In Joe’s words…….

“The surgery I am having is a bit more complicated than a regular fusion. Although they are fusing my spine they will be entering from the abdomen to remove my organs to gain access to my spine. Where they will be actually spreading apart the vertebra that have collapsed down upon each other. Once that space (where normally a disc would be) is re-established they will be inserting a donor bone to maintain the space where a disc once was located. They will then put a screw or two in to hold it in place.   Next, I will be turned over and an incision will be made in my lower back at the area where the donor bone has been placed. The surgery will be completed by attaching titanium plates on either side of the vertebra and donor bone to secure the area where in time bone will grow over bone and fuse the vertebra together making it one solid section of fused bone.  Also during both portions of the surgery they will be looking for any scar tissue that is causing problems with nerves and try to scrape away the scar tissue to clear room for the nerves.

The technical terms for the procedure is still a fusion or more accurately I am actually having both an anterior and a posterior fusion but it is to correct spondylolisthesis.  This occurs when one vertebra slips forward or backward on another. This can cause back or leg pain.  I also have degenerative disc disease the aging process may cause discs to break down. The discs can also bulge (or become herniated). If arthritis is affecting the spine, tiny bone spurs (bone growths) may form on the vertebra.  These disorders can occur on any part of the spine and put pressure on the spinal cord.

In the past I have had 4 other surgeries. The first was a discectomy: This surgery is done to remove the bulging (or herniated) part of the disc that is pressing on a nerve. A microdiscectomy uses a smaller incision and a scope to remove the disc.  The second surgery I had was a Laminectomy: This surgery is done to remove a piece of bone from the back of one or more vertebrae to release pressure around the spinal cord or nerve root.  The third surgery was to remove a torn ligament I had a work related accident again that caused the ligament to tear from the bone and wrap itself up underneath my vertebra. When x-rays and MRI, and all the other variety of films that could be taken showed what appeared to be a growth under my vertebra that was growing in a circular pattern all alarms went off saying cancer!  I was told I may have a tumor on my spine! Surgery had to be done right away to find out! Imagine going into the hospital for that surgery thinking you had a tumor on your spine. After surgery I was informed it was a torn ligament that had wound itself up in a circular pattern under my vertebra. It wasn't cancer after all.... so they just cut it out and threw it away. “

Joe shown with his 1950 Chevrolet, the car in the SuperCruise logo!

To Make a Donation to Help Joe either submit a payment via credit card on this website and state it is for Joe or make checks payable to:

The Joe Kelly Spinal Surgery Fund
In Care of SuperCruiseIA
PO Box 667
Johnston, IA 50131