TV Watch

Carrie Ann Inaba to Undergo Surgery

11/25/2009 at 12:00 AM EST

Dancing With the Stars judge Carrie Ann Inaba tells PEOPLE she is scheduled to have surgery Wednesday morning in Los Angeles to relieve pressure and stiffness in her neck caused by spinal stenosis.

“I have arthritis. The space around my spinal cord has become compressed,” Inaba explains. “I have been locked. My neck was so stiff. We’re hoping this procedure will relieve that.”

Spinal stenosis occurs when the spinal canal narrows, putting pressure on one or more areas of the spinal cord. The condition can be caused by arthritis or an injury.



“I’ll be fine and if this surgery goes well, I may have another one in the future,” Inaba says, noting that she still plans to attend the Dizzy Feet Foundation’s Celebration of Dance fundraiser on Sunday, November 29 in Los Angeles. Inaba is one of Dizzy Feet’s founding members. -- Monica Rizzo