BACK and leg pain is miserable, debilitating, and can profoundly affect your quality of life – but help is at hand! An open evening being held at Woodlands Hospital, Darlington, on Wednesday, 9th August, will showcase the most advanced surgical techniques used to relieve a range of back pain issues.

Whether your pain stems from sciatica, a slipped disc, or – in some cases – an unknown source, expert spine consultant, Mr Dan Fagan, will be explaining how you could be helped at Woodlands.

People who have already been seen by a physiotherapist for their pain and might be waiting for an appointment with their GP, or on the waiting list for an NHS consultation, may be interested in finding out how the advances in spine surgery can help them to get back to a full life.

The Northern Echo:

“People who have sciatica and back pain need a diagnosis. There are different reasons for the pain and a range of different treatments. At Woodlands, we have the expertise and equipment to help people to quickly get the right diagnosis and the right treatment at the right time” explains Mr Fagan.

Mr Fagan is very experienced in the use of minimal access surgery, that has helped many of his patients.

Using imaging techniques for accuracy, a ‘spine wand’ is inserted into the back through a portal. The wand generates a plasma field over the tip, which quickly vapourises the damaged part of the disc, and relieves the pain.

Compared to traditional spine surgery that requires a general anesthetic and quite invasive treatment with a long recovery period, this procedure is done under a light sedation, takes about 30 minutes, and patients will go home the same day.

It offers patients an 80 per cent chance of eliminating the sciatic pain, with little chance of complications or harm.

The Northern Echo:

Mr Fagan is one of only a very few surgeons in the UK using this procedure, and the only one in the North-East.

“We are very lucky to have the equipment and the expertise, right here at Woodlands, to be able to offer patients the most cutting edge treatment for conditions that can prevent them living their best lives,” he says.

“Severe sciatica can affect your ability to work, to enjoy sports, and just live your daily life. Many patients are choosing to self-pay and be treated privately for things like slipped discs because it’s much quicker, our procedures are less invasive, and recovery is much faster.

“If you are in pain and waiting to see your GP, or waiting for an operation, it will also affect your mental well-being. In most cases, this is a quick and easy answer to what may have been years of pain and misery for someone.”

At the open evening, Mr Fagan will be making a presentation, after which patients will have the opportunity to ask questions, and to speak to hospital representatives from the radiology, physiotherapy, and marketing departments.

The Northern Echo:

To book into the event, on Wednesday, August 9th, from 6pm - 8pm, please contact Mr Fagan's secretary, Beverley Johnston, on 07539 330360, or call and speak with Woodlands Hospital Patient Liaison Officer, Daisy Holden, on 01325 341786.

Alternatively, you can register online. Complimentary light snacks and refreshments will be provided.

Please click here to find out more information about the services that Mr Fagan provides.

Woodlands Hospital, Morton Park, Darlington DL1 4PL

Telephone: 01325 341700