After developing a severe spinal deformity that tilted her head down, leaving her chin pressed to her chest, Mary Ann Rivers was desperate for a cure. It wasn’t until a neurosurgeon came to Athens that she finally received the blessing for which she had been endlessly searching: a surgical procedure to fix it.

“It all started when I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015.” Rivers said. After being diagnosed, she went through conventional cancer treatments, including radiation therapy.

“At the time that I started radiation, my neck looked normal, sitting up,” Rivers said. “By the time I completed all my radiation treatments, it was bent down to my chest.”

Rivers didn’t know it at the time, but the radiation treatments she was receiving for her breast cancer were substantially weakening the bones around her neck.

“Cancer treatments, including radiation therapy, can pose a risk to bone health,” said Shashikant Patil, M.D., neurosurgeon at Piedmont Physicians Athens Neurosurgery. “Although it’s rare, the radiation caused severe effects to Ms. Rivers, making her upper spinal bones, muscles and ligaments too weak to support her head.”

Rivers immediately sought help from doctors she was already seeing, who referred her to several spine surgeons.   

She was soon diagnosed with a severe form of kyphosis, a spinal deformity. Unlike the more common scoliosis, in which the spine is bent to the side, kyphosis causes the spine to bend forward.  

“The type of spinal deformity that Ms. Rivers’ was suffering from is also known as chin-on-chest deformity,” said Dr. Patil, who specializes in reconstruction for adult spinal deformities. “The longer it goes untreated, the more serious it gets, and it can eventually lead to death. Ms. Rivers was getting to the stage where the deformity was severely progressing. She was unable even to swallow properly and needed treatment immediately.”

However, Rivers was unable to find a surgeon in the area who could fix her deformity. As she searched for a cure, she worked with a physical therapist regularly, which helped her manage her condition.  

“We’d go to see a new surgeon, just desperate for an answer, and they’d tell us that the surgery was too risky and there was nothing they could do,” Rivers said.   “I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t look in the mirror, look in the pantry for food, or even grab a dish out of my cabinet. I began identifying my loved ones by the shoes they were wearing because I couldn’t look up.”

Unable to see anything above her shoulders, Rivers was ready to give up, until she heard about a doctor at Piedmont Physicians Athens Neurosurgery.

“We made an appointment and were introduced to Dr. Patil, who was new to the Athens area,” Rivers said. “He had me complete a lot of tests, but then he told me without a doubt that he was going to fix my neck. It was an answer to many prayers.”  

The complex deformity surgery Rivers was to receive required an extensive work up before and after surgery, including multiple office visits and meetings with the Piedmont Physicians Athens Neurosurgery’s team, who assisted in coordinating any and all needs for the day of the surgery.

Finally, after two years of searching endlessly for help, unable to do daily activities, Rivers received her miracle surgery, and Dr. Patil and his team repaired her spine in a surgery that lasted over 10 hours, bringing her posture back up to its proper position.

“There were many steps involved on the day of the surgery, but thanks to our efficient team, everything went very smoothly and efficiently.” Dr. Patil said. “With complex, lengthy surgeries like this, it’s important to have two neurosurgeons in the room, so I’m happy Dr. Kimberly Walpert, my partner at Piedmont Physicians Athens Neurosurgery, was also able to be there to assist with Ms. Rivers’ case.”

Since the recent surgery, Rivers continues to recover and is elated with her results.

“I’ve seen a lot of just shoes over the years. Now, I’m sitting up!” Rivers said. “I can now see the faces of my friends and family. I thought I was going to live with this forever. Dr. Patil is my hero.”