Inclose Patient Profiles

Sandra Schroeder

Palatine resident Sandra Schroeder developed back pain while working as a nurse in Ireland.

"I worked with disabled and handicapped children and it was a physically demanding job," said the 39-year old mother of three. When she came to the United States in 1987 to live with her brother, she took a job as a paramedic and reinjured her back moving patients onto a gurney.

"I taught proper lifting techniques to fireman in Evanston but when you are a nurse or a paramedic, you aren't always in the right position to lift with your legs," she said. Sandra tried both conventional and complementary therapies to treat her back pain and had some success with these efforts.

Fast-forward to last year and Sandra is breeding dogs in Palatine. While backing out of one of the dog pens, she caught her heel on the edge of the cage and fell backward on her right hip.

"I knew immediately that something was wrong. I tried physical therapy, chiropractic and acupuncture therapy but nothing worked this time," she said.

Her primary care doctor referred her to Dr. Dean Karahalios at the Chicago Institute for Neurosurgery and Neuroresearch who identified the problem -- a disc herniation in the low back -- and recommended surgery.

Sandra's surgery, a microdiscectomy using the new annular repair device, Inclose, was performed on May 1 and she was back up on her feet soon afterward. She has already made plans to open the Palatine area's first dog spa, called Durty Dawg Express, complete with spa and bakery.

Alfredo Fricano

Alfredo Fricano, 66, has owned Alfredo's barbershop for 50 years at the same location on 833 N. State Street in Chicago. His regulars are his bread and butter and Cardinal George has been coming to him since he took over as Archbishop of the Chicago Archdiocese ten years ago.

Several months ago, Alfredo slipped and fell on his back and was in severe pain. After consultation with his physician, he was referred to Dr. Daniel Hurley of the Chicago Institute of Neurosurgery and Neuroresearch. Dr. Hurley diagnosed a severe herniated disc in the patient's low back and referred Alfredo to his partner, Dr. Noam Stadlan, neurosurgeon, who recommended a discectomy for Alfredo's
herniated disc. Alfredo underwent a microdiscectomy using a new annular repair device, Inclose, at the Neurologic & Orthopedic Institute of Chicago last month. During his short recuperation after surgery, he received well wishes from Cardinal George. Alfredo resumed cutting hair within two weeks of his surgery.