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Spinal Disorders & Back Pain For discussion of all spinal cord injuries, spinal issues, back-related pain or problems. |
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05-07-2012, 11:44 AM | #11 | |||
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Senior Member (**Dr Smith is named after a character from Lost in Space, not a medical doctor)
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I like Spine's suggestion of an neuro/ortho tag team.
Doc
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Dr. Zachary Smith Oh, the pain... THE PAIN... Dr. Smith is NOT a medical doctor. He was a character from LOST IN SPACE. All opinions expressed are my own. For medical advice/opinion, consult your doctor. |
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05-07-2012, 01:05 PM | #12 | ||
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My last surgery was a 360 degree, three level disc./lam...cages, rods, yada yada. That one actually involved three surgeons. The ortho/neuros wanted a vascular surgeon to take them in and bring them out. I got documentation that the actual surgeon did the work as opposed to "supervising" a fellowship doc. I really don't have a problem being worked on by a fellow as long as the supervising surgeon is standing over his shoulder, not just on call in the building.
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05-07-2012, 02:49 PM | #13 | |||
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Senior Member (**Dr Smith is named after a character from Lost in Space, not a medical doctor)
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Did they use titanium yada yada or the new synthetic composite yada yada? Doc
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Dr. Zachary Smith Oh, the pain... THE PAIN... Dr. Smith is NOT a medical doctor. He was a character from LOST IN SPACE. All opinions expressed are my own. For medical advice/opinion, consult your doctor. |
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05-07-2012, 06:02 PM | #14 | ||
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A 360 is both anterior and posterior. This was almost seven years ago and they used titanium yada yada. I am told that the quality of my spine is much like someone with cancer of the spine. The ortho's sub specialty is spinal cancer. That sounds like a rather limitted area of interest but he gets patients from all over the country. Typically the anterior repair is done first. My location required going in between two major blood vessels that were very close together and considered risky. Enter the vascular surgeon. My understanding is that the neuro work was done from the front along with the lion's share of the clean up of old scar tissue and osteophytes. I was then rolled over and fused posteriorlly. The final step before closing was to drop in a grenade. Both incissions were 12 inches. I don't remember much as my pain doctor arranged for a pain specialist to take care of me until I could be transfered back home to a rehab hospital. . When I say that was my last surgery, I mean it was my last surgery. At 63, I can't tollerate anymore of that major spinal surgery, regardless of circumstances.
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05-07-2012, 11:28 PM | #15 | |||
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Senior Member (**Dr Smith is named after a character from Lost in Space, not a medical doctor)
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Fascinating story, though - thanks. Doc
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Dr. Zachary Smith Oh, the pain... THE PAIN... Dr. Smith is NOT a medical doctor. He was a character from LOST IN SPACE. All opinions expressed are my own. For medical advice/opinion, consult your doctor. |
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05-12-2012, 01:56 AM | #16 | ||
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I would only ever trust a neurosurgeon to operate on my spine having had my first neck surgery carried out by an othopaedic surgeon. His approach was far more rough than the neurosurgeon. He took a huge chunk of bone from my hip when he did my fusions and he didn't secure the fusions with a plate or screws to support it. The lower fusion didn't take and It had to be done again. The second time around was by a neurosurgeon and he took a small chip of bone from my hip and I wasn't in nearly as much pain as I had been the first time. So without a doubt stick with the neurosurgeon. The spinal cord is part of the central nervous system - why trust it with anyone else?
Libby Quote:
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05-12-2012, 11:02 AM | #17 | ||
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If you are reasonably close to a teaching hospital, the repair could be done by a spinal ortho/neuro tag team. Each one does what he specializes in and you get the advantage of both perspectives. This does not mean that they are neccessarily in the same practice. Often it is just two surgeons who work well together. While the bulk of the surgery may be structural, a decompression might be involved. I would prefer having a neuro do the decompression.
Interesting side note.......you see both surgeons while in the pre-op mode. Generally speaking, the one you see first is the one who "takes the lead" and you will be interacting with more. Best wishes. |
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"Thanks for this!" says: | Dr. Smith (05-12-2012) |
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