Hi Dr Corenman, I'm back. Just rode the Florida Health Rollercoaster

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genwhy1
Participant

June 23, 2014 at 10:59 am

Post count: 16

#11090

Yup. I did not have a fun time.

Still a bit dumbfounded.

I tried to get my back fixed here.

Details where needed.

My surgeon of choice just took back his offer to fix me.

His basis…my pain mgt people withdrew a med I have been on for 13 years on my third epidural, causing a complete failure of the epidural –which the surgeon then used to not do the operation. He claims its because of my pain mgt relationship that he was hesitant/”removed” and basically wouldn’t touch me as long as the pain mgt people who do the anesthesia for the local hospital wouldn’t work with me to help me get to the surgical suite….

Nobody talked with me about the med stuff….let alone give me some heads up that I might have some serious negative side effects. I hit the ground pretty hard….but I’m back up and ready to find the real deal.

I have a new pain mgt doctor online, top notch.
Switching my gp next month to a really top notch doc.

I was really excited to get my surgery locally after my second epidural, but my senses told me ….something wasn’t right.

Im confident I didn’t manifest the negativity that my third epidural(without long term med..no step-down, no taper, not even an opiate)did.

That said….I would appreciate your take on my lumbar situation. I have some friends in the area out there, so coming out and seeing you wouldn’t be a problem.

After surviving the past two months….I plan on only talking to top notch docs and surgeons….then off course…coaches, trainers, rehab folk…etc

Let me know what to do.

I assume a call to your office will get something happening….?

Thank You

my original injury occurred early 2000
I was diagnosed in late 2001 with a hnp at L5/S1
My insurance company(bcbs) sent me a Pre-Existing Condition letter right after…

Im not sure if I handled my own rehab as well as I could have….

my pain is almost all left lower unit only
L3-5/S1 disc junk
stenosis all day
phoraminal stenosis.
cant drive
cant sit
can barely fly
CANT SKI, HIKE, BIKE
anything that involves “loading” more weight to my left side..almost impossible
severe lower left leg dysfunction from having not had good signal since 2000
Had IDET in summer 2007, complete failure(I was desperate….ugg)
Started to research surgical options after left side pain became obnoxious last OCT(2013)

my other thread …could not find it …sorry..

Donald Corenman, MD, DC
Moderator

June 23, 2014 at 8:36 pm

Post count: 8660

#11091

Some surgeons pay close attention to your other physician relationships. When you undergo surgery, you develop a relationship with that surgeon that can last a year. Miscommunication can lead to the loss of the surgeon as happened here.

I’m glad that you have new satisfactory relationships with your new physicians.

I cannot tell you that you would be a surgical candidate but if you so choose, I would be happy to see you and commence the work-up.

Dr. Corenman

PLEASE REMEMBER, THIS FORUM IS MEANT TO PROVIDE GENERAL INFORMATION ON SPINE ANATOMY, CONDITIONS AND TREATMENTS. TO GET AN ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS, YOU MUST VISIT A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL IN PERSON.

Donald Corenman, MD, DC is a highly-regarded spine surgeon, considered an expert in the area of neck and back pain. Trained as both a Medical Doctor and Doctor of Chiropractic, Dr. Corenman earned academic appointments as Clinical Assistant Professor and Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and his research on spine surgery and rehabilitation has resulted in the publication of multiple peer-reviewed articles and two books.

genwhy1
Participant

June 27, 2014 at 8:44 am

Post count: 16

#11104

Thanks Dr Corenman.

It has been a “unnerving” experience.

Im gonna clean up my medical relationships here for sure.

Nobody needs to go through what I just did…

That said…after I get my ducks in a row here, I would like for you to do a workup. Your book is the only thing keeping me on target.

My new pain med is allowing me to use muscles that would have spasms on old med. Quite happy with the change, even though the neuro noise is louder…I can handle it as long as my legs work.

Im also being hammered by outside forces that keep me from addressing my back/butt/lumbar. Life, family, social climate, etc.

Thanks again.

The world needs more people like you. The truth is awesome…even if its imperfect. Your response regarding the IDET I had in ’07 was spot on.

PS1…Do you have plans for reformatting your book to include color imagery and newer discoveries, etc? Every spine doc needs a copy.

:)

Donald Corenman, MD, DC
Moderator

June 29, 2014 at 4:18 am

Post count: 8660

#11111

I am currently working on my cervical book so revision of my lumbar book might be a while.

I looked into color images for the lumbar book but the reproductions are very costly and I am not sure are much more helpful than the black and white images. In fact, i tend to draw diagrams for patients on the white exam table drapes and have not had to draw in color yet.

Dr. Corenman

PLEASE REMEMBER, THIS FORUM IS MEANT TO PROVIDE GENERAL INFORMATION ON SPINE ANATOMY, CONDITIONS AND TREATMENTS. TO GET AN ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS, YOU MUST VISIT A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL IN PERSON.

Donald Corenman, MD, DC is a highly-regarded spine surgeon, considered an expert in the area of neck and back pain. Trained as both a Medical Doctor and Doctor of Chiropractic, Dr. Corenman earned academic appointments as Clinical Assistant Professor and Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and his research on spine surgery and rehabilitation has resulted in the publication of multiple peer-reviewed articles and two books.

genwhy1
Participant

July 6, 2014 at 10:58 am

Post count: 16

#11155

I find your book just fine in black and white and I can see how you do your own style sketchwork when discussing medical issues…good stuff.

One of the videos I saw of yours showed a x-ray of the lumbar region almost in 3d….it was grayscale…but it really was helpful in visualizing the back. Was that imagery from your equipment?

I think someone needs to develop an app for a tablet that could allow you to do the same style sketching you do on the paper onto a virtual canvas….perhaps easier to store for use in future books…etc.

Im sure there are bunch of companies already developing stuff like that…just havent seen anything in your field of work.

Ive notice some of the new gizmo videos that are out there that use high end computer animation to show what they are supposed to do….but after getting bilked by that two level IDET…. I would rather have a hand sketched set of notes from my doctor than a glitzy “too good to be true” cd or ambiguous pamphlet that seems to be the industry norm.

In two weeks im doing a jump to new gp. Very excited. New meds are working decent. My muscle tone is much better and smoother, but the neuro pain is “hotter”… My newer pain environment is much more limiting also. I have less ability to tolerate pain….which stinks. I was poker-facing it much easier before. ;)

My mind is sharp, but the pain in my back/buttocks is sharper.

Regards.

Donald Corenman, MD, DC
Moderator

July 9, 2014 at 11:06 pm

Post count: 8660

#11170

Great to hear the new medication is improving your symptoms.

Unfortunately, many things on the internet needs to be taken with a grain of salt. There are some great videos and animations of certain invasive techniques that make these techniques look very attractive. The success and ease of these techniques is less than is noted on these videos.

Dr. Corenman

PLEASE REMEMBER, THIS FORUM IS MEANT TO PROVIDE GENERAL INFORMATION ON SPINE ANATOMY, CONDITIONS AND TREATMENTS. TO GET AN ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS, YOU MUST VISIT A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL IN PERSON.

Donald Corenman, MD, DC is a highly-regarded spine surgeon, considered an expert in the area of neck and back pain. Trained as both a Medical Doctor and Doctor of Chiropractic, Dr. Corenman earned academic appointments as Clinical Assistant Professor and Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and his research on spine surgery and rehabilitation has resulted in the publication of multiple peer-reviewed articles and two books.
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Donald Corenman, MD, DC

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81 reviews

Eric S

Sep 26, 2021

by Eric S on Donald Corenman, MD, DC

Successful pars repair at 46 years old

Back in November of 2018 (at 46 years old) I came from Vancouver BC to have a pars repair done with Dr. Donald Corenman at the Steadman Clinic in Vail Colorado. I'm finally posting this review nearly three years later in late 2021. The reason I waited so long was I wanted to know the final result before I posted my review. Unfortunately in that time Dr. Corenman has retired. Nevertheless, I want to post this review of Dr. Corenman and his staff at the Steadman Clinic in their excellent treatment of my L5 pars interarticularis.

I fractured my pars at age 42 back in 2014 when rolling on the gym floor, and was denied treatment by the Canadian healthcare system, probably due to my age. First my GP told me there was no surgical option for a pars defect, which was quite incorrect! I tried to live with it, but the symptoms worsened (periodic random spine slippage and weeks of resultant pain after just bending over to tie my shoe, so I eventually learned to mostly squat and hardly bend). When I finally consulted with Canadian spine surgeons, I was told they believed my pars defect had been congenital (since birth). This was absurd, considering I had done extreme martial arts (including jiu jitsu) for years prior, as well as 5 years of reinforcing steel full time in my 20s, probably the hardest job on the back you can find. No pars defect like mine would possibly have allowed this--ergo it was impossible that I had had the defect since birth. I did however have an asymptomatic congenital spina bifida occulta that made me more susceptible to a pars fracture. In 2014 in one instant, I went from having the strongest back people I knew said they'd ever seen, to being unable to safely bend over and tie my shoe without a non-negligible risk of my spine slipping randomly (which would lead to weeks of pain after each occurrence). This was due to the unilateral L5 pars defect, otherwise known as spondylolysis. It was when lying in pain on the floor 4 years later after maybe the 6th spine slippage event post injury, that I had had enough, and resolved to have surgery. If Canada's "universal health care" said no, I would make lemonade from lemons, and find the very best surgeon in the world at pars repairs. That was Dr. Donald Corenman. Dr. Corenman back in 2018 ran a website https://neckandback.com/ that dedicated many pages to the science of every aspect of pars repairs, from eligibility (good discs on MRI), to best surgical techniques (minimal open compared to minimally invasive), best imaging to use (i.e., O-Arm with Stealth imaging vs. older fluoroscopy), the ideal amount of BMP to use and why not use too much or too little, and much more, all to do with pars repairs, pages upon pages of his site just on the pars, with scientific references and his own extensive expert opinion. As a health research statistician, I was very impressed with this. It was in stark contrast to the websites of other spine surgeons which barely gave the pars a word or two, focusing almost exclusively on fusions. I had found the best surgeon in the world for pars repairs, and so after Dr. Corenman personally screened my MRI to ensure my discs were healthy, I booked the surgery.

Being 46 years old at the time of surgery in 2018, with a 4-year-old pars fracture from 2014 combined with a congenital SBO meant my pars fragment was somewhat atrophied, but it was "very solid", said Dr. Corenman in the operative report. Nevertheless, it was challenging with two things to fix, the pars and SBO, and OR time was around 4 hours. Recovery over the following months was guided by a very clear "Spine binder" from the Steadman Clinic with strict rules of "no BLT" (no bending, lifting or twisting), and illustrated physiotherapy guidelines. They even warned patients to avoid fish oil supplements, which could excessively dampen inflammation and hence slow bone healing. They answered many questions I had during months of recovery, with responses coming from the very supportive Lori Fugate (then director of Dr. Corenman's practice), and Ehrich Bean (then physician's assistant at the practice), as well as a couple calls with Dr. Corenman himself after two of the CT scans. Ehrich Bean offered great advice for taking the spine binder conservatively due to the nature of pars repairs vs. fusions. The final post-op CT scan I had was a couple weeks ago at 34 months post-op, and Dr. Corenman had retired, but I got a very positive and informative call from Eric Strauch (current PA at the Steadman Clinic under Dr. Corenman's replacement there, and who had also worked with Dr. Corenman previously). The staff at the Steadman Clinic were extremely supportive all the way through the process. I should mention, the local Canadian spine surgeon did offer me very good post-operative support including antibiotics as needed to deal with a mild surface incision-site infection early on, booking numerous x-rays when I felt something was amiss, as well as booking all four of my post-op CT scans. I am very grateful for that support also.

My final result shows plenty of solid bone across the pars and a healed SBO, with my vertebral body now a solid bone ring instead of being broken at two places as it was pre-op. Does my spine hold up in the real world? You bet! I have recently dug and moved several yards of dirt and sand and gravel by myself (shovel and wheelbarrow!) to fix our water main, pulled roots from the yard, moved several "portable" (these are HUGE) air conditioners up several flights of stairs my myself, and lifted weights. I now run 2 miles (3.2 KM) several times weekly with a hard 100 meter dash in the middle. I bend deeply before each run I go on, with no spine slippage. My spine feels amazing. I can bend over to do exercise, or real word tasks, with no risk of spine slippage.

My sincere thanks to God, Dr. Donald Corenman, Lori Fugate, Ehrich Bean, Eric Strauch, and the Steadman Clinic, as well as the Canadian spine surgeon who offered me excellent post-operative care back in Canada. You have all given me a new lease on life.

Sincerely,
Eric S

Robert S

May 11, 2021

by Robert S on Donald Corenman, MD, DC

Back Fusion Surgery

I had my entire lumbar spine fused in November of 2018. I had scoliosis , with pinched nerves that were so painful I could hardly walk - and standing for more than a few minutes was impossible. Even sitting was painful.
The fusion surgery produced immediate relief! And the recovery was much easier than I expected.
To this day I can do all the activities I love from hiking, to standing in a stream fly fishing to riding my bike long distances - or just walking down the street with my wife.
Kudos to Dr. Corenman and his staff, (including the two Erics) for taking such good care of me!

Leslie R

Jul 9, 2020

by Leslie R on Donald Corenman, MD, DC

TLIF

I had my TLIF surgery on 6/24/2020 by Dr. Corenman, I can not say enough good things about the Dr or his staff. I was always treated with respect and explained everything throughly, that made it easy for everyone to understand. I highly recommend Dr. Corenman and the Steadman Clinic.

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