Bloomington patient gets same-day relief after months of pain

In January of 2026, Frederick White had terrible back pain and thought it was a sciatic nerve problem. After having Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan taken of his spine, a pain management doctor said he may have spinal stenosis—the compression of the spinal cord and nearby nerves.

His next step was to consult a neurosurgeon.

White knew neurosurgeon Bryan Wohlfeld, MD, from a disc replacement he had done in years prior and knew he wanted his opinion.

Because his insurance required the opinion of multiple doctors for the surgery to be covered, White made two visits. The first surgeon recommended a surgery that would be very invasive and require a 6 – 12-week recovery time with multiple incision points.

When White met with Dr. Wohlfeld the following week, he received a very different recommendation.

"Dr. Wohlfeld said bone fragments had become lodged in nerve bundles," says White. "He recommended endoscopic surgery, stating it was less invasive and would be a quick recovery time. I also knew Dr. Wohlfeld personally and trust his opinions and recommendations, so I had the surgery.”

The doctor explained that endoscopic spine surgery is an ultra-minimally invasive surgical technique. It uses a specially designed instrument about the width of a pencil, to allow surgeons to view and reach small areas of the spine without creating large openings.

Additionally, the surgery could be performed close to home.

"I was pretty much on my back from February to April," he says. "I couldn't sit up. I couldn't stand up. I could barely walk. I lost 30 pounds because I couldn't eat and was constantly sick to my stomach."

In April, Dr. Wohlfeld performed the procedure and the results were immediate.

"Dr. Wohlfeld did the procedure that morning, and I left the hospital before five o'clock," says White. "I walked out of the hospital. I was pain-free when I woke up from surgery."

Four months later, White remains free of the pain that had dramatically impacted his quality of life.

"I've never had a medical procedure or doctor deliver results the way Dr. Wohlfeld did," he says.

Having lost his vision a few years before the surgery, White says additional medical challenges often brought added stress and anxiety. He shared that Dr. Wohlfeld was as considerate as he could have been and made him more comfortable and less anxious.

“It’s hard to describe how amazing it was that the severe pain I was in for three months was erased in a surgery and a hospital stay that lasted less than six hours,” says White.