after years of pain, he tried not to set his expectations too high.
What happened next still amazes him.
“I had none of the pain,” he says. “The pain in my hamstrings was gone. The pain in my toes was gone. My legs were one hundred percent better.”
When he saw his wife in recovery, the first words out of his mouth were simple.
“I am healed.”
For Russell, the moment was emotional. The pain was gone. For the first time in years, Russell felt relief and hope.
Recovering With Support
Russell says the surgery itself was only part of the experience. Throughout his recovery, he felt supported by both Dr. Gigante and the entire office staff.
“Every part of the journey was supported by the office and supported by Dr. Gigante,” he says.
Whenever Russell had questions, the team answered them. They explained what he was feeling and reassured him that his recovery was on track. That communication helped him feel confident as he returned to activities he once thought he’d never do again.
“They would answer me with something I could understand,” Russell says. “They’d explain that the tingling was part of the nerves healing and what my muscles were doing as I recovered.”
By six weeks after surgery, Russell was walking two and a half miles without pain. Soon after, he was cleared to return to the gym.
Getting Back to Golf, Hockey, and Everyday Life After Spinal Fusion
Today, Russell is thinking about things he once believed were gone forever.
After his accident, he threw away all of his hockey equipment because he couldn’t imagine ever skating again. Now, he’s considering buying a new pair of skates. He’s back in the gym, back to enjoying time with his family, and preparing to return to the golf course.
“I was told I could have my trainer start teaching me how to bend and swing a golf club again,” he says. “I’m looking forward to golfing this summer and having a great time with the family.”
Russell laughs when he talks about how he feels today.
“I’m back to feeling stupid and invincible like I was as a kid.”
For someone who spent years afraid of surgery and uncertain about the future, those words say everything.
“It was great,” Russell says. “It was a life-changing experience. And that’s where we’re at now.”
Could Spinal Fusion Surgery Help You Get Back to the Life You Love?
Russell returned to the gym. He started thinking about hockey again. He also looked forward to golfing with his family.
Every patient is different. The goal of spinal fusion surgery is simple. Reduce pain. Stabilize the spine. Help people return to the activities they enjoy.
If you have chronic back pain, leg pain, or trouble moving, our spine specialists can help. They’ll identify the cause of your symptoms and recommend the right treatment. That may include spinal fusion surgery or another option.
Schedule a consultation with Dr. Gigante. Learn about your treatment options. Find out if spinal fusion surgery can help you get back to the life you love.
Schedule a consultation with Dr. Gigante to take the next step toward feeling like yourself again.
About Dr. Paul R. Gigante
Dr. Paul Gigante is an accomplished neurosurgeon in Central Jersey and a proud member of Neurosurgeons of New Jersey, practicing out of their Livingston office located conveniently on South Orange Avenue. He is recognized as a leading spine surgeon for both minimally invasive and complex procedures. Dr. Gigante is a graduate of Harvard Medical School and completed his fellowship at Stanford University in functional neurosurgery. His specialties are deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s Disease and other nervous system disorders, spinal cord stimulation for chronic pain disorders, and surgical treatments for chronic nerve pain conditions. He also specializes in brain tumor surgeries. Dr. Paul Gigante is currently accepting new patients.
