Constantin: endoscopic lumbar disc surgery to return to sport pain free

A sporting injury that became complicated

Constantin is 30 years old, German, and has lived in Barcelona for five years. He works in an office and has always been very sporty. Everything started at a surf camp: while changing clothes after a session, he felt a very sharp pain in his back.

"The pain was so severe that I could not move for the next three hours. I was on the floor."

An initial search online suggested simple lumbago. But four weeks later, after going for a run, he woke up with severe inflammation in the lumbar area. That was when he understood it was not lumbago but something more serious.

The diagnosis: lumbar disc herniation L5-S1

He went to hospital through his insurer and the tests confirmed a disc herniation between L5 and S1, with the disc prolapsed to a significant level. The first measure was a rhizolysis to manage the symptoms, along with a conservative approach with exercises. But the condition worsened.

"After New Year's Eve I could no longer walk."

Finding an expert: Dr. Ferrés and Brain & Spine

Constantin wanted to speak with a spine expert he could fully trust. He searched for a specialist in spine neurosurgery and found Dr. Ferrés and his team at Brain & Spine. Their publications on new techniques in the field caught his attention.

In the first conversation, in January, the specialist won his trust by the way he explained things: clear and direct, with just the right depth without losing simplicity, and always up to date with innovations that could be applied to his case.

"He convinced me that he was up to date with the new techniques and practices, which we were also able to apply in my case."

The decision: endoscopic surgery versus microsurgery

A new MRI and a CT scan showed the disc had protruded even further. The question was no longer whether to operate but how: microsurgery or endoscopy. In his case, the endoscopic approach was the best option. Between the first appointment and the operation only three or four weeks passed.

Constantin particularly remembers the support he received before going into theatre, at a moment of great tension.

"Dr. Ferrés came to see me when I was under quite a lot of pressure. That helped me go into theatre more calmly."

Personal follow-up from the start

The operation consisted of the endoscopic removal of the herniated portion of the disc. The following morning Dr. Ferrés himself visited to review him, confirm that everything had gone well without complications and guide him on the coming days. That same day he was able to go home, reassured that he could always contact him.

Recovery: steady progress and return to sport

Three or four months after the procedure, Constantin is already pain free and notices improvement every month. He is realistic and patient about his recovery, approaching it as a gradual process and valuing each step forward.

"Compared with how I was before, I am gaining ground. For two years I was at 10 or 20%; now each month I gain another 5%."

He has returned to swimming and the gym, always with gentle exercises and great care, and is working enthusiastically towards a specific goal: playing beach volleyball again with his friends on the beaches of Barcelona. He is very pleased to have made the decision to have surgery with Dr. Ferrés.

"I can go back to hiking, back to sport, wake up in the morning without pain. I am quite happy to have made this decision."