Patient Stories

Diana Knight's Story

...I was walking through the city the other day, just reveling in the fact that I could stand up straight, stretch my legs out, walk, and have my life.

Diana Knight, a therapist and dancer in New York, finds particular joy in twisting, tuning, and rotating across the floor. These are the movements that have allowed Diana to compete in the sport she loves, International Latin dance, well into her seventies.

So when back and leg pain started to make even standing difficult, Diana explored countless treatment and support options – acupuncture, Gyrotonic exercises, epidural shots, and more – to keep herself moving. But after over one year of trying different interventions, she knew it was time to seek the next level of care, even if that meant surgery.

“I could produce on the [dance] floor, but my range was more limited,” Diana explains. “I was in excruciating pain all the time. And when I came up for awards, I could no longer stand up straight. So that's when I went, ‘I've done everything I could do and now I have to see about it.’”

Diana’s physician, Dr. Michelle Chi, a physiatrist specializing in nonsurgical spine care at Och Spine at NewYork-Presbyterian, referred her to a surgical expert on the Och Spine team. That’s how she met Dr. Ibrahim Hussain, a neurosurgeon with expertise in minimally invasive and reconstructive spine surgery.

“Once she realized she couldn't really dance anymore, that was really affecting her quality of life,” says Dr. Hussain. “She had a grade two spondylolisthesis, which is a slipped vertebra about halfway over the one below it at L4-L5. She had severe nerve compression as a result of this.

Spondylolisthesis can result from disc degeneration, traumatic or stress fractures, and arthritis. This can put immense pressure on nearby nerves, and, as with Diana’s case, cause back pain, leg pain, difficulty walking, and stiffness that limits movement.

“As I tell patients, if you have a structural problem, it needs a structural solution,” Dr. Hussain explains. “So the injection, the PT, the medication – they're not going to help you when you have that much nerve compression. So, even though she tried it all appropriately first, ultimately, I think surgery was her only option at that point.” 

Based on Diana’s imaging, Dr. Hussain determined she was a good candidate for a minimally invasive spine procedure called TLIF (transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion), which involves placing a small, expandable cage to lift the damaged bone. This helps reduce slipping and nerve pressure. At Och Spine, Dr. Hussain and his team utilize computer imaging to navigate the spine, as well as the smallest incisions possible, to help speed patients’ recovery.

After the surgery, which lasted about four hours, Diana felt near immediate relief from leg pain. Eager to get back to dancing form, she took a diligent approach to recovery, attending follow-up appointments and physical therapy sessions at NewYork-Presbyterian/The Spiral. Diana also committed herself to getting stronger, slowly but surely, at home.

“I walked in the hallway three times a day, 15 minutes each time. I raised it up to 20 or 25 minutes each time,” Diana says.

Diana credits her recovery to her circles of support, both in and out of the hospital. The physical therapist who listened to her athletic goals, the doorman who fed her cats, and the dance friends who brought food to her apartment — everyone played a part in helping Diana heal and get back on her feet. 

 Today, Diana is back on the dance floor, practicing International Latin dance with her partner. At each follow-up appointment, Diana and Dr. Hussain continue to see progress.

 “I did her surgery, actually on Christmas Eve, and then I saw her about two months later. She said she had complete resolution in her left leg pain and 98% resolution in her right leg,” says Dr. Hussain. “Even at six months, she's already fusing, which is ahead of schedule.”

“I got my life back. I can work, see patients without pain. I can go to the studio and dance,” Diana says. “...I was walking through the city the other day, just reveling in the fact that I could stand up straight, stretch my legs out, walk, and have my life. It's a miracle. It's really worth it.”