# Jordi: Cervical spine · Patient story

> Cervical disc herniation C5-C6 with spinal cord involvement and Lhermitte's sign. Real patient story from Brain & Spine Barcelona, Dr. Abel Ferrés.

URL: https://brainandspine-bcn.com/en/patient-stories/cervical-disc-herniation-myelopathy/
Fuente: Brain & Spine Barcelona — https://brainandspine-bcn.com

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# Jordi: cervical surgery halted the progression of myelopathy and restored a completely normal life

Cervical disc herniation C5-C6 with spinal cord involvement and Lhermitte's sign.

Patient of
Dr. Abel Ferrés

Treated by
Dr. Abel Ferrés
Cervical spine surgery

## How Jordi recovered

Extremely rapid recovery: just two days in hospital and immediate relief on waking from surgery. The progression of the myelopathy stopped completely. Today he goes hiking and to the gym, leading a completely normal life.

## First symptoms: electric episodes and tingling in the hand

Jordi is 60 years old and leads an active life. Everything started as unexpectedly as it was bewildering: one day, while reaching up to pick up an object, he had an episode lasting some ten to fifteen seconds in which he felt half his body paralysed, shot through with a sensation of electric currents. It was not an isolated incident.

> "Over a period of three or four months it happened to me ten or fifteen times. So I thought: something is going on here."

At the end of that period a permanent symptom appeared: paraesthesia in the hand, that numbness that simply would not go away. What Jordi was describing, without realising it, was Lhermitte's sign, a classic manifestation of spinal cord involvement at cervical level.

## The path to diagnosis: from orthopaedic surgeon to neurosurgeon

At first the focus was on the most obvious symptom: the numb hand. Jordi saw an orthopaedic surgeon first and had an electromyogram, which came back normal. The next step was the neurologist, who directed the investigation towards MRI scans.

A brain MRI and a cervical MRI were performed. The brain was fine. The cervical image, however, clearly showed a disc herniation between the fifth and sixth vertebrae (C5-C6). The case then passed to the neurosurgeon, who requested an evoked potentials test to measure the time the electrical signal took to travel along the nerve pathway.

> "What they found was a delay entirely consistent with the injury. The spinal cord was affected."

Once spinal cord involvement was confirmed, Jordi made a sensible decision before undergoing spinal surgery: to seek a second opinion.

## The second opinion: placing trust in Dr. Abel Ferrés

That is how he arrived at Dr. Abel Ferrés at Brain & Spine. The specialist's assessment fully agreed with the previous diagnosis: surgery was indicated. Meanwhile the condition continued to evolve. The episodes of Lhermitte's sign and the hand paraesthesia subsided, but something new and more limiting appeared: spasticity in the legs.

> "When I tensed up, I almost had to think about how to walk. Coordination was very difficult. I felt I was heading nowhere."

This progressive loss of coordination was the definitive signal that the spinal cord was suffering and that surgery should not be delayed.

## The operation: rapid recovery and immediate relief

Jordi acknowledges that the waiting period and the preceding symptoms were the hardest part of the whole process. The operation, by contrast, was far more manageable than he had feared.

> "What I went through before was much worse than the actual procedure. The operation was perfect and the recovery was extremely fast."

Two days in hospital were enough for him to feel practically well again. The relief was immediate: on waking from surgery, at the very moment of opening his eyes, he noticed that the abnormal electrical conduction had disappeared. And most importantly from a clinical standpoint, from the operation onwards the symptoms stopped worsening. The progression of the injury stopped completely.

## Life after surgery: hiking, the gym and normality

Today Jordi leads a practically normal life and is very pleased with the outcome. He has recovered most of his functionality and resumed the activities he enjoys.

> "I am still hiking, hitting the gym hard. I lead a completely normal life and I am happy. My quality of life is a ten out of ten."

He accepts a small residual trace naturally, living with it without drama, as one more mark life leaves that does not prevent anything in his day-to-day.

## Attentive care and impeccable follow-up

Beyond the clinical outcome, Jordi highlights the human dimension of the care he received. For him, Dr. Ferrés's team combines technical excellence with genuine warmth, two things he considers equally important when putting one's health in the hands of a specialist.

> "Apart from the human side, there is the professional calibre. He took excellent care of me and the follow-up has been impeccable. He is my neurosurgeon of reference."

## A decision that changed his quality of life

Jordi's case illustrates something fundamental in spinal conditions with cord involvement: the importance of an accurate diagnosis, of seeking the opinion of a trusted specialist, and of not delaying surgery when it is indicated. Thanks to the operation performed by Dr. Abel Ferrés at Brain & Spine, Jordi halted the progression of a cervical myelopathy and regained an active, full life without limitations.

Real patient testimonial from Brain & Spine, reproduced with their consent. Each case is individual; the results of a treatment may vary depending on the patient, their condition and clinical circumstances. This information is not a substitute for personalised medical advice.