Susan Berlin, a former nationally ranked tennis player, credits Dr. Jonathan Baskin at Atlantic Brain and Spine for helping her stand tall again after years of debilitating back pain.
How Spine Surgery Helped a Tennis Player Get Back on the Court
Susan Berlin was ready to get back in the game. Once a nationally ranked singles tennis player and UCLA cheerleader, Susan’s active life was sidelined by a motor vehicle accident that left her incapacitated by back pain and struggling to complete even simple daily errands.
Out of the Game
During the next year and a half, Susan saw multiple doctors who were unable to improve her circumstance with oral medications, spinal injections, nerve blocks, and physical therapy. “I felt like the Hunchback of Notre Dame,” she joked, though there was nothing funny about her condition.
When a neurologist friend recommended she see Dr. Jonathan Baskin, an expert in minimally invasive spine surgery, she made the appointment. Even though Atlantic Brain and Spine (ABS) was an hour and a half away from her house, she hoped she’d found someone who could help her rally.
The moment she stepped through the door, Susan knew she was in the right place.
An Ace at Atlantic Brain and Spine
Dr. Baskin and his medical assistant Rebecca Nicol were the perfect doubles team: thorough, knowledgeable, and reassuring. Susan’s request was direct: “I want my active life back.”
After reviewing images of her spine that revealed a combination of lumbar herniated discs, vertebral malalignment, scoliosis, and stenosis, a surgical treatment plan was formulated that would decompress her irritated nerves and restore stability to her spinal column.
The procedure would be performed using minimally invasive techniques that would be less disruptive to her normal anatomy, incur significantly less blood loss and risk of complication than conventional surgical approaches, and help her bounce back from surgery faster than the average experience.
In September 2024, Susan underwent a minimally invasive surgery at Morristown Medical Center. Dr. Baskin decompressed her spinal nerves through laminectomy and microdiscectomy procedures. He then stabilized her spine through interbody fusion and the placement of fixation screws and rods.
The day after surgery, Susan stood up straight for the first time in over a year and a half. She advanced her activity with physical therapists at Morristown Hospital over the next few days, before moving on to an additional week of inpatient rehabilitation therapy at the Kessler Institute.
“The staff at Morristown and Kessler were incredible. I didn’t have help at home, so Dr. Baskin made sure I was able to land in the best possible situation to optimize my recovery,” Susan said.
By the time she was discharged from Kessler, Susan was walking upright and unaided. She was even able to practice hitting a few tennis balls in the physical therapy exercise room, something that would have been unimaginable to her two weeks earlier.
Susan continued with outpatient physical therapy, then joined a gym when she felt ready. Any time she had questions or concerns, she knew she could contact Dr. Baskin’s office and Rebecca would quickly get back to her. “She’s efficient, smart, and knows what she’s talking about,” said Susan. “Rebecca is a great assistant.”
Game, Set, Match
Back in action: After undergoing minimally invasive spine surgery with Dr. Jonathan Baskin, Susan is back on the court and ready to play again.
At her two-month appointment, Dr. Baskin handed Susan a gift: a can of tennis balls. She was cleared to play again.
Today, the ball is back in Susan’s court when it comes to her health. She’s returning to her old activities and feeling better than ever – taking on challenges with the same grit and determination that once put her at the top of the rankings.
“While I’m still working to get back to full force, I’m determined to live life and enjoy every minute now that my back feels well again,” she said.
