When I began my surgical practice in 1986, I was convinced that spine surgery was a definitive solution for pain, and I aggressively offered many patients surgery. I eventually learned much better ways to solve pain; usually without surgery. I never dreamed that even surgical patients could have their pain … Read More
Objectives Chronic mental and physical pain are complex. Isolated interventions cannot and don’t work. Surgery is often considered a “definitive solution.” For chronic symptoms, it is not. It is simply one tool. Only two factors must be considered to make a decision regarding undergoing surgery – the anatomy and the … Read More
Surgery on a normal neck?? Last week, I reviewed the films of a young girl who had been in a car accident and was suffering from chronic neck pain. Her attorney sent her to a spine surgeon, who wanted to perform a five-level fusion of her neck. Her MRI was … Read More
“Prehab” is refers to a patient engaging in a rehabilitation process before surgery. There are well-documented factors that affect pain and surgical outcomes. It’s important to implement treatments to address all of them prior to undergoing a procedure with significant risks. Chronic pain infiltrates every aspect of life. You have … Read More
When I published the first edition of my book, Back in Control: A Spine Surgeon’s Surgeon’s Roadmap Out of Chronic Pain in 2012, I was still of the mind set that if the correct pathology could be identified as the source of the pain, surgery was the best option and the sooner the better. Then … Read More
Roy Carey, a well respected spinal surgeon in Melbourne created this video highlighting the decision-making about undergoing spine surgery. It helped reduce the frequency of spinal surgery in Victoria, New Zealand.
In order for a surgery to go right the first time, you need an idea of when spine surgery is appropriate and at what level of complexity. There is not an operation that is effective for non-specific low back pain. For the most part then, spine surgery for lower back pain … Read More