Dr. Steven Cyr of SASpine Helps Shooting Victim Walk Again as Well as Hope for the Future

In March 2018, 22-year-old Matt Davis of San Diego was shot in the back at an entertainment venue in San Antonio. The injury caused a burst fracture of his L2 vertebrae which left Davis paralyzed and wheelchair-bound along with an inability to sit upright for a prolonged period and unable to walk.

“I had a lot of severe back and nerve pain,” Davis said.

His mother, Lisa, recalled taking him to see several surgeons to inquire if surgery could help improve his situation. But outcomes were bleak, they were told. “We got a second, a third and then a fourth opinion, and it was all the same,” Lisa said. “The possible complications of surgery would be too dangerous, and we should just forget about it.”

One day, however, Lisa took Matt to see an acupuncturist to help relieve his pain. When he saw Matt’s X-rays, the acupuncturist told Lisa that Matt’s injuries could indeed be corrected. He recommended they make an appointment with Dr. Steven Cyr, a renowned, board-certified orthopedic surgeon, who has helped Matt make a 360-degree recovery.

“When you look at Matt today versus before he had surgery, number one is he can sit upright throughout the day; he is now walking with very minimal assistance,” said Dr. Cyr, chief medical officer of SASpine. “He uses braces to provide support and strength to his legs, but he’s able to walk five to 10 times further prior to surgery.

“He has strength in the lower extremities, especially his left leg, that he didn’t have prior to surgery,” Dr. Cyr added. “He was unable to extend his left knee or walk without the assistance of a therapist guiding his legs. Now he can walk without any assistance of a therapist; he can extend his knee, and he has a sensory function in his legs that he didn’t have before. Matt still uses braces, and he still has a strength deficit in his right leg, but he’s certainly made giant progress since the initial surgery.”

And Matt is grateful for making his physical progress possible because of Dr. Cyr’s expertise and skill. “He’s given us a lot of hope for recovery and for the future,” Matt said.
For more information, visit www.saspine.com or call (210) 487-7463 in San Antonio or (832) 919-7990 in Houston.