Lynne Jacobs, 59, a former nurse practitioner of 23 years, has dedicated her life to caring for the health of others. When persistent mid-back pain that had long been dismissed as arthritis began spreading to her right side, she knew she needed to take action for her own health.
An MRI of her spine revealed an ependymoma, a rare spinal cord tumor that appears in approximately 1,000 diagnoses in the U.S. each year. Lynne’s tumor was expansive, spanning five vertebral levels of the thoracic (middle) spine.
As a medical professional, Lynne had done her research. She knew that surgery, and high-risk surgery at that, was the only treatment option. The surgeon from her first consultation had clear advice for her treatment: “The best guy is the guy who teaches all of us—go see him.”
That “guy” was Jean-Marc Voyadzis, MD, associate professor in the Department of Neurosurgery and co-director of the Center for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. “We knew right from the start that this was all going to happen at MedStar Georgetown,” Lynne says. “Dr. Voyadzis did a great job putting me at ease, and he was incredibly honest. This tumor was going to cripple me if I didn’t do something, and yet, the surgery to remove it could also cripple me.”
“She would have progressed to becoming wheelchair-bound,” says Dr. Voyadzis. “As this type of tumor grows, it disrupts all the tracts of the spinal cord and causes bowel and bladder dysfunction, loss of feeling, and ultimately causes paralysis.”
Dr. Voyadzis and his team were prepared for the complexity of the operation.
“We have a dedicated team at MedStar Georgetown to address these complex tumors,” Dr. Voyadzis explains. “We’re coordinating the care from neurosurgeons, neurologists, neuroradiologists, neuropathologists, and medical and radiation oncologists. We assess these tumors before the surgery in great detail. We also have the most advanced and most sophisticated neuromonitoring technology during the surgery.” The team monitors multiple structures of the spinal cord during surgery, in real time, to avoid causing undue harm while removing the tumor.
During an eight-hour laminectomy procedure, a portion of vertebra covering the spine was removed, and Dr. Voyadzis carefully exposed the spine over five different segments, dissecting the tumor away from the healthy portions of the spinal cord.
Lynne had prepared herself for the worst, severe impairment and rehabilitation post-surgery, but within 72 hours, she was able to take a few steps with a walker. With a walker, she returned home six days later and continued to build her strength through outpatient rehabilitation. A follow-up MRI revealed a complete removal of the complicated tumor by Dr. Voyadzis and his team. “I was very, very lucky,” Lynne says. Eight months later, Lynne is able to walk several blocks comfortably with the aid of a cane, and she can also ride a recumbent bike. A 21-year member of the Navy Reserve, as well as an avid swimmer and gardener, Lynne’s physical fitness pre-surgery has been an asset to her recovery.
Though she experiences back pain and some numbness, tingling, muscle weakness, and pain in her left leg, pelvic area, and right foot, she continues to pursue her life fully. Taking things at a slower pace and with some assistance for long distances, she has even been able to travel, including a trip to Orlando with her husband, Greg. Her recovery has been remarkable, exceeding all expectations of this highrisk intervention.
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Lynne Jacobs, 59, a former nurse practitioner of 23 years, has dedicated her life to caring for the health of others. When persistent mid-back pain that had long been dismissed as arthritis began spreading to her right side, she knew she needed to take action for her own health.