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Do’s and don’ts while waiting to see the neurosurgeon
Spine Health | Last Active: Dec 21, 2025 | Replies (15)Comment receiving replies
Well over the past year of cervical pain which just keeps getting worse and after seeing 5 neurosurgeons, 4 PA's, a neurologist, 2 different PT specialists, and all pain management procedures, I have learned that surgeons are generally a--holes, they definitely don't take even a minute to listen (ESPECIALLY to anyone over 70) and really aren't interested in operating without a guarantee of success. But, when I finally got to Dr Patel, after waiting 4 months, a leading orthopedic spine surgeon, he said he thinks he can help me. I started crying! He ordered an EMG nerve test and a nuclear bone scan and then on January 20 will review results and he'll talk surgery. Thank God! The surgery will be to stabilize a C5-6 fusion 8 years ago which never fused, free an impinged nerve, and clean up bone spurs. I have spent my entire life with daily exercise and now have hope that I can get back to being active again.
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@snel2112 I do understand your frustration and long journey in finding a surgeon willing to help. That happened to me as well. However, consider this…… would you really want a surgeon operating who isn’t sure about their ability to help? They don’t want to make anything worse. There’s lots of other health considerations to qualify a patient for surgery and surgeons have different skill sets and different subspecialties.
When you’re scared, having a compassionate doctor helps a lot. You really can have it all, compassion and skill, and in my experience, those surgeons are at Mayo. The culture there is to put the needs of the patients first and to coordinate care among different specialties as needed. Spine surgery is a very tricky business and takes diagnostic skill to determine where pain originates. Is it in the spine or elsewhere?
I’m glad you have a plan now and as a patient that is a big relief when you get that after some years of struggling. You have as much right to choose your surgeons as they have in choosing to offer surgery assuming that the insurance allows your choices.
What questions do you want to ask when you do meet to talk about surgery?