WYOS Patient Happy to Be Living Life Pain Free

Mickey Shelstad has worked hard his whole life. Born and raised in Gillette, Wyoming, Mickey has been a welder and fabricator, jobs that put require a lot of physical effort. And that effort has taken a toll on his body.

After three previous back surgeries performed by Dr. Nathan Simpson at Wyoming Orthopedics and Spine (WYOS), Mickey was facing another one, this time a major procedure to fuse the bones in his lower back.

Called a modified minimally invasive lumbar fusion, this procedure uses two to three small incisions with minimal blood loss and a shorter hospital stay. According to Dr. Simpson, the procedure has been around for about 15 years, but some recent improvements have resulted in better outcomes for his patients. He tailors the procedure to each patient’s particular spine problem, and recommends surgery only after more conservative treatments have failed.

For Mickey, the pain relief was almost immediate. He was able to get out of bed and start physical therapy in his hospital room just a few hours after surgery, and went home after only 24 hours. He had his surgery at the end of January and is now back to normal activities.

“I was a little nervous about it and the nurses in the hospital all had smiles for me,” said Mickey. They let me flirt with them and checked on me when I needed it—it was just right.”

Not all patients recover from surgery as quickly as Mickey, but Dr. Simpson’s goal for all his patients is to improve their condition so they can return to work and activities they enjoy.

Mickey has been treated at WYOS since 2005, and the staff knows him well.

“Dr. Simpson fixed me three times before and it was good every time," he says.

For a consultation, call 307.686.1413 or visit www.wyomingorthospine.com.