Donald Corenman MD DC | Spine Surgeon Colorado

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genwhy1
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March 3, 2015 at 7:47 am

Post count: 16

in reply to: 2 level fusion when there is a Sacralized L5 #12333

Dr. Corenman

Makes absolute sense.

Its an exciting time for me.

:)

Looking forward to connecting w you and your team.

genwhy1
Participant

December 29, 2014 at 2:29 am

Post count: 16

in reply to: Hi Dr Corenman, I'm back. Just rode the Florida Health Rollercoaster #11920

Happy holidays Dr Corenman

My procedure with Dr Evans on Dec was an absolute success. As suspected the L5/S1 left side nerve root (zone#1) has been the culprit that has caused me considerable agony for the past 15 years. EPIC breakthrough is an understatement.

While my disorders were separated into 3 zones of which we determined two were of primary concern, Dr Evans successfully addressed the nerve root with both pain medicine and steroid.

I maintained a fairly complete pain diary, but the emotional importance you advised me to pay particular attention to was paramount. I have no doubts that this particular nerve is the original and underlying injury, and pain in zone #2 and #3 are secondary to or a cascade from zone #1.

Dr Evans and the entire staff in Edwards were the most professional people I’ve encountered outside of your consultation and direction. The facility was both impeccable and inspiring. Words fail me here.

Thank You.

How should I communicate with your staff to begin our next stage in the process?

Dr. Evans noted that you were quite busy thru the major part of the ski season. I expected this and do not feel I need to inject myself into your busy schedule until you are through your heaviest work load. 15 years is a blip in time knowing that you have provided me the knowledge to see this process thru til a profoundly positive outcome.

I’m aware that the medicine/steroid cocktail will run its course and I will probably have to handle the pain returning, but my mental/emotional condition has improved remarkably and I feel I have I am in a better shape to prepare myself for the next phase.

I was able to walk 5.5 miles yesterday without pain in zone #1, this is farther than all of my previous attempts during the 2 two level transforaminal epidurals that I received earlier this year in Florida.

The nerve root’s ability to allow communication is still being limited by the disorder, but i am absolutely aware that until an actual surgical procedure occurs I will be able to handle whatever issues this nerve throws at me. I’m not planning a return to the World Cup. Yet….

genwhy1
Participant

December 14, 2014 at 9:15 am

Post count: 16

in reply to: Hi Dr Corenman, I'm back. Just rode the Florida Health Rollercoaster #11855

Just watched the BOP GS my friend had recorded. The hand x-ray alone was painful to look out. 4 screw/pins and those stitches…. That said, he destroyed the second run. I guess hes got a good doctor and high pain tolerance….Does Dr Evans work with him?

Skied half day at Buttermilk today…Legs did ok..considering. My left leg has increased muscle mass since the Zanaflex. Left leg did ok, but when I asked it to match the right side in twitch capacity…..definitely was not able to match the right side. When I started to warm up the left leg responded….but I definitey had a static, tingling tone from the sciatic notch area down to the ball of my foot with it noticeably tingly in the calf when we stopped for lunch. (zone#1)

Low back(zone#2) did good on the hill.

Mid back(zone#3) did good.

I will have pain later and I will document it.

Doing some ice on the lumbar area followed by some hot tub.

Sciatic nerve is definitely going to be grumpy later, but I will ice and stretch the muscles in all areas affected.

Just being on the hill…so good.

I’m seeing Dr Evans on Tuesday for the SNRB(and Golden Window 3 hour tour du force of nature)…I have been communicating with his assistant and making sure your notes are properly understood by him, and all is in sync!

I raised my concerns about the language used to identify the sacralized L5…and how you had described it as technically being “pseuo-fused”…I only have 4 lumbar vertebrae that are still in play.

Dr Evan secretary response put all my concern to rest. Again…great interoffice communication. its exciting.
b
m still pretty mesmerized by the difference between the care you and your team provide compared to the nonsense I experienced in Florida.

My gp was absolutely intrigued by your approach and definitely wants to alert the professionals he works with the fact that they need to update their methodology.

Im getting my head ready for the Golden Window.

While Im not gonna wear a GoPro to augment the pain diary…it almost seems like it would help the doctors who are diagnosing the results and be able to verify the response via a video library. Just thinking….

Apparently there is some snow in our future.

Aspen needs something fresh…the last snow was pre-Thanksgiving.

Gonna skip slalom training tomorrow. (joke)

I’ve done all my homework, just wondering if there is anything you might want to add to help my procedure with Dr Evans.

Fired up and ready to take the next step.

Thansk again

RON

genwhy1
Participant

December 13, 2014 at 12:59 am

Post count: 16

in reply to: Hi Dr Corenman, I'm back. Just rode the Florida Health Rollercoaster #11848

Greeting Dr Corenman,

I am in Aspen, preparing for my golden window epidural with Dr Evans nest Tuesday.

Just checking in…I have done my homework as assigned and will be continuously reviewing all aspects of the process you asked me.

Life has taken a dramatically awesome turn since I saw you in late October.

Restoring hope in me had an amazing subconscious affect on me.

Been in a new, healthier state of mind knowing what I know now.

Thanks for everything and Im looking forward to everything we do to deal my disorders and getting me back on the slope.

Dont think Im gonna be pulling off any Ted Ligety moves in the future, but making harmonious turns on the hill again and without most the obnoxious pain I have been dealing with for 15 years takes a extended vacation.

Respectively

Ron

genwhy1
Participant

November 9, 2014 at 4:00 pm

Post count: 16

in reply to: Hi Dr Corenman, I'm back. Just rode the Florida Health Rollercoaster #11704

Back in Florida after our consult. Still looking for the right words to describe the incredible transformation that took place after my day in Vail with you and your amazing staff.

The black cloud that started following me after my horrible experience w Florida’s “healthcare” system is gone and I’ve got bluebirds on my shoulder and in my future.

I left your office with a completely new outlook on life. The words will come to me when the time is right, but I must tell you, you have already changed my future ….I am literally at a loss for the words to describe the instantaneous change in my overall mental and physical outlook.

If a grand piano had fallen from the sky and landed on me in the parking lot of the hospital… I would have died with a big ole grin on my face.

Thank You

I have alot of homework to do, am planning on moving into the “on-decK” position as quickly as the universe allows.

Best of all, my mother is greatful that you helped get me back to thinking about the future.

I am both inspired and enlightened.

Which is a rare combo in Florida right now.

I have full support from my mountain friends in both Aspen and Vail, so Im looking to maybe get up somewhere around Turkey Day…shoot the Women’s WC races in Aspen, then hopefully jump through the next hoop you have planned for me…and maybe even pull off a double header and shoot Birds of Prey. I have a place to stay just across the highway for any extended stays in Vail, which I only found out about …after I saw you.

I cannot recall any other time in my life where things fell into place like they did…and I can only describe the sensation as auspicious.

and your Fairfax, Virginia power team …..my mind is blown.

WOW

(for now!…or I would keep typing….and yeah…gravity still has me hurting….but my feet haven’t hit the ground yet. Nuf said!)

genwhy1
Participant

October 16, 2014 at 2:04 pm

Post count: 16

in reply to: Hi Dr Corenman, I'm back. Just rode the Florida Health Rollercoaster #11536

Im gonna come out for a consult in two weeks and Becky was awesome helping me with the details.

I am up to walking with strength for a bout 4 miles in a little over an hour…close to the pace I was able to maintain during my breakthrough second epidural which spanned March and April of this year.

As I gave my Becky my background, I updated her on Florida’s “pill mill” conundrum and how the desire to control and defuse that semi-epidemic, they enacted new law regarding medications that have effected those like me who thought ‘toughing it out” was the way to go.

I think my pain guy gets it and the chiro that my gp had me visit with…

My gp seems to be a bit baffled at my situation and during my last visit used the term “bias” and “nefarious” in trying to determine why my pain mgt docs and the surgeon seemed to be in some type of relation that does not put the patient first. Just sayin….its pretty bizarre.

That “grain of sand” you talk about…..I just went a bought a cowlick.

Looking forward to getting up to speed and altitude with you soon.

Thanks again.
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Viewing 6 posts - 1 through 6 (of 13 total)

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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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genwhy1

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