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stays or as much pain medication. In the recent past, patients could expect to need to manage severe pain with the use of opioids such as fentanyl, hydromorphone, morphine, oxycodone, oxymorphone and tramadol. These medications are highly effective at pain management, yet also addictive. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 20 percent of people who take prescription opioids abuse the drugs, and 10 percent of those become addicted. Sadly, experts say 2.1 million Americans live with an opioid misuse disorder, and in 2019 an estimated 50,000 Americans died from opioid overdoses. "A surgery like this is remarkable in that patients no longer have to live with chronic pain, or lingering pain after surgery. Therefore, pain management after surgery is minimal, usually requiring days, rather than weeks, of medication," says Dr. Spooler. Maria's experience was even better, as she needed pain medication for only one day post-surgery and opted to take Tylenol after she was released from the hospital. Her recovery was faster than her family anticipated. "Five hours post-surgery, my mom was able to stand up and take a few steps. She felt better right away and was able to sleep, really sleep well, for the first time in years," explains her daughter Arlene. On her second day at the hospital, Maria was able to go up and down a few stairs and walk down the hall during her physical therapy sessions. Three days after her surgery, able to walk the halls without any pain, she was released. To put her rapid recovery into perspective, a mere two weeks after her spinal surgery, Maria was walking around the mall, walking her dog in her neighborhood, sleeping through the night and not even taking Tylenol. "She was so surprised with the scar, too. It is so small you can hardly see it. And she has no pain where the surgery was. She didn't expect that," Arlene says. A BETTER LIFE Today, Maria is living her best life. She sewed her grandkids' Halloween costumes, as well as her daughters' and son-in-law 's costumes. The seamstress of 30 years may just be coming out of retirement, but says she only plans to work part-time on referral. She has too much to do. Between hiking, walking her dog and taking care of her two grandchildren, Maria's a bit busy. "One of the best aspects of this robotic surgery is the accurate placement of the hardware, as it reduces the risk of injury or need for revision surgery," Dr. Spooler adds. Her family is especially grateful for the precision of the robotic surgery, as Maria has too many plans to schedule a follow-up procedure. She is excited about her upcoming trip to Florida to visit her son, Danny, who is at Florida State University earning a PhD in evolutionary sciences. And the entire Haro family is taking Maria to Hawaii in April to celebrate their mother 's 70th birthday— something she never imagined being well enough to do. Her back pain was so severe, the idea of sitting in an airplane was too difficult to imagine. Now she looks forward not only to flying to Hawaii for the first time, but hiking to waterfalls and playing in the warm waters with her grandchildren. "My mom is a single mother who raised her three children (Arlene, 34, Cleidy, 33, and Danny, 29) in the projects in Sylmar. We were definitely a low-income family and could not afford to take vacations. She was such a hardworking mother. We all went through college, and she's so proud. We're happy to give back and for her to be healthy enough to enjoy this time!" For a physician referral to this program, call our Patient Engagement Center at 888-HEALING (432-5464).

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