Donald Corenman MD DC | Spine Surgeon Colorado

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catmadni
Member

October 24, 2013 at 9:21 pm

Post count: 25

in reply to: L5-S1 DISC HERNIATION, TWO BACK SURGERIES. #9682

Doc,

The follwing may seem strange, however I have tried for a couple of days to reach your office as you directed viathe 888-888-5310. Each occasion, both that number and the 888-888-5310 number, I received a recorded greeting indicating the ‘call can not be completed at this time’.

I assume you would be aware of communication interuption there. Is there another way we could do this? I understand this a public forum and other private information should not be listed.

Perhaps I could send the disk, with a detailed cover letter containing my information, to 181 West Meadow Drive, Suite 400 Vail, CO,81657 , to your attention. Then your office could contact me privately, e-mail, cell phone, etc. Please advise and sorry for the fuss. Thanks.

catmadni
Member

October 21, 2013 at 10:40 pm

Post count: 25

in reply to: L5-S1 DISC HERNIATION, TWO BACK SURGERIES. #9655

Doc,

I took you advice and had another MRI study done. I would like you to review the images. I am in New Jersey, however you are a participating provider in my insurance program. I have a disk, however there are over 130 images and 100 MB of date. If you have an FTP site I can download them to it directly or I can simply overnight the disk to you. Please advise if you can do this for me. Thanks

catmadni
Member

August 8, 2013 at 11:34 pm

Post count: 25

in reply to: L5-S1 DISC HERNIATION, TWO BACK SURGERIES. #9166

Ok thanks again Doc

Mike

catmadni
Member

August 8, 2013 at 12:22 am

Post count: 25

in reply to: L5-S1 DISC HERNIATION, TWO BACK SURGERIES. #9157

Doc,

Thanks for the quuick repsonse. You correctly summarized.

You said “If there is a new herniation at L5-S1, you only need a microdiscectomy at that level since you have had only one prior microdisc surgery. If the new HNP is at L4-5, you would need a fusion.”

Please expalin the distinction you made above, between the two previous micrdistectomies. If there has been only one procedure at each level, why would a second herniation at the upper level precede a fusion ad not at the lower level?

In the meantime I will make an appointment with my neurosurgeon for an exam, MRI study, and to inquire about his experience with fuion. Thanks again.

catmadni
Member

August 7, 2013 at 9:23 pm

Post count: 25

in reply to: L5-S1 DISC HERNIATION, TWO BACK SURGERIES. #9152

Doc,

Sorry for the confusion. I was being brief. I had already provided all the details in my previous posts several months ago, and did not want to bore you.

My first microdistectomy was of L4-5. This first procedure was set up following an MRI which indicated the most significant herniation at that level. However it was done emergently following muscle weakness.

My muscle weakness was assumed by the neurosurgeon to be from this same level, but I presented with inability to raise on my toes. The neurosurgeon proceeded anyway without a new MRI.

Without any releif from the first microdisectomy, I pushed for the second MRI. The MRI was done and it was discovered that my S1 nerve root was being compressed by a fragment that had migrated from the L4-5 disc material and settled down to compress the S1 nerve root.

The second surgery was scheduled to remove the fragment and decomress the S1 nerve root. During this surgery a microdiscectomy of L5-S1 was also completed, considering that this level was also diseased, although not enough necessarily to prompt surgery initially.

I was not inferring blame on the neurosurgeon, just inquiring about whether a neurosurgeon is the correct discipline for fusion or any other procdure moving forward.

Please consider my questions again, now that I hopefully cleared up the facts.

Should I go back to a neurosurgeon? Is fusion surgery now indicated? Is it possible to live with this circumstance, without further intervention, and still hope for a complete nerve recovery within the next few months? Should I get new images and send them to you? Should I fly out there to have you examine me?

Thanks again for all your valuble time

catmadni
Member

August 6, 2013 at 6:22 am

Post count: 25

in reply to: L5-S1 DISC HERNIATION, TWO BACK SURGERIES. #9141

Doc,

It’s been three months since my last update

Per my last post, #4333, I began electrical stimulation therapy. Basically twice a week. I feel that I have gained marginal strength in the left calf. My gait is still greatly compromised by the lack of push off.

The event that prompted this message is that last Thursday I felt that familiar slipping sensation in my lower spine that had occurred previously. It was immediately followed by left lower back pain and radiciopathy pain down my left thigh, outer lower leg, foot, and heel

This event is very similar to the 10/9/12 event that I described in my #3220 post. I had the first surgery, L4/5 discectomy on 10/19/12, then followup MRI indicated a large fragment (2cm in one dimension) of L4/5 disc material, had broken off, traveled down the canal, and settled on my S1 nerve root below. This ‘slippage’ sensation event of the migrated fragment, is what caused my S1 radiculopathty? Then I had the second discectomy (L5/S1) on 11/9 to remove the migrated fragment.

I am extremely discouraged that the already battered nerve is probably compressed again. It makes no sense to me that I should continue to get partial microdiscectomy where disc material is left to cause future damage to the same nerve root.

Should I go back to my same neurosurgeon? Is fusion surgery now indicated? Is it possible to live with this circumstance, without further intervention, and still hope for a complete nerve recovery within the next few months? Should I get new images and send them to you? Should I fly out there to have you examine me?

I am very unsure what to do next
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Viewing 6 posts - 1 through 6 (of 25 total)

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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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catmadni

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