AJ Starsiak, a 39-year-old father and active sports enthusiast, experienced severe back pain after feeling a pop while stretching at his gym. Despite initial treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs, his condition worsened over several months, leading to loss of sensation and muscle mass in his leg.
The pain escalated during a business trip when Starsiak was unable to walk through an airport due to the severity of his symptoms. “I could not walk from one gate to the next at the airport and ended up having a breakdown, crying because I was in so much pain,” he said.
After multiple medical consultations and an emergency room visit, an MRI revealed a 2-centimeter cyst pressing on a nerve in his spine. The cyst’s location made it difficult to treat using standard procedures.
Starsiak was referred by a local physician in Orange County to Corey Walker, MD, assistant professor of Neurosurgery and Orthopaedics at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Starsiak, who works as a medical device salesman specializing in orthopedic products, felt confident in Walker’s expertise. “When I met Dr. Walker, I immediately knew he was the right surgeon—someone of integrity who listened carefully and was deeply passionate about his craft,” Starsiak said.
Dr. Walker explained that traditional surgery would have required removing part of the spinal joint and fusing vertebrae with rods and screws—a procedure that can put additional stress on surrounding joints and potentially lead to future surgeries. “That would have been a life-altering operation for someone his age,” Walker said. “Fusion puts added stress on surrounding joints and can lead to future surgeries.”
Instead, Dr. Walker used an ultra-minimally invasive endoscopic procedure to remove the cyst without cutting muscle or removing the joint. The approach involved inserting an endoscope equipped with a small camera to guide the removal process while avoiding injury to nerves or muscles.
“We had what felt like an impossible task,” Walker said. “I’m proud that Cedars-Sinai is able to treat patients who have complex cases.”
For Starsiak, avoiding spinal fusion was essential for maintaining his active lifestyle. “I was worried a fusion would significantly hamper—if not end—my ability to play sports and lift weights,” he said.
Following surgery, Starsiak reported immediate relief from pain and pressure. His recovery took about eight weeks as he worked on regaining mobility and strength in his hips, legs, and back. He has since returned to playing sports and other activities.
Reflecting on the experience, Starsiak noted how it changed his perspective: “The second you lose your health, you realize none of the other things really matter,” he said. “You can’t enjoy success if you’re not healthy.”
Dr. Walker described patient outcomes as central to his work: “As a neurosurgeon, it’s incredible to hone your craft—to work with your hands and see a problem fixed by the end of surgery,” he said. “But what’s even more rewarding is hearing later how it’s changed someone’s life—that’s the best part.”
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is located in Los Angeles, California, where it has operated since 1902 under its current president Thomas M. Priselac. The hospital serves as both a treatment center—with over 50,000 admissions reported in 2022—and as a training facility for healthcare professionals.
https://www.cedars-sinai.org/about-us.html
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