Calgary doctor performs spine surgery on conscious patient
CTV
Last month, Dr. Michael Yang, a spine surgeon at Foothills Medical Centre, performed a discectomy to remove the damaged part of a herniated disc in the spine, on a patient who was wide awake.
A Calgary doctor is believed to be the first in Canada to perform spine surgery on a conscious patient.
"This is just the first step of a long journey," said Dr. Michael Yang, a spine surgeon at Foothills Medical Centre.
Last month, Yang performed a discectomy to remove the damaged part of a herniated disc in the spine, on a patient who was wide awake.
Todd Bene, who has been dealing with chronic lower back and leg pain, was that patient.
"I thought, well, I'll try anything once," he said.
"It was kind of cool. You know, I didn't feel much. Every once in a while, you would feel a little something."
The surgery took about 55 minutes and he was able to go home less than five hours later.
