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FROM SURGERY TO A MARATHON: A TRAUMA SURGEON’S STRUGGLE WITH A DEGENERATIVE DISC DISEASE
Jennifer EmmettAn Internationally Acclaimed Spine Surgeon’s Operation on a Fellow Trauma Surgeon Leads to a Full Recovery and Will Culminate in the Completion of the Steamboat Springs Marathon
The remarkable journey of one surgeon’s plight from a debilitating disease to the completion of a marathon with the help of another fellow surgeon, will serve as a testimony to the success of a total disc replacement procedure. Nine short months after surgery on her lumbar spine, Dr. Jennifer Emmett, a surgeon-patient, will be competing in a marathon.  Dr. Jennifer Emmett is a female trauma surgeon at Denver Health Medical Center, the largest Level 1 trauma center in the state of Colorado. Dr. Emmett was suffering from severe low back pain, which was detrimentally limiting her career and athletic lifestyle. She was faced with an inability to care for her patients. Dr. Emmett was diagnosed with a degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine. She was referred to Dr. Michael Janssen to find a solution to this debilitating disease.

In September 2006, Dr. Janssen, using advanced technology, successfully completed a mechanical total disc replacement on the lumbar spine of Dr. Emmett. After a short, yet full recovery period, this patient-surgeon has been able to return to her medical practice, athletic activities, and is currently training for one of the most competitive marathons in the world. As a culmination to her journey from this disc disease, Dr. Emmett will be competing in the Steamboat Springs Marathon on Sunday, June 3, 2007. Dr. Michael Janssen is an internationally acclaimed spine surgeon at the Center for Spinal Disorders (9005 Grant Street, Suite 200, Denver, CO 80229). He is Board Certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American Board of Spine Surgeons. He attended the University of Health Sciences in Kansas City, Missouri. His internship and residency were completed at the Medical College of Georgia. He completed a spine fellowship both at Lakewood Orthopaedic Clinic and in St. Gallen, Switzerland. Dr. Janssen is also a clinical associate professor at the University of Colorado. The Center for Spinal Disorders provides patients the highest quality of medical care and most advanced treatment procedures in spinal disorders, offering the opportunity to those affected by such conditions to regain an active lifestyle as quickly as possible.
 
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