Watertown Regional Medical Center Patient Kelsey Olson with Family.

Kelsey Olson’s struggle with back pain dates back more than a decade to an injury she suffered while in college. For years, she tried stretches, exercises, and other therapies that promote better back health— approaches she was familiar with through her own background in physical therapy.

But as a mother of two young children, the impact of that pain became impossible to ignore.

“It just got worse, to the point where my back might give out at any time on me,” she said. “It hurt so much that I couldn’t even lift my own newborn. I was in constant pain, and one foot was numb.”

Despite her efforts, the debilitating back pain took a toll on her quality of life. In her early 30s, she worried this might be her reality moving forward, missing out on the moments that mattered most with her kids.

With much hesitancy, she started to consider surgery as a possible option.

“I didn’t want surgery because I regularly see people whose surgery didn’t work,” she recalled. “Not only do I see patients who didn’t have great outcomes, but you also read about how back surgeries can go.”

As what she describes as her “last resort,” she talked to neurologists she had seen over the years and asked them who was the best spine surgeon. Their answer: Jason Sansone, M.D.

On December 1, 2025, Kelsey underwent surgery at Watertown Regional Medical Center. Dr. Sansone, using cutting-edge computer-assisted navigation, repaired a herniated disk by replacing the disk and fusing two vertebrae at the lumbo-sacral joint, the major weight-bearing point in the lower back that connects the mobile spine to the solid pelvis.

Dr. Sansone explained that the navigation system—Globus Health’s ExcelsiusHub™—acts like a GPS for the spine, giving surgeons a real-time, 3D view of exactly where everything is in the back, including their instruments. This helps them operate with more precision using smaller incisions, which can mean a shorter hospital stay and a faster return to normal life.

Kelsey spent a day in the hospital and almost immediately noticed a difference. Actual “feeling” returned to her numb foot, and as the post-surgical pain waned, so did her prior back pain.

“I was shocked,” said Kelsey. “Why did I wait so long to do this?”

She said she can’t say enough good things about Dr. Sansone and the team at Watertown Regional Medical Center.

“He’s an amazing doctor. He gets to know you as a person and really explains things. I have a lot of knowledge about back issues, but he explains things in a way that would be comfortable for anyone.

“I highly recommend him!”

Most importantly, she credits Dr. Sansone for giving her an incredible gift—a second chance to fully be there for her family.

“I’ve cried a lot of happy tears… he really did give me my life back,” Kelsey said. “I have a 5-year-old and 2-year-old, and they are getting into downhill skiing and sports, and I was missing out on all of that. I got a second chance because of Dr. Sansone.”