New patient consult questions

I recently had a consult with a neurosurgeon. I already had MRI's & CT scans of my cervical & lumbar areas so I did not need more testing. I had already had PT & was doing back exercises at home. The neurosurgeon evaluated my symptoms & looked at my MRI's on the computer with me. He offered surgery and, if I chose to have it, he let me choose which one I wanted. He wanted me to go by which was bothering me the most. I chose to have cervical. He did explain to me that he felt like I was going to need surgery on the lumbar area eventually. He thoroughly explained the cervical surgery and I was called the next day to schedule the surgery and the followups. It won't be until June 11th. I think the time the doctor spent with me was about 45 minutes. I was also sent home with a printed up paper that explained the surgery and the care afterwards. I will spend one night in the hospital. I think that if you weren't ready for surgery, you would be offered injections into your spine. Hope this helps.

Very helpful, thank you. I have already had surgery on cervical area 5 years ago. This consult is for lumbar region and the worsening scoliosis and end stage degenerative disc disease. Good luck to you in June!!

Thank you! Keep us posted. I wish you well.

@kjones612 - Welcome to Mayo Connect. First of all - good luck with your upcoming appointment. You are asking some good questions.

I had spinal work done in 2023 after much research, multiple images having been taken, and multiple consults plus second opinions. Here are some tips on that first doctor session:

1) Pre-write down some questions and have them on a piece of paper with you. Don't end the appointment until you've gone through your list. No question is unreasonable and you should not feel intimated about taking up the doctor's time to respond to yours. It's your spine and you deserve to know what the medical professional is thinking and why.

2) Two questions all pre-surgery spinal patients have are: Will this surgery correct all my problems and what are the chances of an undesired outcome? As frustrating as it can be - the doctor is unlikely to be able to give you an exact answer to either question. I would recommend you still ask those questions at least to engage the neurosurgeon in this aspect of your concerns.

3) I found it immensely helpful to have a second set of ears in the room to hear what the doctor was saying. That meeting can be emotion-charged and you might miss some important details and discussion points otherwise.

You should feel comfortable asking all your questions and you should expect a neurosurgeon to appreciate your interest in gathering information. These folks are hyper-busy and not all have great bedside manners...so don't be put off by a brusk manner. What you want is the best neurosurgeon you can find! Ask questions until satisfied!

Will you report back on your appointment results?

Thank you. The good news is, this isn't my first rodeo 😉🙂 I have already had one surgery elsewhere and I worked in neurology/neurosurgery for 22 years managing the clinical neurophysiology lab. I can talk the talk and have lots of experience with neurosurgeons. Mayo is new to me, so I am grateful to you all sharing your experiences with me.

Recommendation is for spinal deformity correction. T10 to pelvis. Lots to think about.

Thank you! How did you get along with the cervical surgery?

The cervical surgery was great. 2 level fusion with plate. Recovery was easy and I had instant relief of my arm pain and numbers. 5 years out and still doing great.
This recent consult revealed the need for a T10 to pelvis fusion with rods. Will straighten my curve and clean out 3 lumbar levels that are compressing nerves. Long surgery and long recovery. Concerned about the next steps, but also unsure how long it makes sense to out it off due to my current pain.

@kjones612 - You've hit the decision nail right on the head! Such a surgery is a big deal with an extended recovery. Your decision can be helped by thinking about risk management from a personal level.

There are obvious risks of having the surgery: The surgery itself contains some risks. The recovery is likely lengthy. Sometimes the surgery doesn't work out perfectly.

There are obvious risks of deferring surgery: You may have nearly intolerable pain that can only be mitigated with surgery. If your nerves are severely pinched for an extended period, you can permanently damage them where there might be no surgical fix.

The way I managed my personal risks was to be certain I had the very best equipment to do the MRIs and X-rays. I went to a facility that was rated very highly. I selected a neurosurgeon over an ortho as we were dealing with my spine. I consulted with several doctors including a physiatrist.

In the end - I talked to my friends, to others who had similar surgeries, and I relied on my primary care physician for advice. I elected to have both cervical and lumbar extensive work done and at this point, I'm glad I did.

No rush unless your pain is keeping you bedridden. Gather your information and I wish you the best in your decision. Have you decided where to have surgery and have you selected a neurosurgeon?

We live part time in FL and part time in VT. I was evaluated at the spinal deformity center at th3 Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. I would only have a neurosurgeon do this extensive of a surgery. I worked in the field for many years and understand it all, probably too well! Dr Kingsley Abode would do my surgery.