Spine Surgery

[orthopedicspine]

Do you feel orthopedic spine surgeons are as well respected as neuorsurgeons when it comes to spine surgery?

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[bmw]

I have worked in outpatient physical therapy for 7 yrs. In my experience, ortho and neuro spine surgeons are equally good (or bad).

 

[Cassidy61]

in my neck of the woods, the ortho spine guys are much more respected than the neuro guys. in fact, the neuro guys often turf the hard spine stuff to the ortho spine guys. most neuro guys i know only want to do microdiscectomies (for the cash) and work on heads.

 

[Fah-Q]

I have a question....Has anyone out there EVER met a patient or heard of a patient who had successful, non-complicated spine surgery and is now doing better today than they were before the surgery? I haven't.

 

[Sevo]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by Fah-Q:
•I have a question....Has anyone out there EVER met a patient or heard of a patient who had successful, non-complicated spine surgery and is now doing better today than they were before the surgery? I haven't.•••••I have, but in many cases, those individuals were completely debilitated pre-op. After all, one of the criteria for back surgery is severe disease with failed medical management.

 

[bmw]

I've seen more successful post-op patients than unsuccessful patients. Many of the poor post-op cases had substantial pain beforehand and are not generally any worse after surgery, they just aren't any better. Many people do fine and feel substantially better, especially if it is a single level problem.

 

[Fast Eddie]

According to the NS chair at my school, ignoring bizarre outliers (which seem to occur within all patient populations), anterior and posterior discectomies are 80/20 surgeries. Meaning: 80% do better w/ respect to QOL, pain and mobility, 20% see no change or get worse. Are those good odds? Depends on who you ask. Would I take the chance on an orthopod doing it? Only if he had done a fellowship. Otherwise, keep those sterile shop guys away from me. Nothing personal, but when you talk about a cocky physician population. it gets no better than bone-breakers.

 

[dr.evil]

My dad as well as my sister-in-law have both had lumbar discectomies and have done remarkably well. My dad has his done in '85 and continues to haul hay and sit on a tractor 8 hours a day (yeah, he's a farmer/rancher) without too many problems.

Both were done by a neurosurgeon but whether that predicts outcome, I doubt it.

Neurosurgeons and general surgeons both do carotid endarterectomies. Which one does it better? Likely whichever surgeon does more of them. These turf wars are all over the place.