This Morning star Dr Zoe Williams to have major spinal surgery in a bid to cure chronic back pain
This Morning medical expert Dr Zoe Williams has revealed that she will undergo major spinal surgery as a "last resort" to try and end the chronic back pain she has been suffering with.
Dr Zoe Williams is to undergo major spinal surgery.
The This Morning star has revealed that she has decided to go under the knife as a "last resort" after suffering years of chronic back pain due to a condition called spinal stenosis.
Dr Zoe - who regularly contributes to health segments on the ITV daytime show - wrote on Instagram: "My diagnosis is of severe spinal stenosis and the surgery is called a lumber decompression.
"The surgeon will be removing overgrown ligaments and bone which are a result of degenerative changes to my spine.
"These structures, as well as a slightly bulging disc are encroaching on my spinal canal meaning that the nerves inside my spinal column are being compressed.
"It's different to sciatica, which in many cases resolves over time. I've come to learn that my condition will not resolve as it is due to degenerative change, and will likely get worse with time.
"Surgery really is a last resort for me having tried just about everything else over the past two and a half years."
Dr Zoe admits that it wasn't an "easy decision" to have surgery as she encouraged her followers to keep track of her "back pain journey".
The 45-year-old star, who featured as Amazon in Sky's short-lived revival of Gladiators in the 2000s, wrote: "It hasn’t been an easy journey or an easy decision, but I know that so many people out their face the same dilemmas and that’s why I’m hoping that my sharing will give some insight, and improve your ability to make informed decisions regarding your own back problems.
"I must caveat out that every person is different. Every spinal problem is different and every type of surgery is different so please do not extrapolate my scenario directly to yours and take everything with a pinch of salt.
"I’m so lucky and privileged to be able to do this privately and make all the choices that come with that! Let’s keep chatting along the way."
Meanwhile, Dr Zoe revealed in 2024 that she had written an "emergency will" after suffering a series of "health blips", including being rushed to hospital with an abnormal heart rhythm.
She wrote on Instagram at the time: "I got signed off by my cardiologist today… I'm OK. But I wasn't certain that I would be for a while!
"It's been a year of health blips. The most worrying being my heart. But I'm OK.
"Writing an emergency will from your hospital bed, just in case, is not the one though. But I'm OK.
"It's interesting how we can be thankful for these experiences. They can make us see clearly. What matters. What doesn't. And just how easy it is to take our health for granted."
