Donald Corenman MD DC | Spine Surgeon Colorado

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BlackSwan
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May 29, 2013 at 5:35 am

Post count: 10

in reply to: Mild sciatica/ ache in legs #8761

I am grateful for reply. This was actually my 2nd Micro D on L4/5. First was in 2000. This disc extrusion had a left sided Free fragment, and also a 14 mm x 5 mm bulge posteriorly .My surgeon calls it a bulge but both radioligists refer to it as a protrusion.The surgeon removed fragment due to foot drop, but left the residual bulge alone. I asked him and he said that I needed my disc and it wasn’t necessary to address posterior bulge and cause extra trauma. Not sure if bulge has moved over last 2 years since operation due to physical activity. I spent 4 days in hospital and when I went home I resumed light activities and went back to work within 4 weeks. Though it took me a while to feel well again.

The MRI done a few months after operation state that there is mild bilateral foramen narrowing with contact but without compression of L4 nerve roots and narrowing of lateral recess. Although now I have not had an MRI in close to 2. 5 years, I had one twice after my surgery because I thought I was In bad shape and both times my orthopaedic sent me home as he did not feel that I needed anything more than voltaren.My biggest problem is the bilateral leg aches and mild sciatica in both legs. This worries me. As I mentioned I am 40 but quite fit and exercise regularly. Physio did not make me any better after 4 months.

My GP will not allow me to have epidural injections for fear of arachnoiditis I live in Oz and we do not have spine clinics here. We have public health system and the gatekeeper is the GP.

I am wondering if it is wise just to leave things alone for time being since my sciatica is mild with little back pain. and I have full range of motion, or am I doing more harm than good?

Lastly, I am arthritic in my sacrum area. I feel things niggling around in there so I just try to be careful. I was wondering if my 5mm posterior disc protrusion was something from your perspective that I should concern myself with in terms of continuous monitoring?

Thank you.

BlackSwan
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December 4, 2012 at 2:29 am

Post count: 10

in reply to: Sacral pain, ongoing. #7527

Actually the answer is that sitting without a stool back will likely cause me pain as will using my treadmill if I increase the incline. Up until 3 months ago I was able to have my incline up to the max. Now I can barely incline at all without sacral pain.I am not sure what has changed. Its very tender in that area despite being almost 1 1/2 years post surgery. So when any pressure is placed against it, it hurts and migrates into buttocks and thighs. I also have numb spots all over my butt and legs and when I developed them, I actually had a 2nd MRI of which I posted you the results already (dated Nov 2011), and it did not correlate with such a wide distribution of numb spots. Only left L5 nerve root is being compressed according to MRI. I took a bath the other day and lying on the hard surface left me in pain all night because of the pressure from the hard bathtub rubbing against that area. When the pain happens, usually walking makes it much better. Pressure placed against that spot from either ones hands a seat cushion, the back of a seat will illicit the ache in legs. Last week I had reflexology done on my feet. The practitioner smacked the bottom of my foot suddenly and it caused back pain in that same spot and when I got up and tried to walk, i was actually accidentally tripping over my feet constantly for about 2 hours and then i took some voltaren and it settled down. I am really worried because I am fit and athletic and eat right and do back strengthening too. :0(

BlackSwan
Participant

December 3, 2012 at 7:11 pm

Post count: 10

in reply to: Sacral pain, ongoing. #7524

Hi Dr. Corenman.

I did return back to my ortho and he did not wish to order a new MRi or do more evaluation. He said I will have episodic back pain and to live with it and get cortisone shots.

I have posted my MRi results in my earlier post. I need to ask you a question please. With my LB problem I have noticed that laying on flat surfaces like the hard bath tub or floor and any touch pressure applied to my sacrum will make it ache and ache with aches referring into back of buttocks and calf. It’s not a nervy pain but a deep ache/ throb. I always feel better walking. Sitting does not aggravate it only when I sit back into chair and pressure is put on LB either by a cushion, pillow, or the back of seat/chair. It can last 2 days even. With my MRI results is this from the disc, joints, ligaments??

Basically touch pressure on LB sets off the pain. Relieved with voltaren.

Thank you very much for your expert reply.

BlackSwan
Participant

October 22, 2012 at 4:13 am

Post count: 10

in reply to: Sacral pain, ongoing. #7220

Thank you very much for reply. I was wondering if you knew how wind/ gas was related to my lower back as that seems to be an issue for me when my back plays up.

Lastly, there is a new therapy here call IDD. Non surgical decompression. In your opinion am I a candidate for this? Or is my problem not the disc and rather overall DDD? You mention lower/ upper sacrum in your reply and pathology would be different. I think mine would be upper sacrum and not tailbone.

Thank you
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Viewing 4 posts - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)

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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BlackSwan

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