Quality of Life Is a Running Theme for Hoag Spine Patient

Steven Katz has spent nearly every morning of the last 35 years running on the beach near his home in Oahu.

For the 74-year-old, eight-time marathon competitor, running on the beach is more than a hobby. Running is Katz’s form of meditation, his “therapy.” But for the better part of a year, pain had robbed him of it.

“I was getting sciatic pain down my legs. I couldn’t run for four to six months. I couldn’t even stand for more than a minute,” Katz said.

A similar episode of pain 14 years ago disappeared after Katz underwent a few rounds of physical therapy, but this time was different. Katz said while there may be plenty of talented neurosurgeons in Hawaii, he wanted to be seen by the best of the best.

“My wife’s friend’s mother lives in Colorado. She talked to me for 45 minutes about how wonderful Dr. Ozgur is,” he said. “She said he found something nobody else saw and fixed her up.”

Intrigued, Katz set up a telehealth visit with Burak Ozgur, M.D., a top neurosurgeon and the director of the Hoag Spine Institute. Right away, Katz could tell Dr. Ozgur was different. For one, he really listened.

“He asked me, ‘What is your measure of success?’” Katz said. “I said, ‘If I can run on the beach again.’”

Taking the time to understand Katz’s lifestyle and his health goals differentiated Dr. Ozgur immediately. So, too, did the surgeon’s empathy.

“The depression that pain caused me was as bad as the pain itself,” Katz said. “To me, running is my medication, when I can’t do that, it’s horrible.”

Katz flew out to California for a consultation at Hoag. Dr. Ozgur explained that spinal stenosis was squeezing the nerves in his lower back, sending pain shooting to his legs.

“He listened very carefully to me, and whenever I spoke with him, it wasn’t like ‘We’re giving you 10 minutes we’re done,’” he said. “He said, ‘As long as you have questions, I’ll stay and answer your questions.’ Everyone he works with is like that.”

Dr. Ozgur doesn’t just recommend asking questions of your doctor. He and the rest of the comprehensive clinical team at the Hoag Spine Institute emphasize the importance of getting a second opinion before undergoing surgery.

Hoag’s multidisciplinary team at the Spine Institute offers a thorough review of medical records and a thoughtful approach to offering a second opinion to any surgeon’s treatment plan.

“I wanted a second opinion, because when someone’s going to cut you open, that’s just a good idea,” Katz said.

After a getting a second opinion, Katz had no doubts about his surgical plan with Dr. Ozgur. Pre-operative nerve testing at Hoag revealed problems with Katz’s cervical spine, as well as his lower spine. Dr. Ozgur suggested that even though Katz did not yet experience symptoms from his cervical spine, a future surgery might be necessary down the line. For now, however, his pain could be addressed with procedures that relieved the pressure in his lower back and created more space for his impacted nerves.

A renowned expert in minimally invasive and advanced surgical procedures, Dr. Ozgur performed a bilateral microdecompression, laminotomy and foraminotomy. He also implanted a device to create more space between his vertebrae.

Katz was up and walking the same day.

“He’s a magician when it comes to surgery. The whole operating system, they are so on top of it,” he said.

Immediately after surgery, Katz had just one question: “I said, ‘I’m all better. Can I start running?’”

Not yet.

Within a week, however, Katz was back at work as a Marriage and Family Therapist in Hawaii. The pain was gone, and the beach beckoned, but Katz knew to wait a little longer before hitting his familiar running paths.

Only two months after his surgery, he was able to begin running.

“There are people who can walk faster than I run now,” said Katz, who is slowly building his stamina. “It’s just important that I’m out there. Running is not just exercise for me. It’s part of my mental health.”

Katz knows that he might need a second surgery in the future to address his cervical spine. He also knows exactly to whom he is going to turn.

“I’m grateful I sought out a second opinion and chose Dr. Ozgur as my surgeon as my outcome may have not been the same with someone else,” Katz said. “The most important thing that I do as a therapist is to be a good listener, and that’s what Dr. Ozgur is. He doesn’t assume that he knows everything and that every case is the same. He really listens and his concern is genuine.

Katz was speaking by phone from Oahu. He had just come in from his morning run, he said. And he felt great.

To learn more about the Hoag Spine Institute and getting a second opinion visit https://www.hoag.org/specialties-services/spine/second-opinion-program/ or call 949-764-1494