Donald Corenman MD DC | Spine Surgeon Colorado

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Verojay
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November 13, 2016 at 10:18 pm

Post count: 8

in reply to: Long sorry!-osteophytes #23434

Hello!

Yes, my left arm has chronic denervation-according to three neurologists it is permanently damaged. I can’t extend at elbow, lift it past waist, it hurts all the time and has tremors. I haven’t had any blocks for it. Money is an issue for my medical care. I am what you call “underinsured”. My deductibles, etc. are very high. RSD is a likely culprit in that arm now-especially because of swelling.

My right arm hurts from the shoulder down to the elbow. I should have been more clear. However, even today when I slammed it against the door-that got the nerve screaming at me and I am in so much pain. Neck hurts-I can feel a deep and painful pinch in it.

The following was said about c3-c4:
-2mm rt & left posterolateral disc osteophytes at C3-4 with mild/moderate disc degeneration. Also left C3-C5 facet joint arthropathy with mild left anterior C3-C4 disc facet joint osteophytes formation. There’s also resultant moderate left C3-C4 foraminal stenosis.

I am thinking my neck is an issue but also RSD. My fusion looked great-according to the MRI and CT scan. No issues.

I am worried on losing any use of my right arm-like I have lost in my left. He didn’t even think he would be comfortable waiting 2-3 months before possible surgery again-if other treatments didn’t help. He said my neck looked really bad.

Tonight my medications aren’t even touching the pain…this is so old! Thanks:-/

Verojay
Participant

November 10, 2016 at 12:30 pm

Post count: 8

in reply to: Long sorry!-osteophytes #23396

Just follow-up. I saw the surgeon. The bone spur is very large he said in c4c5. It takes up a good part of disc into cord. He said I likely shouldn’t wait even 4 months before surgery but he doesn’t want to jump yet. He said a shot likely won’t help much. But, we could try. It won’t get rid of the spur and it seems like a temporary fix. My insurance isn’t great and financially we are struggling. Even the injections cost be $1500 out of pocket. Surgery with my out of pocket max will cost around $4500. But he said my c3-c4 doesn’t look great either. It would be fusion of c3-c5. If I wee older, he’d do it. I’m afraid I’m risking damage. Can I fall, get into a car accident, etc. and have that bone spur cause major issues?

Verojay
Participant

December 28, 2015 at 11:52 pm

Post count: 8

in reply to: Very confused #21094

Hello! Sorry for the delay. The physical exam notes are as follows: Cervical range of motion is somewhat limited in flexion and extension-approximately 80% of normal. Right upper extremity strength is 5/5 throughout including biceps, triceps grip and interrosseous strength and wrist extension. Left upper extremity: biceps 5-/5 with some splinting, triceps 5/5, wrist extension 5-/5, grip is 5-/5, interrosseous strength is 5-/5. She has patchy decreased light touch in the upper left extremity. Reflexes are symmetric.

I didn’t realize permanent nerve damage could cause so much pain. I’m not sure my doctor believes be as most of his patients have recovered and moved in by now. I’m definitely going to get that second opinion. This week was a hard one.

Thank you as always! Happy New year!

Verojay
Participant

December 18, 2015 at 11:39 pm

Post count: 8

in reply to: Very confused #21049

Hello! So I had the new nerve conduction. Results were the following: (ignore typos:-)

1. Left ulnar sensory study showed mildly prolonged distal latency. However, with temperature correction, this was within normal limits.
2. Left media sensory study showed prolonged distal latency with stimulation at the writs.
3. Left media and left ulnar F waves showed normal Latencies.
4. EMG of left extensor digitorum communis showed chronic denervation changes. Motor unit recruitment was preserved.
5. EMG of left pronator teres showed chronic denervation changes. Motor unit recruitment was preserved.
6. Chronic left cervical radiculitis involving C6 and C7 nerve roots. No acute denervation changes noted.
7. Moderate residual carpal tunnel syndrome in left hand.

MRi stated: persistent disc and bony degenerative changes leading to mild impingement of the thecal sac without significant central stenosis.
There is foraminal stenosis bilaterally at multiple levels most promintently on the left at C4-C5 and on the right at C5-C6.

The surgeon said, it shows permanent nerve damage to arm (chronic and preop damage). It probably explains my issues. He thinks I can keep working at increasing mobility and strength, but it will probably never be normal. he thinks the pain is from an ongoing irritated nerve and obviously issues in the arm.

He is sending me to a second opinion and to rule out any diseases or other issues that may cause my muscle loss. I am frustrated it took this long to give me answers on my arm not working. My pain is increased in my arm and I would love to put it in a sling on some days. But of course I won’t. The surgeon said moving it is the best thing, to prevent claw hands. Hard week!

Verojay
Participant

December 7, 2015 at 10:54 am

Post count: 8

in reply to: Very confused #20986

Hello! Thank you for your response. The pain the arm was right after surgery. My neck pain was bad, but more in line with what is post op (more than I expected though). When I completely woke up from anesthesia, is when I noticed how much my left arm hurt. It was weaker to begin with because of how bad my neck was, but I could straighten it pre-ACDF.

My surgery was fusion from C5-C7. My C4 does have a herniation but the Doctor said it isn’t very severe and he said on MRI it isn’t impinging the spinal cord. He didn’t work on that level at all. The weakness is through the whole arm-even my wrist is weak. My arm hurts off and on, some days worse than others. Left side of neck still hurts a lot.

Years ago I had a clean up surgery on that shoulder-but I haven’t had any problems since that-none before surgery at all-shoulder was fine. My left hand was weaker than my right hand due to the carpal tunnel surgery, before my acdf. The nerve sensation in that left hand never went away. If you brush your fingers on my palm, I can feel tingling and my thumb doesn’t work normally and hurts.

My arm isn’t completely useless-I can use it, but it won’t do certain things. I have read that sometimes a nerve that affects the shoulder could be stretched or affected in surgery, depending on how your neck/head was positioned. Not sure if that is accurate.

The first EMG didn’t show any issues in the neck, just severe carpal tunnel. When I had my EMG in June (Post ACDF), the Dr. at the time said before the test, he would bet it was permanent based on how the arm was looking. But he said the EMG tests didn’t show that. I will see what the next EMG says.

I sure hoped my neck pain would be greatly diminished. I can’t take NSAIDS due to severe allergy, so pain management is tricky and frustrating.

I am starting to worry it is something more serious. I have severe facial pain off and on (especially at night)-feels very nerve related. And I still get the migraines at least 1-2 times a week.

I have two young boys, so I am very active. No sitting around here. You would think my neck would have loosened up by now. It feels lock a rock and 7 months of therapy barely helped.

Thank you!
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Viewing 5 posts - 1 through 5 (of 5 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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Verojay

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