50 Years of Back Pain to Pain Free: KC rabbi finds relief at Saint Luke’s

Mark Levin endured back pain for nearly 50 years.

First, there was the sciatica that started in Mark’s 20s, followed by the diagnoses of spondylolisthesis (slipped vertebrae), stenosis (a narrow space for nerves), and scoliosis. 

In 2010, Mark, a retired congregational rabbi from Prairie Village, Kansas, had surgery on his lower spine at another hospital. His doctors told him he would eventually have neck problems because of the condition of his L-3 through S-1 vertebrae. But the surgery helped him live comfortably for the first time in years. He was even able to recover from a biking accident with physical therapy.

During a 2022 appointment, an MRI revealed Mark’s thoracic spinal cord was compressed. His X-rays showed his spine was out of balance, which caused his poor posture. These factors would continue to limit Mark’s mobility and increase in pain over time. Furthermore, spinal issues such as canal stenosis can have respiratory and bladder implications. 

Despite living relatively comfortably for nearly a decade, everything he’d gone through was adding up.

Unless he underwent surgery to decompress his spinal cord, he would not be able to do simple tasks, such as walk his dog and perform ceremonies around the community. Mark wanted to avoid more procedures because of previous experiences, but surgery was imminent.

Seeking a second opinion

Mark sought a second opinion with Gurpreet Gandhoke, MD, a fellowship-trained neurosurgeon at Saint Luke’s Marion Bloch Neuroscience Institute who specializes in helping those with problems related to prior spine operations or disease progression. Dr. Gandhoke recommended Mark go through with surgery, so Mark underwent surgery to correct his C-3 through T-1 vertebrae at his hospital.

But Mark was told he needed additional thoracic spine surgeries, which prompted him to once again seek a second opinion from Dr. Gandhoke.

After reviewing his medical history, Dr. Gandhoke told Mark there was a possibility one surgery wouldn’t be enough. But they could start with one. Even the thought of one more surgery, much less multiple procedures, kept Mark from going forward.

Dr. Gandhoke sees many patients like Mark who endure the pain but encourages them to seek treatments before their breaking point.

“The spinal cord is unforgiving,” Dr. Gandhoke said. “This is what makes you walk. This is what controls your bowel and bladder function. There is a lot at stake.”

Over the next couple years, Mark’s pain returned with more intensity than before. By 2024, the aching was more than pain relievers, stretching, and exercises could handle.

“My legs always hurt,” Mark says. “I had to stop walking my dogs around the block. I couldn’t walk around the house.”

When the pain was so bad it became apparent Mark wouldn’t be able to officiate his son’s wedding, he knew he needed to make a change. Eventually, Mark hit his breaking point.

“I can’t live like this,” he said to himself.

The surgery

“Getting older isn’t easy,” Mark said. “You’re going to have to make some major decisions, and they’re not predetermined. Find the best person you can possibly find to help you. I put my faith in the person rather than trying to analyze the procedure.”

For Mark, that person was Dr. Gandhoke. In October 2024, Dr. Gandhoke performed an eight-hour procedure on Mark’s spine to align and relieve pressure on his spinal cord. The results were the best-case scenario—after one procedure, Mark felt better than ever.

“The surgery fixed his spinal cord compression and corrected his deformity, with a much smaller intervention than what could have been required,” Dr. Gandhoke said.

After months of physical therapy at Saint Luke’s and stretches, Mark is back to walking and cycling multiple days a week while feeling healthier and stronger. Even in retirement, he can perform weddings, funerals, sermons, and teach classes when opportunities arise.

As he looks back on his procedure, Mark is grateful for his care team and therapists for giving him a better quality of life at 76 years old. And he is grateful to Dr. Gandhoke for his skill in healing a back that was already full of scars.

As a husband, father, grandfather, and respected member of the community, Mark walks tall—and pain free—knowing the right medical team, and a little faith, can work wonders.

If you are having spine-related issues from past surgeries or chronic conditions, contact Saint Luke’s Marion Bloch Neuroscience Institute for the latest surgical options from minimally invasive spine surgery to motion-sparing surgical interventions.