Page 2 » Donald Corenman MD DC | Spine Surgeon Colorado

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exercise453
Member

February 17, 2014 at 10:29 pm

Post count: 53

in reply to: Larbral Tear/Shoulder & Spondyloishtesis #10359

So Doc,
An inversion table can be mounted on a platform. You could then wear the overhead harness, do away with the pulley part and attach weight or water bag directly to the harness without interference from the floor because of the platform. You could customize the weight by adding to the inversion table 15 lb “bowling ball” weight by adding the additional weight attached to the harness. The weight attached to the harness would be below 20lbs so as not to jeopardize TMJ.

If the weight on a home cervical traction unit could be safely customized as part of a regular pain management regimen and TMJ was not a factor what is the safe but effective weight you would recommend???

From your chiropractor days what was the weight used on the DX 9000 for the cervical spine???

Thanks

exercise453
Member

February 6, 2014 at 12:32 am

Post count: 53

in reply to: Larbral Tear/Shoulder & Spondyloishtesis #10316

Doc,
On that over the door traction water bag which can be filled to 20+ pounds. Weights can be hung in place of the water bag.

So what would you consider the ideal weight for cervical traction???
What is the maximum weight you would consider safe???

Thanks

exercise453
Member

February 2, 2014 at 1:13 am

Post count: 53

in reply to: Larbral Tear/Shoulder & Spondyloishtesis #10291

Hi Doc,
A couple of posts back on this thread you wrote:

“The inversion table is essentially a traction table. When you are “2/3 of the way” upside-down, you have 100 pounds of traction force on your lower back.”

What is the weight on the cervical spine if any???

How would it compare to the type you hang on the door and fill the water bag with 12-15lbs of water???

Thanks Doc

exercise453
Member

October 22, 2013 at 2:13 am

Post count: 53

in reply to: about foraminotomy #9656

Dear Doctor,

I am not hung up on any procedure. What I have been unsuccessfully asking is not foraminotomy to ACDF but foraminotomy to foraminotomy. IF….cervical posterior foraminotomy is the correct surgical choice why does one doctor do it open with a large midline scar and cut muscle and another as you do it. Is there a surgical reason or is that unfortunately that’s how some surgeons perform it on those who may not have known there are superior techniques. The surgeon I saw said open foraminotomy/laminotomy as I described in his notes in the previous post and has since elected to ignore two brief follow up email questions as to why open. What was it you said “welcome to the world of spine surgery”. The fact is more doctors than not across every spectrum treat patients this way because they can get away with it. Their holiness is far from limited to the spine. After all why are hundreds taking advantage of your unparalleled kindness to ask questions and thousands reading it in a search for answers. Answers their own doctors were paid (too much) to provide. If these doctors did their jobs you wouldn’t have a single reader instead of having thousands.

You stated that Manning had two foraminotomies before it was “understood” he needed the ACDF. I think the level of doctors he went to understood everything and he and they elected to gamble with the foraminotomy in an attempt to avoid fusion knowing they could ACDF later if they had to.

If this snrb identifies C7-T1 as the pain generator I will ask your permission to send my scans and the surgical opinion. You will tell the best way and you are who I trust.

Thank you for everything

exercise453
Member

October 21, 2013 at 7:25 pm

Post count: 53

in reply to: about foraminotomy #9651

Dear Doctor

I am going to see a new PM doc tomorrow who does SNRB. The left arm pain (C7-T1 herniation) has grown to debilitating in the last few weeks after being second to upper neck pain for years. I am concerned about how much steroid gets on the nerve vs a general cervical epidural. I would pass up the diagnosis right now to quiet it down if the general epidural would get significantly more steroid to the nerve vs the SNRB.

Would the regular cervical epidural steroid injection performed thru C7-T1 put more, less, or the same amount of steroid on the left C7-T1 nerve root???

Thanks

exercise453
Member

October 15, 2013 at 2:46 am

Post count: 53

in reply to: assorted cervical questions #9582

Dear Dr

If you forget about the diagnostic value of the cervical SNRB and eliminate the anesthetic would the regular cervical epidural steroid injection performed thru C7-T1 put more, less, or the same amount of steroid on the left C7-T1 (C8) nerve root???

Would the regular cervical epidural steroid injection performed thru C7-T1 get the steroid on the T1 nerve root below???

Thank You as always
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Viewing 6 posts - 7 through 12 (of 46 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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exercise453

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