Donald Corenman MD DC | Spine Surgeon Colorado

Participant

March 7, 2023 at 5:58 pm

Post count: 236

#35502

I have not been concise, but I want to state most of the details in a clear and detailed manner.
My English it is not very perfecta and when I m speak ,and on the consultation with you i was have some anxiety,and some of my details was not very clearly.(but also some details you writing on the paper (little of the datiles are not like what i m was saying in calling with you )
i have the calling with you .(what i say to you on the calling )
also i have the paper you was writing to me .
i have a neck pain chronic (probably more because arthritis neck ) for at leas 7 years (but more often and more chronic in the last 3 years )
i was not have any issue with the walking before 11/21)
so the legs started to feel heavy on November 2021 and some problem with walking fast (before i can go MORE fast walking 150 steps walking fast to 120 (before 1 year ) before 1 week i check 105 steps in 1 minute .
(and i m was also falling 2 times just (and this happened before 1 year .(but not happened again )after the issue with the walking fast and heavy legs started (after 11/21)
in the last year the heavy legs continued,also problem with walking a long distance (before feel i need to sit) .
i understand that the images are not shown compression of the cord (but maybe impossible to say the ligament flavum contact with the cord in c3-4 level posteiror can causes my mild symptoms before one years and maybe probably it is process ( this connect to arthritis and also mechanical stress from DDD of c2-5 (the trauma causes some tear on the rings of this disc because the specific trauma )
i was not have myopathic symptoms absutluty before one year but some problems with the lower limbs (impossible to walking fast and heavy legs )this is continued all this year with some imruvment after march 2022 but continued with weakness in lower limbs and walking to a long distnce with out feel i need to sit .
** i can say i was have some started symptoms of cervical stenosis symptomatic (but not myopathic this not calling myelopathy but maybe mild myelopathy you can call MGoa (15-17 ) score
not significant issue with upper limbs(some numbness but not frequently ‘but this symptoms more often in the last 2 months ‘also with sexual problems )
I M understand why this probably not enogth for suport the symptoms and also for to fixed (but probably maybe good chanse this causes my symptoms and needed to checked and new scan to be folwed
i been symptomatic from before 1 year but it was mild symptoms to myolapthy .
know also with my history of chronic neck pain ,trauma (and this is very affected )
i readind data of (14% of the patients that was go for a surgery have other differntial diagnoss causes the symptoms (i do not know where this data came but this is bad data show that some of surgeon not cheked before the choise and also the patient not checked other diagnost before surgery not necassery
but in my case i absult have a probelm with the neck from arthritis and neck pain chronic for a lot of years (and more in last 3)
and also the trauma on the pool causes some a tear on the rings of disc c2-5 level and this weaken this disc ,and this causes the arthritis in very early time of the life
the pinch on the cord hapened very early in life 31 years old (after the degenation (of 11 years natural )and cumualtive trauma even with out compression it is pinching the cord on the small area
.
but we know what this can cause if this going to buckling more it is very not good things .

Meni

Donald Corenman, MD, DC

Average rating:

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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