Spine surgery for back pain reveals hidden heart disease

04/22/2026

Relief from severe spinal stenosis brings Connecticut man an unexpected, life-saving diagnosis — silent coronary artery disease

For most of his life, Phillip Bracket took pride in staying active. The 67-year-old from Bridgeport, Connecticut, was a former competitive rower who valued fitness, discipline and routine. Even after retiring from a demanding career as a Wall Street trader, he stayed committed to exercise and enjoyed cross-country skiing.

“I’ve always tried to stay in shape,” Phillip says. “Being active matters to me.”

But over time, chronic pain from degenerative disc disease and spinal stenosis affected every aspect of his life.

Sitting and standing were painful for Phillip because of nerve pain in his lower back, buttocks and hips. Even washing dishes and showering were uncomfortable, and he could barely walk a few blocks.

Phillip suspects his spine issues began years earlier after a whiplash injury. He was also an intense athlete and is tall, which could have contributed to developing degenerative disc disease over time.

Degenerative disc disease causes wear-and-tear of the spinal discs, the cushiony shock absorbers between the vertebrae. This can cause back or neck discomfort and nerve pain, numbness and tingling in the arms or legs.

Phillip did physical therapy, which helped his lower back at the time. But he eventually needed cervical spine surgery to treat his neck injury.

He had neck surgery at the end of 2021, but it didn’t successfully treat the condition. He looked for a new surgeon and found Dr. Joshua Marcus, chief of neurosurgery at Norwalk Hospital.

Dr. Marcus performed a successful cervical spinal fusion revision surgery at the end of 2022.

“My neck is solid now,” Phillip says.

Dealing with spinal stenosis pain

By late 2024, Phillip’s lower back pain and symptoms from spinal stenosis, or narrowing of the spine, had become unbearable.

“I had to brace with every movement, and standing was exceedingly painful,” Phillip says. “I would be in excruciating pain simply standing in church.”

He started losing sensation in his legs and he felt unbalanced.a

“I felt unsure in my body and had trouble controlling my legs,” Phillip says.

He tried extensive physical therapy, pain management and two cortisone injections, but nothing helped.

By early 2025, he knew it was time to consider spine surgery. He had a great relationship with Dr. Marcus and went back to him.

Primary care and pre-op testing before spine surgery reveals heart disease

As part of pre-operative clearance, Phillip met with his primary care physician, Dr. Eva Zimmerman, who carefully reviewed his health history and testing.

During his visit, she noticed a slight heart irregularity in his electrocardiogram (EKG). Because Phillip had been coming in for regular checkups, she was able to compare the results with an EKG from a previous routine visit.

This comparison made all the difference.

“There was a change,” Phillip says. “If she hadn’t had something to compare it to, it might not have raised concern.”

Out of caution, Dr. Zimmerman recommended further testing.

Phillip then had an echocardiogram and a stress test at Norwalk Hospital. The echocardiogram looked reassuring, but the stress test showed the same irregularity.

Phillip says the stress test was difficult because of his back pain, so they used an incline to get him to a high level of exertion rather than speed. He appreciated the accommodation.

Based on the results, Phillip learned he had a heart issue and needed follow-up testing. He was surprised because he didn’t have any symptoms or risk factors of heart disease.

His medical team cleared him to proceed with spine surgery first, with plans to address the heart issue afterward.