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What to expect at first Mayo consult for C4-5

Spine Health | Last Active: Aug 19, 2021 | Replies (5)
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@admgrn

@jenniferhunter Thanks for all the detail. I did have my consult and both the nurse practitioner and the chief resident surgeon seemed very knowledgeable and made me feel comfortable.

The only thing I forgot to ask is who would be assisting with the surgery.

I read somewhere that Mayo is unique in that their chief residents run their own clinic and perform surgeries somewhat autonomously.

I’m just curious if they are assisted by a surgical tech, another resident, or an attending surgeon.

I’ll need to send a follow-up question via the portal to find out.

The surgeon is gathering some information for me on which artificial disc is recommend for my particular situation. That’s the only area where there wasn’t a clear answer and I preferred to have a better idea of what device they will use.

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Replies to "@jenniferhunter Thanks for all the detail. I did have my consult and both the nurse practitioner..."
Jennifer, Volunteer Mentor | @jenniferhunter | Aug 19, 2021

@admgrn I'm glad I could help! It sounds like you did great job getting onboard and asking questions. That is how you be a good patient and have a great recovery by embracing the situation. In my spine surgery, the neurosurgeon (not a resident) did my surgery, and the resident surgeons closed the incision and did the follow up for discharge and writing prescriptions. I know that the neurosurgery program at Mayo is 7 years and my surgeon teaches in it. I also had surgery on my ankle last year at Mayo with an orthopedic trauma surgeon, and there were 3 assistants in the operating room. I know one was a surgical resident and I met her at my appointment when I met the surgeon 2 days before the procedure.

I'm sure they will have you arrive a couple days early for Covid testing before your surgery. Also make sure you get everything done and organized at home to make your recovery easier. Do you have a surgery date scheduled?

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