Laureen Kernan lives in the age-restricted (55+) community of Tonto Verde, near the Verde River northeast of Scottsdale, a place where the retired certified public accountant (CPA) pursues an extremely active lifestyle.
She does Pilates five times a week, spins on a stationary bike three times a week, strength trains twice a week, and often plays golf with her husband, Jay Kernan, and with other groups. After raising six children — four girls and two boys — she still likes to cook, walk and hike.
But in 2017, she started having pain in the lumbar region of her lower back.
“I was miserable,” Laureen said. “Taking to people in my community, they said I have to go see Dr. Tumialan.”
Luis Tumialan, M.D., is an ASU School of Medicine and Medical Engineering neurosurgeon who specializes in spine and neurosurgery as part of the HonorHealth Research Institute’s Neuroscience Research Division.
Dr. Tumialan knows a little something about back problems. He is director of the American Board of Neurological Surgery; chair of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Central Nervous System Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves; chair of the Council of State Neurosurgical Societies; and secretary of the International Society for the Advancement of Spinal Surgery.
For Laureen, he conducted a partial discectomy to fix a herniated disc that was pressing on a nerve in her lower back: “I’ve been incredibly impressed with his work,” Laureen said.
Pain in the neck? She knew who to see
A little more than two years ago, when Laureen started experiencing problems with her cervical spine (neck), she knew who to go see.
“The pain that I had was constant. I couldn’t sleep. It would wake me up. I would feel it across my shoulder blades. All the way down my left arm, it was a nagging, constant numbness,” said Laureen, now 66. “I had numbness down my left arm all the way to my fingertips. I couldn’t figure out what exactly it was.”
She was diagnosed with cervical spondylosis with radiculopathy. She needed disc replacements between the C5 and C6 vertebrae, and between the C6 and C7 vertebrae. Through the Research Institute, Dr. Tumialan conducted surgery in April 2024 as part of the Synergy Disc Clinical Trial.
Recovery: full range of motion, no pain
Laureen was amazed how quickly she recovered, regaining her full range of motion without any pain.
“It was so simple. It was quick. It was 100%. It was amazing. I was out for a long walk the day after the procedure,” she recalled the afternoon following her two-year check-up.
“There is no describing having your life back with full mobility. I’m an extremely active person. To live my life to the fullest is an incredible gift. I feel blessed to have been part of the study,” Laureen said. “It’s been a very positive experience,” she added, noting that she is now one of the members of her community who tells her friends where to go if they have back pain. “I’ve already been telling people when they tell me they have a problem. I say, ‘You have to go see Dr. Tumialan.’ ”
