[cyrilwood]

Need recommendation from anyone who has experienced Spinal Stenosis corrective surgery.

[PugMom]

ouch, what insurance do u have?

[billethkid]

If you are able to do so get more than one opinion.
Most spine surgeons will pursue physical therapy and or steroid injections before recommending surgery. I tried the physical therapy and then the spinal injections. The latter, while effective did not last very long, hence on to surgery.
Be sure to understand whether your condition allows for minimally invasive repair vs open surgery.
Another consideration, is to pursue seeing a neurosurgeon....they specialize in the entire spine and the brain.

Do self educate to be able to ask good questions and make an informed decision.

Good luck.

[cyrilwood]

Originally Posted by PugMom

ouch, what insurance do u have?

good

[cyrilwood]

Originally Posted by billethkid

If you are able to do so get more than one opinion.
Most spine surgeons will pursue physical therapy and or steroid injections before recommending surgery. I tried the physical therapy and then the spinal injections. The latter, while effective did not last very long, hence on to surgery.
Be sure to understand whether your condition allows for minimally invasive repair vs open surgery.
Another consideration, is to pursue seeing a neurosurgeon....they specialize in the entire spine and the brain.

Do self educate to be able to ask good questions and make an informed decision.

Good luck.

Can you recommend a Dr?

[DAVES]

Originally Posted by cyrilwood

Can you recommend a Dr?

My expertise is that my back hurts. I have a high tolerance for pain BUT..... Trying to get straight answers is frustrating at best. A good book to read is called CROOKED. It is a bit out of date in how it discusses Opioids. As I understand it. Spinal surgery has a high failure rate-like half. You can end up worse than it was and repeated surgeries are common. Steroids are a temporary cover up but it does help to relieve pain and better pinpoint where the problem is. I've never taken opioids in my life but they are the best pain killers. Thanks to attempts to prevent improper use a doctor will only issue a prescription for a month.

Recommend a Dr.? I'm lost in pain-it is BAD. My GP sent me for an MRI, took ??? weeks to get an appointment. Waited weeks to see the guy he suggested, suffering in real PAIN. After about SIX weeks waiting I was sent to some JUNIOR DOCTOR. He sent me to yet another doctor. I called a helpful lady in the offices. She called in a favor and got my appointment move forward ONE WEEK. I just discovered that appointment is with yet another not on the masthead doctor? I have an appointment monday.

If, I wasn't in so much pain I would not put up with this. OBVIOUSLY I CANNOT RECOMMEND ANY OF THEM.

[Inexes@aol.com]

Originally Posted by cyrilwood

Need recommendation from anyone who has experienced Spinal Stenosis corrective surgery.

First and foremost, seek a Neurologist for diagnostics. If ultimately requires surgery the neurologist will have recommendations.
Secondly, all insurances require all non-invasive intervention before allowing surgical intervention., ie, injections/epidurals, physical therapy.
Michael Hill, MD in Leesburg is a neurosurgeon, quite qualified but lacking in bedside manner, according to most who have been associated with him.
A search on TOTV will reveal many reviews on this subject and Dr recommendations, but at this point, in The Villages area...... I would head to Shands in Gainesville if I needed any spinal surgery. Mine was done in TV but the surgeon is no longer practicing here. People do report good results with a group in Ocala, but I have no first-hand knowledge of that group.
And, as another poster said..... do be aware that there is no guarantee that surgery will correct your problem 100%. I saw many patients while in Home Health Care who were in as much pain following surgery, Or a few years later, that said they wished they had never had the surgery done.
Good luck in your search, I wish you the best. I live, as you, in constant pain and it gets "old".
PS.... my surgery was for a herniated disc, first surgery was a huge success except that it re-herniated a month later and had to be re-done. Surgeon told me up front that second surgery would never be as good result as the first. And he had also forewarned me, prior to first surgery, of the minute possibility of re-herniation, very unusual...... my luck.

[billethkid]

Originally Posted by cyrilwood

Can you recommend a Dr?

I went to Daniel P. Robertson of The Ocala Neurosurgical Center....in Ocala.

I had an L4, L5, S1 fusion. Pain free ever since.

Nancy is his PA and very capable/knowledgeable. She is also his surgical assistant.

Excellent team.

[marianne237]

Do see a neurosurgeon. Orlando Regional has a good reputation as well as Shands in Gainesville. If you have a primary in the area talk with him/her for suggestions. Ask your friends and neighbors for suggestions as well. Lots of folks around here have back problems.

[JohnN]

I've had epidurals for my spinal stenosis and am scheduled to have a "MILD" procedure from Dr. Rajashekar at The Villages Health next month. He's one of only 2 guys in the state who offers that. I'm hopeful it'll work, in theory it will and it's outpatient.

[curiousbob]

Originally Posted by PugMom

ouch, what insurance do u have?

Try Barry Kaplan at Orlando Health. Did both mine and my wifes. Excellent surgeon.

[Allen Dronsfield]

Dr. Melvin Field, 1605 W. Fairbanks Ave. Winter Park, Fl. 32789 407-975-0200 This is the top Neurosurgeon in the business. He also recommends Dr. Pinnamaneni 352-343-7246 Pain and Spine Centers of Florida, he is located locally on 466 and Rolling Acres. I am seeing Dr. Pinnamaneni next Tuesday for a spinal epidural injection.

[Dukester]

Originally Posted by cyrilwood

Need recommendation from anyone who has experienced Spinal Stenosis corrective surgery.

Assuming you have a recent MRI you well need the disk. See a couple of Neurosurgeons so you can compare what they recommend.
I have had 3 spinal surgeries. My spouse one, just this past week.
Depending what they see in your MRI, you likely will be told that Physical Therapy will likely be tired first, secondly a pain management program or both, will be done doing various shots, then surgery when PT and pain management no longer is effective.
This is serious business. My last surgery was a lumbar fusion (March, 2021 and I still have pain); prior to that was a laminectomy (7 years ago).
I am playing golf 3 times a week had to move up to the green tees and have difficulty putting a tee in the ground and don’t always play all 18 holes.
Laminectomy was spinal stenosis correction with knowledge I would eventually need a fusion due to potential disk rupture. When the disks finally failed (7 years later) within a week I was using a walker to see my neurosurgeon.
I used a surgeon out of Ocala and personally would not recommend him, not for him put rather his PA and staff. I saw 3 nureo’s all recommended lumbar fusion as the only recourse. My wife used Dr Oliver and she had a cyst that caused the disk failure.
If I had it to do over again I probably would have opted to go to Mayo in Jacksonville.
Good luck to you. But get multiple opinions from Neurosurgeons, never a Orthopetic surgeon.

[George Page]

“I like pickles on a tuna fish sandwich.”
Oh he didn’t ask that? Based on many of the responses here, I thought you had to provide an answer to a different question. Silly me.

[Anthonyanc]

I don’t have a doctor recommendation, but i did have that surgery if you want to PM me…i can answer any questions you may have.