Seventy-three-year-old Kate Allenbach has confronted her share of medical challenges over the years. First was tracheal stenosis when she was in her fifties, and then a decade later spinal stenosis and a compression fracture in her lumbar spine.

Fortunately, through it all, Kate had a team of Valley View doctors on her side. Over the years she has developed relationships and has been treated by pulmonologist Dr. Suresh Khilnani at the Valley View Lung Center for her tracheal and breathing issues, Dr. Andrew Gisleson for her primary care, and most recently, Dr. Felipe Ituarte, orthopedic spine surgeon, for the spinal stenosis in her back. (Spinal stenosis is a condition that results from too little space inside the backbone, which puts pressure on the spinal cord and nerves that runs through the spine.)

“We’d known Kate had spinal stenosis, from a previous diagnosis many years ago, but she didn’t have any symptoms, there was no pain,” says Kate’s husband of 48 years, Louie. “When she started having balance issues, we didn’t realize what she was experiencing was associated.”

According to Kate it was her primary doctor, Dr. Gisleson at Roaring Fork Family Practice, who noticed. He had been monitoring Kate’s spinal health for years.

“Dr. Gisleson kept checking me to see how strong I was,” she said. “He would push one leg to test strength and then the other. He had been looking for it.”

When the spinal stenosis became a safety issue for Kate, Dr. Gisleson suggested she meet with Dr. Ituarte at the Valley View Spine Center. “He encouraged us to see Dr. Ituarte because of the strong communication among Valley View providers,” says Kate. “I wanted someone with a lot of experience with this type of surgery and he had done hundreds. He was very impressive.”

According to the couple, Dr. Ituarte spent a generous amount of time with Kate, first providing a thorough examination. “There was no rush,” said Louie. “He was totally calm and explained things so that we understood exactly what the situation was and what to expect.”

“I would describe that meeting as ‘calming,’” said Kate. “I knew this was the right thing.”  

Over the next month Kate was prepared for surgery by Dr. Ituarte’s physician assistant, Cameron Youngblood. The spinal surgery itself required relieving the compression between two vertebrae, and “cleaning out” some arthritis in areas between the vertebrae to allow for more room for the nerves.

“The whole process felt so personal,” says Louie. “Kate wasn’t yet out of recovery when they found me and told me they would follow up with Dr. Khilnani to let him know what they did. Dr. had written an unbelievable amount of detailed documentation of the procedure. We felt like we had a connected team that treated the whole person on our side.”

“And the nurses,” added Kate. “They called me afterward to check in and make sure I was sleeping well and taking the medicines prescribed.”

Today just a month after her surgery Kate is out walking with Louie by her side. “I’m getting stronger, she said. “When I went to see him for final clearance, he asked me the amount of improvement I felt compared to before the surgery, and I answered ‘100 percent.”