Patient shares success story from care at Saint Francis Neurosciences Institute

When it comes to personal injuries, it is important to many people to get back to work and life as soon as possible. The Saint Francis Neurosciences Institute offers a chance at full rehabilitation while building relationships with patients lasting long after their initial visit.

The Neurosciences Institute provides care for its patients from surgery to rehabilitation. Kaywan Gamadia, DO, Neurosurgeon with Cape Spine and Neurosurgery, a Saint Francis Medical Partner, has witnessed patients' full journeys from immediately after surgery to getting back to their day-to-day activities.

Gamadia said one of his favorite parts of the job is seeing patients return to an active lifestyle after treatment.

"I have seen police officers who have significant neck and lower back disc herniations throughout the course of doing their job in the line of duty. To be able to get them repaired, get back to work and continue to be able to help people on a daily basis is a very rewarding thing," he said.

Gamadia said he tries to keep surgeries minimally invasive so he does not have to make "big, massive incisions" which translates to a quicker recovery. Using the latest advancements in surgical technique and technology allows Gamadia to perform safe, effective, minimally invasive surgeries to the spine. These surgeries preserve the motion of the spine unlike traditional fusion surgery.

Kaywan Gamadia, DO, Neurosurgeon

Patient Jessica Sampson found herself needing help after losing feeling in her right arm. Sampson said after catching herself before a fall, she did not feel the same.

"I was outside -- just something simple. I did not completely fall, but I caught myself. No big deal. I tried seeing a chiropractor for a little while because I thought it was an issue with my muscle, but it was not working. So I did an MRI, because I lost a lot of feeling in my right arm," Sampson said.

Sampson was able to get an appointment with Gamadia the day after her MRI. She said she was very impressed with the staff and Gamadia's bedside manner.

Gamadia said with the state Sampson was in at the time he had to take her into surgery very quickly.

"She had two herniated discs in her neck at the last two levels of her neck. They were causing a fair amount of compression of the spinal cord and the nerve roots," he said. "Given the weakness, I had to take her fairly emergently to surgery to compress the spinal cord."

Sampson, who is a nurse and mother, needed her recovery to be as quick as possible.

She expressed this concern to Gamadia before agreeing to surgery. He pledged to do his best, and, indeed, she said recovery did not last long.

"He did the surgery on a Wednesday and I went back to work on Monday after the surgery," Sampson said.

Sampson said the recovery from the surgery was not very painful and she now encourages others to consider this path if needed.

"Gamadia said, 'You might need pain medicine for a little while.' I took pain medicine for four days and no longer needed any pain medication. It fixed the problem. I send patients to him often. I could not recommend him more," Sampson said.

Gamadia said the type of care they give to patients is sometimes surprising because it is not the same that you would see in other hospitals, especially larger ones that can lose focus on the patients.

"I have a lot of patients who are extremely happy about how well they are respected and treated well compared to their experiences in the city," he said. "She had a fantastic experience and she is very, very happy. She remains in contact with me today and she is doing excellent. She is back to work and has not missed much of her step."

Sampson said she has seen other neurosurgeons, but none compare to the service she received from Gamadia and the team at the Saint Francis Neurosciences Institute.

"I have a neurosurgeon and I have had brain surgery in the past. I have never met a doctor, much less a neurosurgeon, with bedside manner like his," Sampson said. "He did not just sit and type on the computer; he told me his concerns and was honest about it. I expressed that I need to go back to work quickly, or I can not do the procedure. I have three teenagers and a baby at home and he said, 'We will see what we can do.'"

The Saint Francis Neurosciences Institute is located at 211 Saint Francis Drive in Cape Girardeau. More information can be found online at www.sfmc.net/neuro.