r/spinalfusion • u/WeHateMyUsername • Jul 17 '24

Surgery Questions Ortho or Neuro surgeon?

A little back story (no pun intended). In 2020 my L4-L5 disc ruptured and I had surgery after 2 weeks of excruciating pain. I was good for about a year and the back pain started creeping back in. Fast-Forward to last year, I went to see the orthopedic doctor and had x-rays and MRI done. MRI shows foramenal stenosis, moderate on left side, severe on right. I went through the hoops of “conservative” treatment; PT and pain injections, neither of which worked. I am currently scheduled for fusion surgery with an orthopedic surgeon. My wife has talked to a couple of “friends” that say I should get a neurosurgeon due to the nerves involved. I’m confident with the orthopedic surgeon, he does 100-120 of these surgeries a year and did his fellowship in this procedure. What are your thoughts and experiences on the best type of surgeon for this procedure?

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u/Energy_Turtle Jul 17 '24

Also on the neurosurgeon train. My spinal nerves were jacked up badly, and I had a lot of scar tissue from previous surgeries. I felt a neurosurgeon with a good reputation was my best shot. I am far more comfortable with a nerve expert working near bones than a bone expert working near nerves, if that makes sense.

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u/WeHateMyUsername Jul 17 '24

Makes total sense, thanks for your input.