Free from debilitating back pain

From Geisinger media

Linda Agostinelli, 73, of State College, likes to stay busy and doesn’t like to sit around. She enjoys gardening, painting, playing with her grandchildren and most of all cooking.

“I am from Italian heritage, so we always think about food,” she says with a laugh.

For almost a year and half, Linda’s life was put on hold from debilitating back pain that caused her to constantly be uncomfortable whether she was standing, sitting or lying down. She had crippling spasms when she tried to walk and it felt as if the pain never went away.

“It was a horrible year. I lost my smile and lost my life for more than a year,” she says. “I slept in a recliner cause it hurt so bad to lie down. I couldn’t even stand to prepare a meal.”

Agostinelli tried chiropractic treatment, physical therapy, injections and even acupuncture but nothing would give her relief from the pain. A friend recommended she see a Geisinger surgeon for relief to treat her lumbar disc deterioration. She was referred to Siddharth Badve, M.D., orthopaedic spine surgeon, for a consultation.

“Linda had a very common degenerative spinal condition called spinal stenosis, which is the narrowing of the spinal canal in your lower back. The narrowing was pinching a nerve that passes through the lower spine and causing her great pain in her lower back and legs,” Dr. Badve said. “She was frustrated, depressed and wanted to know her options.”

Dr. Badve suggested a procedure called a lumbar decompression and spinal fusion, the least invasive technique for her condition. The surgery is fairly common, with Dr. Badve estimating he performs more than 200 such surgeries per year.

Agostinelli had her surgery in November 2022 at Geisinger Lewistown Hospital and experienced instant relief from the pain.

“I was able to sit up and start walking the day of the surgery,” she says. “The relief from the pain was immediate. After a three-day stay in the hospital, I had no discomfort sitting in the car to go home.”

When she returned home, Agostinelli slowly returned to her regular activities, cooking gardening and playing with her grandchildren.

“It was a huge weight lifted. To have this outcome is wonderful,” she says. “As far as I’m concerned, Dr. Badve gave me back my life. I can’t say enough about him. He listens, he’s attentive, and he has a wonderful bedside manner.”

Although she needed to have her surgery in an inpatient setting in Lewistown, all of Agostinelli’s preoperative and follow-up care with Dr. Badve has been offered close to home at Geisinger Healthplex State College. She recently had a minor knee surgery with another Geisinger surgeon at the State College office and has been doing very well.

“I’m in the patch and paste time of my life,” she says with a chuckle. “Suffering can be very lonely, but people don’t need to suffer if they get to the right place.”

Dr. Badve echoed her statements.

“If someone is having issues with their back or neck talk to a specialist and try to understand the problem. If caught early, many problems can be solved without surgery,” he says. “Under the right care, there is a way to address these problems with a good outcome and improve your quality of life.”