Stage 6 Posts – Procedures

Video animation of a lumbar fusion The purpose of this letter is to explain what is involved when a posterior fusion is performed on your lower back.  We have found that the more knowledgeable the patient, the more successful the surgical outcome.  Patients undergoing this procedure most commonly ask the … Read More

Print this letter Laminectomy: Video animation Laminotomy: Illustrations What is a laminae? The spinal column consists of vertebra and disc as the front part of the spine, the spinal canal which contains the dural sac filled with fluid surrounding the spinal cord and nerves and the back part of the … Read More

Print this letter Video animation: Microdiscectomy The purpose of this letter is to explain the microdiscectomy procedure. A microdiscectomy is the removal of an intervertebral disc fragment next to a nerve in your lower back. We have found that the more knowledgeable you are, the better you’ll be able to … Read More

I first met Georgia when she was 15 years-old. She had undergone a fusion for adolescent scoliosis at another hospital. Her post-op pain was much worse than usual and nine months after the surgery she was still experiencing severe pain. Normally, pain from a fusion such as hers is gone … Read More

Crystal is a woman from the southern part of Washington. When I first met her, she was over 70 years-old and lived on her own. She had severe spinal stenosis in her lumbar vertebrae at multiple levels. Stenosis is a condition where bone and ligaments grow around the spinal canal … Read More

I started my working life as a carpenter at age fourteen. I worked every summer and vacation doing residential construction. I did everything from heavy concrete slab work to finish interior work. The summer before medical school, I built a 5,000 square foot house for my parents. I was energetic, … Read More