How to best choose a spine surgeon?

@ou14mejc
Where was the neurosurgeon? My DXA in my spine has improved to osteopenia but it is still osteoporosis in my femoral head. Do you qualify?
I saw a surgeon at Mayo this past week and he dosen't think it would help me because I have degeneration at several levels/several discs that are very worn down to almost bone on bone. What is your diagnosis or what is your pain like?

@annie1 my neurosurgeon was in Oklahoma City. If you have improved to osteopenia and your T-score is better than -2.0, you should qualify (according to him.) the femoral head is on your hips, not your spine. My pain gets so bad that I have to go to the ER for pain shots occasionally. It isn’t just pain, I actually can’t walk, sit, stand, etc. I also have DDD and have severe stenosis at L4-5 and spondylolisthesis. I thought this would qualify me for TOPS, but the surgeon said I had other discs that looked to be compromised and would need a fusion. I have avoided a fusion for years because of the horror stories, but I don’t think I can much longer. Good luck in whatever choice you make.

Hi, @marsi and @annie1 - just wanted you to know that for your own safety and privacy, I've removed the request from you for a phone number, @marsi, and replaced it with a request that annie1 private message you on this site. This is because having phone numbers on the site compromises member's privacy and could be a security issue.

Hoping this might work for you two to connect this way. Go to the top of any Mayo Clinic Connect page and click on the little envelope in the upper right corner to get to the private messaging tool.

marsi - is anything becoming more clear to you as you think back on what these doctors have advised you might do?

@lisalucier
Thank you. Not really it’s a very difficult decision.

@annie1 hi,
Most of my symptoms are in my hands, pinkie, thumbs down to wrists. Hand loosing flexibility and closing up. Hurts when I move the my fingers. I’m trying to decide if I should have Laminoplasty or w/ Fuzion posterior C2- T1

@lisalucier two neurosurgeons from Florida advised me to have posterior laminectomy with Fuzion from C2-T1. Another surgeon advised me to have a laminoplasty beginning at C2 to c7/T1 from HSS. I dontknowwhat to do

@marsi
Which campus of HSS? Do they have them in Florida too?

@annie1
HSS is in nyc

I had a multilevel ACDF four years ago. The surgery was both anterior and posterior. Two surgeries because during the anterior surgery, there was signal loss which resulted in total paralysis. I spent 10 days in ICU and then several weeks in rehab. My surgeon did not know what had gone wrong during the surgery, but later figured out part of a ligament had snapped into my spinal cord and caused injury. I was unable to move any part of my body and my surgeon was not hopeful that this would change much. However, once I started physical therapy and was back in my home, I was able to improve rapidly to the amazement of my surgeon, and was even driving within four months. However, permanent damage was done to my hands, my arms, my legs, and all the other body parts that are affected by the spinal cord at the level of my injury. The surgery caused the damage it was supposed to prevent.
Reading the comments about choosing a surgeon makes me wonder whether it is possible to make a huge difference in your choice. Neurosurgery is pretty much a crapshoot. So much goes wrong so often with very little definitive explanation. I wonder if I should’ve taken some legal action but at the time I was putting everything I had into recovery.

I had originally sought treatment for lumbar issues. But an MRI showed spinal cord compression in my neck, and I was told I needed cervical surgery before anything could be done about my lower spine. About six months ago, I started experiencing extreme pain in my legs and lower back. I’ve been advised that surgery is the only fix for the pain unless I want heavy duty medication.
I thought I had the best neurosurgeon at Yale at the time, but apparently I was given inaccurate information and I didn’t do enough research.

UCSD all athe way baby! I had FOUR opinions. I am in love with my spine surgeon (Dr. Zlomeslic) but anyone in their dept is great. I've had 3 spine surgeries with him over 8 year. Probably going back for one more. Neurology is a terrible place to be IMHO. Switch to Orthopedic spine surgery. Dr. Z is very conservative with surgeries and does a lot of others revisions. There is a fellow who trained with Dr. Z and went back to FL. I can't remember his name but he is awesome.