@justclintdavis
Clint, are you able to change insurance to another that would have Mayo in their network? If not, look for a spine surgeon in your insurance plan and when you go for a consultation, give them the medical literature and ask if your case is like this in the literature right from the start. Mayo does have links to various hospitals across the US where doctors can consult Mayo specialists and you receive care locally. It’s called the Mayo Clinic Care Network. Doctors can also independently consult Mayo, but may not think they need to do it. It took me 6 opinions before I found a surgeon who understood this connection and that was at Mayo. I know how frustrating this is and you’re right. Surgeons don’t want to take a chance when they don’t understand the problem, and they worry about other complications. You have to keep searching for the best specialist you can find covered by your insurance. You can also call your insurance company for names of their best recognized surgeons.

Jennifer