The Story of Medtech

The Story of Medtech

Brett Gibbs

Brett Gibbs had tried everything to treat his skin cancer: Surgery and topical treatments had only provided temporary relief, if any relief at all. The cancerous lesions covered his scalp, head, face, and neck, and they seemed to be multiplying by the day.

Brett wasn’t just scared for his health; he was scared about what other people might think when they looked at him.

“People stare all the time,” Brett said.

Brett’s worst fears materialized when he was let go from his job as a security guard due to his condition.

“I was gutted,” Brett said. “I really can’t describe it. I was ashamed – I had always been paranoid about my skin. I had horrible thoughts in my head going home, and I was totally embarrassed. It was a dark day.”

That darkness pushed him back to his doctor’s office. He knew he needed a new care plan. His doctor agreed and recommended an innovative form of radiotherapy: Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT).

VMAT focuses very small radiation beams with individualized intensities on a patient’s cancer. The beams are then rotated 360 degrees around the patient, to attack the cancer at all angles, while avoiding critical organs and healthy tissue. The treatment is completely personalized based on the patient’s unique diagnosis – usually determined with a CT or PET scan – and lasts just a few minutes.

“It was a good treatment option for Brett, because really he has tried [other] treatments and failed,” Brett’s doctor, Dr. Sinclair, said. In fact, before discovering VMAT, Brett had endured more than 100 individual skin cancer removal surgeries.

As Dr. Sinclair’s research partner Dr. Burke points out, “Surgery has always been the mainstay of treatment of skin cancers. But for many of these high-load tumor patients [like Brett], they have wide areas of cancerous change, whether it’s pre-invasive cancer or actual cancer. Surgery can’t cope with that, because there’s a cosmetic detriment if you’re excising or cutting out large areas of tissue. [With the radiation treatment], we can treat large areas of cancer and pre-cancer and keep good cosmetic outcomes, despite treating a significant volume of disease.”

Brett is case in point. His face is clear, his skin looks healthy, and he has not had any recurring cancers since undergoing VMAT.

“As treatment progressed, I noticed people were not staring at me anymore,” he said. “As my face got better, my confidence returned, and I started to go out. I felt like I was getting my life back thanks to the therapy, and I am no longer afraid of a camera. I feel like a new person.”

Brett’s not the only patient benefitting from VMAT technology.

“We’ve now done more than 4,000 patients,” said Dr. Sinclair. “The results have been, not to understate it, quite spectacular and far better than we anticipated. We’ve had more than 99 percent of cancers cleared.”

Dr. Burke puts it this way: “It is extraordinarily life-changing for these patients.”

Patients like Brett, who reports that he’s never been happier. He recently hung mirrors in his home for the very first time. And he had wedding photos taken with his wife and family, after refusing to have photos taken on their wedding day in 2013 because of how his skin looked.

“[He’s a] totally different person,” said Brett’s wife, Genevieve. “He was always aware people were staring at him. But now he’s the one walking down the street saying, ‘hi.’”

Learn more about how medical technology is helping people with cancer.

This story was adapted from an original story by ABC.

The post A Quest for Comfort in His Own Skin: Brett Gibbs’ Story appeared first on AdvaMed.

The Story of Medtech

The Story of Medtech

Donna Beverly

Donna Beverly entered her doctor’s office for a routine chest x-ray and left with a referral to an oncologist. The resulting news was devastating: Stage three cancer on her right lung.

“When they first diagnosed me with lung cancer, the first think I thought was that I was going to die immediately,” said Donna. “I didn’t know how much time I had.”

Donna’s fears weren’t unfounded. Eighty percent of stage three lung cancer patients don’t survive more than two to three years after diagnosis.

But Donna was determined to pursue immediate and aggressive treatment. Her care team scheduled her for surgery, a lobectomy. Surgeons would remove the upper lobe of her right lung where the tumor was growing.

Donna’s lobectomy was successful, and for about a year, Donna was cancer free. She felt optimistic about the future. Then, everything changed.

Donna’s doctors discovered bone lesions from her original cancer, which had, against all odds, spread to her lymph nodes and into the bones in her arms and legs. Again, Donna was prepared to fight back.

Doctors opted for radiation therapy, one of the most common and successful treatments for people with cancer. In fact, more than 50% of people diagnosed with cancer will receive radiation therapy at some point during their care.

In Donna’s case, her doctors would use computer-guided radiation. A robot would use real-time anatomical images to pinpoint Donna’s lesions and attack them directly with thousands of high-energy photon beams. During treatment, Donna watched her personal robot move and bend around her to get every possible angle.

After several rounds with the robot, in addition to several chemotherapy and immunotherapy regimens, Donna was cancer free, and she remained cancer free for the next two years. But then, again, Donna experienced a recurrence, this time just in her right lung. Donna worried she was out of treatment options.

“I had already exhausted all avenues for radiation at that point, with all the radiation I had received for the bone lesions,” she explained.

But Donna’s health care team wasn’t giving up. Donna’s case was elevated for review by the Miami Cancer Institute Tumor Board, a multidisciplinary team of oncologists, radiologists, surgeons, and other specialists.

“She was at the tail end of exhausting all her options for further treatment, until she came to see us,” said her doctor. “The advantage of the Tumor Board is really putting more eyes on the disease process. You’re more likely to come out with a treatment algorithm that’s the most appropriate and that’s going to benefit the patient most.”

The Tumor Board decided that Donna could benefit from robotic-assisted surgery. During robotic-assisted surgery, a surgeon will thread a 3D camera through a small incision made between the ribs. Other surgical instruments attached to a robotic system are inserted through additional incisions. Then, the surgeon will sit at a console next to the patient and control all of the instruments, including the camera, to remove cancerous and damaged lung tissue. This way, the surgeon can avoid opening up the chest or spreading the ribs.

The Tumor Board warned her that the surgery would be extremely complex and challenging but had the potential to end her battle with cancer once and for all. Donna was elated.

“That was like going from one closed door to another open door,” she said. “They never gave up on me. They gave me a second chance by going over my case again.”

During Donna’s robotic-assisted surgery, her surgical team removed her entire right lung as well as a portion of the sack around her heart. The cancer was gone.

“I feel fantastic,” said Donna. “I’m out and about, plugging away, getting my strength back, and having fun with [my great niece] Mia. I’m realistic and don’t take anything for granted but I’ve been given a second chance in life, and I’m so thankful for that.”

Donna hopes other cancer patients can learn from her experience and even find inspiration from it.

“Stay strong, stay focused, stay positive,” she said. “Do a lot of research, ask a lot of questions, and if you don’t understand something, ask more questions. Challenge your care team to go further, do better, and offer you more options.”

Learn more about how medical technology is helping people with cancer.

This story was adapted from an original story by Baptist Health South Florida.

The post From Cancer Patient to Cancer Survivor: Donna’s Story appeared first on AdvaMed.

The Story of Medtech

The Story of Medtech

Kelly Rader-Murphy

Finding a Garden of Growth: Kelly’s Story

Kelly Rader-Murphy relishes her active, busy lifestyle.

“I have a rather large family,” Kelly said. “My husband, Tom, and I have six kids. We both work and coach volleyball and try to get in a couple of vacations a year. We do all the normal stuff that families do.”

So when a cancer diagnosis threatened to disrupt the things that mattered most, Kelly was determined to be her best advocate.

Thanks to a talented team of doctors and an innovative medical technology, Kelly got her “more” with and has been living cancer free for the past three years.

A Tough Diagnosis

Kelly’s journey with cancer began on a day like any other, in the kitchen cleaning up for the day.

“I was unloading my dishwasher, and I had left the upper cabinet door open,” Kelly explained. “So, when I lifted up, I punctured my head [on the edge of the cabinet door].”

She treated it as she would have treated any wound, cleaning it and keeping it covered. But it wasn’t responding to her treatments.

“There were some obvious concerns, because there was a puncture wound,” said her husband, Tom. “We were looking after it. But after several weeks, it didn’t seem to be closing up like we thought is should. We were concerned enough to the point that we thought we should have it looked at professionally.”

Kelly and Tom headed to the doctor. The doctor knew something wasn’t right.

“My doctor used a scope to look at the injury,” Kelly said. “Almost immediately he was concerned. He said, ‘I think this is cancer.’”

Kelly and Tom were shaken.

“When somebody tells you that you have cancer, it’s scary,” said Kelly. “This particular diagnosis was tough for us.”

“I was most afraid about what it meant for our family,” said Tom. “We had two rather young girls at home still, and I wanted them to know their mother into adulthood. I wanted my wife. I was worried that I was about to lose all of that.”

Further testing confirmed that Kelly had a basal cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer that begins within the skin cells that produce new skin cells as old ones die off. Her doctors recommended Mohs surgery, a procedure during which the doctor removes and examines thin layers of cancer-contaminated skin until only cancer-free tissue remains.

“My doctor explained that the Mohs surgery was really the best option for me,” Kelly said. “It would guarantee that I would have no trace elements of the cancer. He set the expectation that I would come

in for day’s surgery, he would remove the cancer, and then hide the scar in my hairline. I felt pretty good about it.”

An Unexpected Turn

“On March 20, 2017, I went in for a very routine Mohs surgery,” said Kelly. “I was excited that it would be over soon and that I would be done with cancer.”

Unfortunately, Kelly’s cancer went much deeper into her scalp than her doctor anticipated.

“At each stage of the surgery, they take about a millimeter or two – about the thickness of a needle – from your scalp,” said Kelly. “Normally they only have to go one or two stages. We finished stage two, and the doctor came in and said, ‘I’m sorry, but we’re going to need to go again.’ So, we went back in for stage three. Then stage four and stage five. What was supposed to have been a two-hour procedure had taken from 8 a.m. to almost 5 o’clock at night.”

Finally, the doctor had removed all traces of Kelly’s cancer. But, because he’d had to cut so deeply into Kelly’s skull, he couldn’t close her wound properly. He transferred Kelly to the hospital to meet with a plastic surgeon.

“It scared the hell out of me,” said Tom.

Kelly’s plastic surgeon recommended a flap procedure, where he would lift healthy, living skin from a different part of her body and move it to cover her wound.

“The pro is that it’s a very common procedure,” said Kelly. “The con is that I probably wouldn’t grow hair in the area around my original wound. So I asked him if there were other options. That’s when he mentioned [an innovative medical technology].”

Kelly’s plastic surgeon described an innovative medical technology that can temporarily act as the epidermis for the skin while the body takes time to regenerate its own skin naturally. Once Kelly’s skin in the area of her wound had rebuilt some cellular structure, her plastic surgeon could perform a simple skin graft.

“I liked the idea,” said Kelly.

Kelly’s plastic surgeon placed the technology in the wound and scheduled a skin graft surgery for a few weeks later. All went well, but Kelly’s doctor reminded her that hair growth would happen slowly, and she would likely never grow hair at the source of her wound.

What happened next was a surprise to everyone.

A Miraculous Recovery

“It was just a couple of weeks after the grafting surgery,” said Tom. “Kelly’s scalp was healing, and we were cleaning the area, and we noticed some stubble.

“I didn’t want to believe it,” said Kelly. “I had been told I was going to be bald.”

Kelly went to see her plastic surgeon the next day. He confirmed that her hair was indeed growing back.

“I thought, ‘That’s awesome,’” said Kelly. “I’m only going to be bald in that original wound spot.”

“There was less than a 25 percent chance that it could happen,” said Tom. “It was very exciting to know that at least in that area, her hair was going to regrow.”

Then, Kelly and Tom received more good news.

“The doctor said, ‘No, I think there’s actually hair growing in the original wound,’” said Kelly. “He said it was really miraculous, because I shouldn’t have had any hair.”

Within a few more months, Kelly’s hair had grown longer and healthier. Today, her surgical site is completely covered over, and she is back to enjoying the things she loved to do.

“I’m back to everyday life, everyday things,” said Kelly. “I can coach again. I can be in the gym. I have no worries, and I’m cancer free.”

Kelly and Tom both credit the technology for Kelly’s outcome.

“Had it not been for [the technology], I don’t feel this would have gone nearly as well,” said Tom.

“It’s like the technology created a garden for my cells and my hair, and otherwise it could have been a desert,” said Kelly. “I’m forever grateful.”

Learn more about how medical technology is continually advancing wound care.

The post Finding a Garden of Growth: Kelly’s Story appeared first on AdvaMed.

The Story of Medtech

The Story of Medtech

Hawke Adams

A History of Hope: The Adams Family’s Story

11-year old Hawke Adams loves to draw and build with Legos. He wrestles with his brothers and pretends to throw Spidey webs at his sisters. As his father, Jason, puts it, “He’s full of life”.

This description is particularly salient considering Hawke was born with no heart rate and was resuscitated nearly 20 minutes later.

The complications surrounding Hawke’s birth have paved a difficult road – Hawke has suffered from hydrocephalus and he has cerebral palsy – but not an insurmountable one.

“There was a lot of uncertainty on how much progress Hawke might make,” said Jason. “But he’s made phenomenal progress. I’m confident that technological breakthroughs could provide an even better quality of life for him and other children and adults with hydrocephalus.”

A Chance Against All Odds

When Hawke and his twin brother, Jaxon, were still in the womb, Carmen, their mother, was warned the pregnancy may be challenging.

Around 18 weeks, doctors discovered Hawke and Jaxon had twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, meaning their shared placenta had connecting blood vessels, resulting in one twin receiving most of their necessary nutrients and putting both brothers at risk for heart failure.

“At the time, there were only 12 doctors in the nation performing the necessary surgery our twins needed,” said Jason. “We were blessed one of them was nearby.”

Doctors prepared for fetoscopic laser ablation surgery. They would use guided ultrasound technology to see into Carmen’s uterus and use just one tiny instrument – a fetoscope – to locate the abnormal blood vessel connections and cauterize them with laser energy.

Hawke’s and Jaxon’s surgery went well but eventually sent Carmen into premature labor. Doctors admitted and treated Carmen with medication for six weeks but were then forced perform an emergency C-section 12 weeks before Hawke’s and Jaxon’s due date.

 “It was the best and worst day of our lives,” said Jason. “Both of our sons were born dead. One graduated to heaven, and one came back to life after being dead for 20 minutes. It was really surreal.”

As Jason and Carmen were adjusting to their new reality – one baby, Hawke, instead of two – they were faced with more bad news. Hawke’s traumatic birth had caused a brain bleed resulting in obstructive hydrocephalus.

A Medtech Intervention

Huddled together in the NICU, Jason and Carmen digested the diagnosis: Hawke was experiencing hydrocephalus, meaning too much cerebrospinal fluid had built up in the ventricles deep within his brain. That buildup was causing pressure on his brain, and, if left untreated, could damage his brain tissue permanently.

“First, the doctors were just going to monitor Hawke and see if we needed to consider surgery to drain the fluid,” said Jason. “Our primary doctor stayed overnight, past the end of his shift to make sure Hawke made it through the night.”

Hawke did survive the night, and his 3-month hospital stay, but it was clear he would need eventual intervention. Hawke’s doctors suggested ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunting. This requires brain surgery to implant a catheter and a pressure valve to drain the excess fluid from the brain.

At nine months old, Hawke underwent VP shunt placement surgery. His first shunt revision occurred merely 3 months later, and he spent his first birthday in the hospital.

“The prognosis was very vague at that point,” said Jason. “I look back, and remember the doctor telling us that, even with the surgery, he might not be able to live like we hoped. There was a lot of uncertainty.”

As Hawke was recovering from his traumatic birth and surgery, he began intensive therapy to spur developmental progress.

“He was attending up to twelve appointments a week,” said Jason. “It was very slow, and the milestones that others might not consider to be milestones became milestones for us. Simple movements, even smiles, were just huge for Hawke.”

Although Hawke was advancing in therapy, his shunting required frequent revisits. By the time he was four, he had endured nine additional surgeries to fix or replace his shunt.

“Shunting is the leading way to treat hydrocephalus, but it’s still incredibly risky and failure-prone,” said Jason. “Our story, and the stories I hear from other families navigating this disease, are emotionally moving and frustrating at the same time.”

Still, despite every obstacle, Hawke continued to set and surpass many goals.

“We didn’t know if he was going to be able to eat on his own,” said Jason. “And now he loves to eat nachos and pizza. We didn’t know if he was going to be able to crawl or even turn over on his own. Three years ago, he started to walk without crutches, and he navigates the house on his own.”

Hawke’s personal growth was just as impressive as his physical growth.

“He’s had the best attitude since he was born,” said Jason. “He has a good sense of humor. He’s really friendly, personable, and optimistic.”

Today, Hawke’s life looks somewhat similar to other kids’, with the exception of occasional therapy, disease monitoring, learning delays and challenges, such as headaches, he encounters as result of his hydrocephalus. His therapy focuses on addressing the learning delays and evolving his fine motor skills and mobility. Disease monitoring requires MRIs annually.

“It’s been so long since he’s had a brain surgery. I am very concerned about a potential shunt failure or hydrocephalus complication requiring brain surgery as the current primary treatment has a high failure rate,” said Jason. “That’s why it’s so important to me that we’re pursuing a breakthrough, a cure for hydrocephalus.”

Jason himself is on the frontlines of the charge toward a cure, serving as a co-Director at the Pediatric Hydrocephalus Foundation in his spare time.

Advocating for a New Answer

The Pediatric Hydrocephalus Foundation (PHF) helps educate the public about hydrocephalus and raise awareness among policymakers to push for more research and funding into the disease. PHF also serves as a support network for the hydrocephalus patient community.

“There are so many people who don’t know about the condition,” said Jason. “Without everyone’s support, progress is going to be difficult. We need to increase awareness and we need funds to invest in reserach.”

Hydrocephalus shunting has improved incrementally over the last 60 years, but more research and development is desperately needed, especially considering the significant risks associated with the procedure and its maintenance.

Today, pressure valves used to drain fluid can be fixed or adjustable, meaning the rate of draining can be changed in real time after implantation, potentially avoiding additional revision surgeries. Catheters are coated with antibiotics to help reduce site infections. Innovative neuronavigational technology allows doctors access to the brain without a major incision and can pinpoint the best place for shunt implantation.  

Still, especially in children, there is a high rate of complication. The management of hydrocephalus has challenged doctors and innovators alike because of the unique nature of the disease in each patient.

“I work as a manufacturing engineer, so I’m always applying my problem solving here,” said Jason. “With collaboration and resources we can make progress in how we treat hydrocephalus. We need to collaboratively be pursuing a breakthrough.”

Jason shares this message with whoever will listen. He organizes fundraisers, reviews and provides input on what research grants are worthy to invest into, and draws people into the PHF’s social media channels, even persuading his congressional representative to join the Congressional Pediatric and Adult Hydrocephalus Caucus. Jason also succeeded in passing a Resolution by the Michigan House of Representatives recognizing September as Hydrocephalus Awareness Month.

“This work is really personal to me,” Jason said. “It impacts my family personally. Beyond that, I want everyone in the hydrocephalus community to live the highest quality of life as possible. The more we advocate and increase awareness the better.”

You can help, too. Learn more about PHF and about how innovative medical technology is helping people live healthier, more productive lives.

“There are so many stories within the hydrocephalus community, Hawke is just one of countless,” said Jason. “That’s why I keep raising awareness. I know we have the ability to find them a better treatment or cure.”

The post A History of Hope: The Adams Family’s Story appeared first on AdvaMed.

The Story of Medtech

The Story of Medtech

Kent Stephensen

When Kent Stephenson arrived at the hospital after a serious motorcycle accident, his doctors assessed his injury and told him straight, “You’re paralyzed from the waist down, you’ll never feel anything there, and you’ll never regain any mobility or function. You’ll live from a wheelchair for the rest of your life.”

Kent had shattered an entire vertebra, and there was no way to repair it.

“How I took that…From that point on, my life was starting to end versus continuing to be an adventure,” Kent said. “That’s how I felt.”

But Kent’s despair quickly fed a new motivation to overcome his injury and live his best life possible.

“Soon enough, the first thing I did was start looking at centers that offered rehab and locomotor training.” Kent said.

Kent found what he was looking for: a team of doctors conducting revolutionary experimental therapy for people with spinal cord injuries.

Thanks to that therapy, Kent has stood independently, walked, and even danced at his own wedding.

“Before, it was just understood that I would never take a step again,” said Kent. “But that was wrong.”

The Accident

Kent’s fascination with motorsport began at a young age.

“Growing up, we started out with go karts, then we got into bicycles and everything else,” Kent said. “My grandpa took me to my first supercross race as a kid. Seeing it instilled me with this want. That’s what I wanted to do.”

Kent began training, and was working to qualify for professional-level competitions.

“There was a couple of races left and then I would have my pro points, where then I could race the stuff you see on TV,” said Kent.

But, unfortunately, as he was preparing for those last few races, Kent’s progress ground to a halt.

“I was testing a motorcycle I had just got,” Kent said. “I was doing a 100-foot jump. And right off the face of that jump, my main motor just locked up. It had me pinned, and then it just tumbled, tumbled, tumbled.”

Kent knew immediately his injury was serious.

“People came over and asked, ‘Are you OK?’ and I said, ‘No,’” Kent said. “People asked if I could get up, and I said no.”

Kent was rushed to the hospital, and doctors delivered the grim prognosis.

“I was supposed to be an individual who would live and die from this [wheel]chair,” Kent said. “That’s what they told me.”

Kent’s doctors explained that medical theory has always suggested that the brain controls all movement. During a spinal cord injury, the brain loses its connection to the spinal cord, and so the brain cannot make the spinal cord create movement.

Yet, just down the road, a group of doctors was challenging that theory and rethinking the entire human motor system. And they were accepting patients like Kent to test their new understanding.

An Experiment with Epidural Stimulation

As Kent conducted research into the best rehabilitation programs for people with spinal cord injuries, he came across a video. A man who had sustained a spinal cord injury and was paralyzed from the waist down was wiggling his toes. Kent’s interest was piqued.

“I saw the video and it was like: This dude’s got a switch and it makes him normal,” said Kent. “I found out through the grapevine that they had a guy in Louisville who was putting in epidural stimulators for these people, people like me, and they were seeing some very interesting things happen.”

These doctors had discovered that although the brain is the primary controller of movement and function, the spinal cord circuitry is just as smart and adaptable as the brain.

As one doctor puts it: “The spinal cord itself can learn, remember, and make decisions just like the brain. The spinal cord can stimulate the patterns of movement on its own.”

But for spinal cord injury patients, the spinal cord has lost its state of excitability. That’s where the epidural stimulator comes in.

The epidural stimulator’s lead is placed in the lower spinal cord, where it generates an electric field. That electric field helps nearby viable neurons function like they did before injury. In many people, over time, that translates into independent movement.

Kent wanted to be one of those success stories. So, he had an epidural stimulator implanted, and began rehabilitation therapy.

“It’s five days a week, two sessions a day,” said Kent. “It started with moving a toe, then it started with an ankle, then it started with a leg. 12 sessions in, I got my first volt of independence in standing.”

Kent’s improvement continued to amaze him and his health care team.

“It got to the point where it just happens naturally,” said Kent. “I just lean forward on my walker, and I think I want to stand, and I stand. And my legs, they hold me.”

As exciting as it is to see his legs move and hold his weight, it’s even more exciting for Kent to feel the sensation.

“The biggest thing for me is feeling it, because after that injury you feel nothing,” said Kent. “Now, when you execute these movements, you actually feel them.”

Kent harnessed that excitement into progress as he kept his eye on one singular goal: to stand at the end of the aisle on his wedding day.

Milestones Reimagined

“One of the first things that hits you when you’re in the hospital is: Am I ever going to get married and am I ever going to have kids?” said Kent.

Thanks to Kent’s work with the epidural stimulator, both of those dreams seem well within reach.

“I’m married now, and the epidural stimulator gave me the ability to stand at my wedding,” Kent said. “As soon as she started walking down the aisle that emotion just hit me. I don’t really cry but I was bawling.”

And after the ceremony concluded, Kent was able to dance.

“I got to dance with my mom, and that was so awesome.”

Now, Kent is excited about starting a family.

“I feel so close to the kids thing,” said Kent. “I know it’s coming.”

Kent continues to gain strength and function with each rehabilitation therapy appointment. He’s confident that eventually, he’ll be out of his wheelchair for good.

“It’s been an amazing journey. I can work out now and go hunting fishing, and trailing. I feel really good,” Kent said. “I really think it’s going to give me the ability to get out of this chair.”

This story was adapted from a video originally published by Bloomberg.

The post Chasing Recovery One Step at a Time: Kent’s Story appeared first on AdvaMed.

The Story of Medtech

The Story of Medtech

Stephanie Fabrizio

Stephanie was enjoying her usual workout – swimming a mile at the local aquatics center – when her arm grew unusually heavy. Eventually, she could hardly complete her stroke. She knew something was wrong, but her doctors couldn’t identify the problem. So, they turned to innovative medical technology.

A Swimmer’s Soul

For Stephanie, swimming was more than a hobby: it was a way of life.

“I began swimming when I was very young, probably around the age of 5 or 6, and I started swim team around the age of 7,” said Stephanie. “It’s been something I’ve been passionate about my entire life.”

So when one day, her stroke became more and more difficult, she was concerned.

“I had noticed some difficulty swimming,” Stephanie said. “My arm had become heavy and the stroke alone was becoming more and more difficult.”

It wasn’t until the next morning when she knew something was terribly wrong.

Fear and Comfort Collide

“On the morning of January 11, I woke up, and my arm had turned completely purple, and it was heavy,” Stephanie said. “I was scared.”

Stephanie checked into the emergency room the same day. Her health care team struggled to make a diagnosis. Eventually, thanks to innovative diagnostic imaging technology, doctors discovered the source of the problem.

“I actually had not one, but two blood clots in both of my subclavian veins,” Stephanie said. “I was told I would need surgery.”

As Stephanie prepared for surgery, she grew more and more fearful.

“It was very scary,” she said. “I didn’t know what it would mean for me long term.”

Stephanie was not only worried about enduring major surgery and recovery; she was also worried that her surgery might mean an altered lifestyle. Stephanie was worried she might not swim again.

“When I thought I may not be able to swim again, it was devastating,” she said. “It was something I couldn’t picture my life without.”

Stephanie took her concerns to her doctor. Her doctor responded with medtech.

A Solution in Innovation

“I went to the hospital on May 12, and I felt confident in the doctor, and I felt confident that he would be using [an innovative medical technology],” said Stephanie.

The doctor would remove Stephanie’s first rib, and he would use video-assisted surgery technology called a laparoscope to aid in visualization, since the distance from the incision to the surgical site was relatively far. Stephanie’s surgery went smoothly, and she was back in the pool within a few months.

“The good news is, I’m back to swimming,” Stephanie said. “I will never forget the doctor saying to me, ‘Get back to your life, do what you love to do. Get back to swimming. Things are going to work out.’”

Learn more about innovative visualization and mapping technologies.

The post A Return to the Water: Stephanie’s Story appeared first on AdvaMed.

The Story of Medtech

The Story of Medtech

Jenny Smith

Jenny Smith has always been a competitor. Whether she’s on the river or the rugby court or the pageant stage, Jenny plays to win.

“I love the joy and the satisfaction I get from athletics,” said Jenny. “It’s been a big source of stress relief, and a way to channel my emotions.”

But for Jenny, sports are bigger than herself: they’re about community and collective growth.

“When I started playing competitively, I was around other people like me, and I got to learn from them,” she said. “That’s when I really started learning what independence could look like for me.”

Now, 30 years after sustaining a spinal cord injury and being paralyzed from the chest down, Jenny is a multi-sport para-athlete, and she’s an advocate for others striving to live full, productive lives in the face of their own traumas.

Experiencing and Adapting to Injury

Jenny had been a gymnast since she was three years old, and the roundoff back handspring layout should have been an easy no-brainer. But the grass was wet, and her feet slipped out from under her. She landed hard, face-first, and heard a pop.

“I lost all feeling and movement,” she said. “I told my friends not to move me, because I knew I had broken my neck. I knew immediately.”

Doctors confirmed that Jenny had sustained a C6-7 spinal cord injury, leaving her paralyzed from the chest down and without the use of her hands. The next few months would be filled with intensive rehabilitation, as she would need to re-learn day-to-day activities like writing and feeding herself as well as long-term care management strategies, like catheterization and bowel care.

Still, Jenny was determined to keep her life as close to typical as possible, and she credits that determination for a lot of her success.

“I was in rehab from July until mid-October, but even then, I was continuing to live life,” said Jenny. “My teachers came up to the hospital to tutor me, and I eventually got to go to school one or two classes a day, even while I was in inpatient rehab.”

Jenny finished high school, and attended college at University of Louisville, where she earned a bachelor’s degree and then a master’s degree in counseling psychology. In addition to her formal education, she learned how to better advocate for herself and her health, even with unexpected obstacles thrown her way.

One of the first obstacles: spasticity due to the spinal cord injury. For many spinal cord injury patients, the injured spinal cord fires off wayward messages that trigger uncontrollable muscle spasms. These can be small twitches and jumps, or they can be more severe: For Jenny, her hands would ball into fists so tight, her fingernails left indentions on her palms. Her legs would shoot out straight in front of her. Medication did little to control these spasms and the side effects were discouraging.

“I was completely drugged out on four different medications,” she said. “I would fall asleep in the middle of class. I was ready to have my spinal cord completely severed – or do anything that I thought might help. I was willing to do anything to make it stop.”

So, she talked to her doctor, who recommended she enroll in a new research study for an implantable drug delivery device. In short, a small pump would be implanted into her abdomen, and a catheter would run from the pump into the spinal fluid, administering medicine directly to the spinal cord and stifling errant spasms.

“Before I had it implanted, we tested it through an epidural,” said Jenny. “It was miraculous. My legs were still. So, I had the surgery. Without it, I couldn’t have lived life like I have.”

Today, Jenny lives in freedom from spasticity and oral medication dependence thanks to the innovative device. And she’s found other medtech solutions to address other health challenges.

After experiencing slippage and leaks with her Foley catheter, she talked to a specialist about a procedure to enable catheterization through a stoma, or a small opening in her belly. When she realized she had regained as much function in her hands and arms as she was going to – and knew she wanted more capability – she turned to surgeons for tendon transfers, a procedure where the tendon of a functioning muscle is moved to a new position, so it can perform a new action.

In short, she took total control of her care. Then, she began to take total control of her independence.

A Glimpse into the Possible Through Sport

Although Jenny was managing her injury well physically, she was still internalizing discomfort, doubt and shame mentally. Then, she rediscovered her love of sport and opened the door into an entirely new way of life.

“I was very reserved, and I hadn’t really accepted my injury yet,” Jenny said. “Being a perfectionist, I didn’t want to do something if I didn’t do it well. So when my hairstylist told me one of their clients wanted to coach wheelchair tennis, I didn’t really want to say yes. But for whatever reason, I said yes, and it started a journey.”

Jenny started playing with nerf balls, and then, as she built up arm strength, graduated to real tennis balls. Soon, she was traveling for tournaments. She was meeting other disabled athletes, and those athletes were doing things she never imagined were even possible.

“I had never been taught that a quadriplegic could possibly transfer [move one’s body from one place to another] completely independently, or get dressed alone, or travel alone,” Jenny said. “And, these new people could really level with me, tease me and say things that an able-bodied person can’t.”

Soon, while she was away from home at a tennis tournament, Jenny got her first real taste of the independence she had seen others embrace.

“I had a caregiver arranged to help me get ready for the night,” remembered Jenny. “It was 10:30 p.m., and she still wasn’t there, and I knew I needed to get moving. So I transferred into the bed completely by myself. I just broke into tears. My friend walked in, and asked me what was wrong, and I told her I had transferred by myself, and she started crying too. Then I found out that another friend had orchestrated the whole thing, stopped the caregiver from coming in to force me to do it. And I’m glad he did.”

With her newfound liberation, Jenny dove even deeper into the para-sports community.

First, she tried adaptive rowing, which she now considers her favorite sport.

“It’s definitely my sport of choice,” Jenny said. “It’s different in that I’m out of my chair, I’m in nature on the river. And it’s different in that there are so many disabilities included in para-rowing: people with intellectual disabilities, people with down syndrome, amputees, people with visual impairments. It’s a great group of athletes.”

She also became involved in wheelchair rugby.

“It’s a rougher sport than I was used to, and it’s the first court sport I played versus my individual sports,” Jenny said. “I had to consider, ‘Am I going in the right direction? How am I meshing with my team?’ I also had to get used to seeing mostly men on the court. It feels good as a woman getting out there and setting a positive example of women in athletics.”

But Jenny’s positive example reaches far beyond the rugby court into her career, her advocacy work and beyond.

Giving Back and Living with Purpose

Soon after sustaining her injury, Jenny received a wheelchair. She’s used manual chairs and power chairs.

“There are huge benefits to both,” Jenny said. “My manual chair gives me exercise to stay in good health and makes it easier to travel. My power chair helps me go anywhere I want knowing I’ll have the energy to be on the move all day or that I can get up a steep ramp.”

When Jenny realized that in many countries, people have no access to any kind of wheelchair, she was heartbroken.

“People in the Western world need to recognize how much we have,” she said. “I didn’t even realize that people didn’t have access to basic wheelchairs in other countries. And when I learned about it, I asked, ‘How can I help?’”

So, Jenny began volunteering – then working – with a mobility-focused nonprofit, delivering wheelchairs to people in need.

“I’ve been to Mexico, Afghanistan, Costa Rica, El Salvador, so many places,” she said. “There were no wheelchairs, but there was also no rehab, no walkers or canes or crutches, nothing. People would die – people are dying – because they don’t have that access. As a community, we can and we need to help.”

Soon after her first volunteer mission, Jenny accepted a full-time position with the nonprofit. She worked there for eight years, and the work she did there remains close to her heart.

Today, Jenny works for a different nonprofit, counseling people working in cross-cultural situations.

“I love working with them and supporting them,” she said. “The countries they’re in can be really difficult to live in and work in. I help them find different resources, and I stay in touch with them as someone to lean on.”

Jenny also works as a contract writer for Bard Care, an online community hub serving people who use catheters every day. Through her writing, Jenny shares personal stories and offers advice and support to other people living with disabilities.

“I’ll answer any question and talk about anything,” said Jenny. “Some people aren’t at that point, and that’s ok. But there are so many people who want and need to know more.”

Jenny’s written on topics like choosing the right power chair, driving a car with hand controls, working out, getting on an airplane, and navigating the snow.

“It’s important to me, because I think one of the greatest things you can do after a spinal cord injury is to get involved with others who have an injury,” said Jenny. “It can be at your rehab facility, it can be on Facebook, in peer mentor groups. I’ve brought people to my house so they can see how it’s set up, or I’ve shown them how I transfer into bed. That kind of relationship can be really helpful.”

These relationships are also helpful in maintaining good mental health and perspective.

“Get the support you need,” said Jenny. “Sometimes giving the right kind of support is difficult for friends and family and your traditional community, because they don’t know what to say either. Reaching out to someone who has been there, like you, might be the answer.”

A Message for Others

Jenny often says: “A wheelchair has taken me places I never dared to imagine.”

Whether it’s travelling the world with a nonprofit organization, competing in Ms. Wheelchair America and gracing the runway at New York Fashion Week, or rowing the Ohio River every morning, Jenny’s accomplishments are no short of amazing.

“I hope I can be an encouragement for people, by being really honest about the good and the bad,” said Jenny. “I love to share my message of education and hope.”

Read more about Jenny at her blog, Jenny Smith Rolls On. And read more about medical technologies improving quality of life.

The post Rolling Up and On: Jenny Smith’s Story appeared first on AdvaMed.

The Story of Medtech

The Story of Medtech

Michael Nissenbaum

Sports have always been front and center for Michael Nissenbaum. He played college football at the University of Wisconsin – Stout and, upon graduation, spent evenings and weekends as a track and field and basketball official.

When Michael wasn’t playing or officiating games himself, he was watching them as a devoted fan. Whether he was road tripping to The Ohio State University for a Buckeyes game or walking up the road to the local high school sportsplex, Michael was always steeped in sports. So when debilitating back pain threatened to force Michael to the sidelines for good, he knew he needed a permanent solution.

Navigating Persistent Pain

While sports have been a welcome consistent companion for Michael over the years, the accompanying chronic pain has been a devastating consequence. Like hundreds, even thousands of football players, Michael suffered chronic pain stemming from repeated hits and blows sustained during years of play. The pain grew worse after a spinal fusion surgery to fix a degenerative disc in Michael’s back caused him to change his gait and the way he stood, leading to sciatica – back pain that radiates along the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back down the legs.

“I was in such severe pain that I couldn’t sleep at night,” said Michael. “I couldn’t walk more than a block without having to stop, or sit down, or bend over to try and alleviate some of the pain.”

Eventually, Michael was forced to withdraw from many of the activities he loved – going to the park with his family, volunteering in his community and, of course, sports.

“It got to the point where I had to give up basketball officiating and my social and family life went by the wayside,” Michael said.

Michael tried everything to find relief: acupuncture, massage, physical therapy. He took prescription opioids for two years, but the looming risk of lifelong dependence and addiction scared him into quitting those, too. He switched to prescription nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), but then developed a serious stomach ulcer from overuse. He felt as if he had reached the end of his rope.

“I was just desperate to find a non-narcotic solution to alleviate the pain,” Michael said. “For the past three to four years, I really had no social life – I’d drive home, I’d sit in a chair and watch TV. I knew something needed to change.”

So Michael began working with his health care team to draw up a different pain management playbook.

A New Game Plan

Michael’s neuro- and orthopedic surgeons referred him to Dr. Gladstone McDowell, a pain management specialist at Integrated Pain Solutions in Columbus, Ohio. Dr. McDowell recommended Michael try an innovative medtech cooled radiofrequency treatment. The procedure would be minimally-invasive, done in a comfortable outpatient setting.

Dr. McDowell explained that treatment targets the very source of pain transmission, using radiofrequency to deactivate the sensory nerves responsible for sending pain signals to the brain. It’s proven to provide significantly greater and longer-lasting pain relief, improved physical function and higher patient satisfaction than steroid injections. In fact, after one year of treatment, 2/3 of patients receiving the treatment cut their pain in half.

For Michael, significant pain reduction took far less than a year – he says the results were “immediate,” and he was able to stop taking prescription pain medication within a few weeks. Within a few months, he was re-engaging with old hobbies – even regular exercise.

“I’m doing things now that three years ago, I wouldn’t even consider trying,” Michael said. “I can walk two to three miles with my wife, where before, I couldn’t even walk around the block.”

Now, Michael has lost more than 60 pounds, feeling healthier and healthier each day. He’s enjoying a full life once more, seeing the world in real time rather than on the television.

“I’m back to regularly officiating track and field meets without any problems, and socializing with friends again,” he said.

Read more about medical technology’s role in pain management.

The post Playing Pain and Taking the Win: Michael’s Story appeared first on AdvaMed.

The Story of Medtech

The Story of Medtech

Michele Bobe

When she was 19 years old, Michele Bobe was in a serious car accident, and more than 20 years later, at age 42, she’s still suffering the consequences. She’s been living in chronic pain stemming from her injuries, specifically from severely damaged cartilage in her knees. After trying an array of pain management therapies, this year, Michele finally found lasting relief in medtech.

Pain’s Constant Presence

Michele’s car accident happened fast, but its impact spread gradually. The crash decimated the cartilage in both her knees, limiting her movement and causing significant pain. A trip up or down the stairs meant sharp, shooting pain. Walking long distances – even walking a few blocks – was nearly impossible. Eventually, Michele received a handicap designation, unable to manage even the short distance between an unmarked parking spot and the grocery store.

Over the course of 20 years – from her accident until one year ago – Michele would undergo six knee surgeries to attempt to restore her knee damaged cartilage and, ultimately, her mobility and quality of life. While each surgery helped slow further deterioration and provided temporary relief, Michele’s pain continued to creep back.

Michele was trapped in a sedentary lifestyle she hated. She couldn’t do the things she loved with her family, like fishing at the lake. Her young daughter quit asking her to join in on motion-centric activities, having grown accustomed to Michele’s limitations.

Michele tried a variety of therapies – including prescription narcotics – but nothing seemed to work. Her orthopedist worried Michele’s only remaining solution would be a total knee replacement, but the doctor hesitated to recommend the surgery due to Michele’s young age. Instead, the orthopedist referred her to a chronic pain specialist, Dr. Shehzad Choudry at Carolina Pain Consultants in Raleigh, North Carolina.

An Innovative Medtech Solution

Dr. Choudry recommended Michele try an innovative medtech genicular nerve radiofrequency ablation. During the procedure, a generator device would transmit a small current of radiofrequency energy into Michele’s knee tissue and thermally deactivate the sensory nerves sending pain signals to her brain. The procedure would be minimally-invasive, done in a comfortable outpatient setting.

“What I like is that it’s an outpatient procedure that is easy to perform and provides an impressive amount of relief to my patients,” Dr. Choudry said. “We’re giving people hope who didn’t have hope before. [This technology] is much safer for my patients than prescribing narcotics for the rest of their lives.

Michele received the treatment on both of her knees, and just four days later, her pain had dissipated significantly. In fact, she was able to walk – even run – up and down the stairs pain free.

“I couldn’t be happier with the results,” Michele said. “It’s absolutely worth it. I would do it again.”

Just a few weeks later, Michele returned the handicap sticker on her car. She’s walking and doing light exercise regularly.

“I’m not holding back anymore,” Michele said.

Best of all, Michele’s keeping up with her active, energetic daughter once more. Just recently, they went strawberry picking together.

“Thank you, Dr. Choudry, for giving me my mom back,” Michele’s daughter said.

Read more about medical technology’s role in pain management.

The post Putting the Breaks on a Lifetime of Pain: Michele’s Story appeared first on AdvaMed.

The Story of Medtech

The Story of Medtech

Barbara Ford

Barbara Ford never imagined herself using a cane at age 52. But chronic pain stemming from osteoarthritis was making it more and more difficult to walk just the short distance from her bedroom to the kitchen. Even after a total knee replacement, Barbara’s chronic pain persisted. But then her health care team identified an innovative medtech pain management solution.

An Unsurprising Diagnosis, But a Shocking Amount of Pain

Osteoarthritis runs in Barbara’s family. So when her osteoarthritis knee pain grew almost unbearable, she figured a total knee replacement would solve the problem, like it had for her relatives.

“I thought that I would just have the total knee replacement and that would be it,” she said. “I could move on with my life without the pain I’d been experiencing for so long.”

Unfortunately for Barbara, that wasn’t the case. Her pain only grew more severe.

Her mobility became extremely limited, and she switched from a cane to a walker. Housework – like cooking, dusting and vacuuming – seemed nearly impossible most days. At the end of her workday as a dental assistant and office manager, she was often reduced to tears making the walk to her car.

But most excruciating of all was her condition’s effect on her family. She couldn’t enjoy what were once her favorite activities: shopping with her 20- and 22-year-old daughters and walking her Australian shepherds, Jamima and Bowie.

A New Path Forward

Desperate for relief and a return to her active lifestyle, Barbara consulted her orthopedist, who confirmed that Barbara’s pain wasn’t a result of her surgery and suggested a variety of pain management options.

She took prescription narcotics, but found she was extremely sensitive to them. She received cortisone shots, but couldn’t feel a noticeable difference in her pain levels. Eventually, Barbara was referred to a pain management specialist, Dr. Timothy Lubenow at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, who suggested she try an innovative medtech genicular nerve radiofrequency ablation.

During the procedure, a generator device would transmit a small current of radiofrequency energy into Barbara’s knee tissue and thermally deactivate the sensory nerves sending pain signals to her brain. The procedure would be minimally-invasive, done in a comfortable outpatient setting.

“Patient care is paramount, and [this technology] provides my patients with long lasting pain relief and eliminates the need for me to prescribe oral pain medication,” Dr. Lubenow said.

Immediately following the procedure, Barbara was stunned: her pain was almost completely gone. She returned home optimistic, but uncertain.

“I was hopeful that this was going to continue to work, but based on my past experiences, I couldn’t help but be a little skeptical,” she said. “The next day, I was proved wrong. For the first time in many years, I remembered what it felt like to live without excruciating pain in my knee.”

Today, Barbara has ditched her canes and walkers in favor of an energetic, vigorous life. She’s shopping with her daughters and walking her dogs again. She’s dancing in the crowd at her husband’s band’s shows each weekend. She’s even practicing tai chi and biking each week.

“This was such an easy procedure, and I’ve had such an amazing result,” said Barbara. “It’s a fantastic option for those who are suffering like I was. I only wished I’d tried it sooner.”

Read more about medical technology’s role in pain management.

The post Returning to a Life Without Pain: Barbara’s Story appeared first on AdvaMed.