Best hospital in US for degenerative disc pain

  • Thread starter Thread starter mznell
  • Start date Start date
M

mznell

Guest
There is a fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon that practices out of the William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oaks, MI. His specialty is discs and stenosis, so I would think he might be exactly what your sister neeRAB. His name is Harry Herkowitz. You might check into him and see what you think. Otherwise I can give you the names of some docs in the Ann Arbor area. My 87-year old MIL just had surgery a couple weeks ago and is recuperating nicely. She was treated well at the clinic, and so far we have been pleased.
 
Hey,
I pray that you will all find relief from the pain.
When your sister is ready please encourage her to join this sight. I never thought when I joined that I would find such support from a group of people that I didn't even know. You can vent, cry, celebrate the good, painfree times, ask questions and laugh. Now I don't know what I would do without my spiney frienRAB. It just makes me sad that I can't meet them all to thank them in person and give them all big, gentle hugs.
Hang in there, your sister is lucky to have a sister like you who loves and cares about her.

Deb
 
Hi Hey ~

There is a good group that practices in Ann Arbor called Michigan Brain and Spine Institute. It is comprised of orthopedic and neuro surgeons; when needed they can work together on cases that are particularly perplexing. My MIL had a lurabar fusion about 3 weeks ago with Dr. Mark Falahee and we have all been pleased with him. They have a website that you could look at for more information. I believe they also have privileges at some other hospitals in that area.

Otherwise I would imagine that U of M has a Spinal Clinic that you could call for more information.
 
Hi Hey,
I hope you are doing well with your new cast. Fellowship trained means that the doctor has completed an additional year after his/her residency in a fellowship program. For example after an orthopeadics residency my daughter's dr did an additional year in only pediatric orthopeadics. That is how he got is subspecialty of pediatric orthopaedics. A fellowship trained spine specialist would have completed an additional year in a program dealing with just spine surgery....
cas
 
Hey there marlosmom:

Thanks for the information! This board is such a great resource!
 
Hey Hey,
I just love that, lol. Anyway I'm so sorry your sis is suffering so much. I hope she does end up on here, she will find so much support, please tell her of us wanting her to join in. I hope & pray that she gets help soon, we all know how she is suffering. Believe it or not the understanding from others that have felt that pain is so comforting.

Thank you so much for trying to help her, many spiney's don't get that type of understanding from family & frienRAB. It really does help her to know you want help for her.

God Bless

Carol
 
Just to add to what Cas said, when you look at a clinic's website and are reading about a particular doctor's background it might say something like this:

He went on to complete a research fellowship in Orthopedic Spine Surgery at the University of Minnesota and a Spine clinical fellowship at the Twin Cities Scoliosis Spine Center.

The fellowship is an additional year or sometimes two of schooling that the resident applies for. Usually a program will only have one or two young doctors at a time, and they work alongside the doctor and they usually are also involved in research.

So to us as consumers, these doctors not only have additional training in the spine, but they also were among the brightest candidates because they had to be chosen to participate in a fellowship program. They are the most special of the specialists --:D
 
I had my surgery done at Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC. I was very impressed to see that they have Reumotology department, also Department for people with DDD, Stenosis.
I was also very impressed with the technology they use, tests they offer is so advanced.
I love that they work in a groups: DR, Neurosurgeon, Neurologist, PM - they all connect with each other and treatment you need they all discuss among them.
Good luck to you all!:angel:
 
Oh, I am sooooooooo happy to hear your recommendation of Dr. Herkowitz. My sister is currently with that group, although she sees Dr. Fischgrund and has liked him. In searching on the internet and talking to others since your post, it seems that Dr. Herkowitz is the guy to go to, but I would imagine my sister shouldn't change docs within a practice... or that she'd be comfortable doing so. I've talked to her about UofM too. Who do you know there? I myself had a second opinion at UofM for my foot and was quite pleased. I ultimately wound up having surgery with a doc out of Royal Oak Beaumont. Logistically, Beaumont was closer and the docs were in total agreement with my course of treatment, so I decided either hospital would be fine. Thanks for your input!
 
Hey there caszyman:

Wow, you have been through it, haven't you? I really admire your thoroughness and commitment. That must have been sooo tough. Who was her doctor? Is she okay now? What happened to both you and your son? Were you happy with that practice?
 
Hi! Just curious. My sister has some pretty severe degenerative disc disease, now affecting her lower back. Do you know the most renowned hospital in the US that treats something like this? I've Googled some things, but wonder if anyone has personal experience they can share.
 
Hey19,

My daughter had her spinal fusion at Royal Oak Beaumont 2 1/2 years ago. She was a pediatric patient at the time. She was treated excellently and has had very positive outcome. I think RO Beaumont is a pretty well ranked orthopaedic hospital. Beaumont has quite a few of well trained orthos that deal with spines. One survey I checked had U Mich one ranking higher than Beaumont. Has your sister gone to UMich? I took my daughter for a second opinion to a dr at Mich - another top ranked hospital but decided to stay at Beaumont which was closer to home. I'm sure people have good and bad experiences at all hospitals.

Just a side. My daughter broke her wrist on move in day this year at State. We were there two hours. I was so nervous to be at a hospital other than Beaumont where we are very comfortable at. I certainly felt better when the ortho resident that set her wrist said he had just finished six or eight weeks with my daughter's ped ortho. He even thought he recognized her from her last check up she had. It is definitely uncomfortable dealing with the unknown. She needed surgery two days later and we stayed in Lansing for it. What stress!

Good luck with your sister and her decision. This whole spinal surgery thing is a really hard decision no matter what age you are. cas
 
Hey everyone: Thanks for your input! I am constantly overwhelmed by how involved and proactive some people are with their health. I've had experience with some people who think you shouldn't question anything.... just do whatever you're told. This way is much better, don't you think?
 
hey19 - - i'm sorry to hear about your sister . i have bad D D D , BUT I ALSO have 2 herniated discs + stenosis at my l4/5-l5/s1 levels. im having a 2 level fusion performed at RIVER VIEW HOSP. in red bank n,j : this is a good hospital.. whare do you live ? NYC spine center in manhatten i beleave , is a very good hospital.. if you have any questions please let me no okay.
god bless billy
 
Just in case you didnt know.. DDD is a condition that happens to us all. It's not a disease and it is more of controlling the pain if it sets in and not fixing this, as it can not be fixed. You can't prevent DDD.

I think there is no Best of the Best that is identifiable and more of a preference to the patient being treated on what they think their best of the best they've been to.

I would suggest you seeking out a really good SPINE INSTITUTE/CENTER that has a full center for spine treatment. Then check their credentials as well. You want to make sure the surgeons are spine fellowed (lots of extra specialized training in the spine) and have a good track record. It's okay to have newbies on board but the Center must have some very tenured spine surgeons as the main.


i think same
 
Why did your daughter have a spinal fusion 2 1/2 years ago? How is her wrist now? I hope she's healing well. I sure can believe how much more comfortable you were when you made contact with that familiar resident. There's a lot to be said for the emotional comfort when something like that happens.
 
I too live in Michigan! I have been seeing Dr. Yarjanian, a spine specialist, at the U of M spine clinic for my herniated disks. I have been through the 3 EPI and with no help. He's now referred me to Dr. Stanley Lee, the spine surgeon, at the same clinic. I have been VERY happy with the U of M doctors (they're also our "normal" docs and delivered both of my high risk pregnancies with no problems!). Both Yarjanian and Lee were trained through fellowships and Yarjanian has been very good with explaining and determining the best route for my situation - a young mom with a 4 yr. old and 1 yr. old to take care of at home!
 
Hey, I have degenerative disc disease in my lower lurabar spine, which has recently "spread" to my cervical spine. I have been suffering for over 6 1/2 years. The "disease" has caused spinal abnormalities, such as osteoarthritis and protrusions. I also have hemangiomas on my L4 vertebra and retrolisthesis of L5 on S1. My neurosurgeon wants to fight this conservatively and use surgery (spinal fusion) as a "last resort." I have done physical therapy (which had to discontinue because it was making my condition worse), "natural remedies," and lurabar E.S.I.s. I also had an abnormal Nerve Conduction Study (NCS) and am still awaiting the diagnosis from my physician. I have a heart condition (Supra-Ventricular Tachycardia) and may have an auto-immune disease (which I am still undergoing tests for). How is your sister feeling?
 
Thank you for your input. I began this thread because I'm trying to get my sister involved in writing. She's the one with the back and neck troubles. I know this board and all of your frienRABhip would be a great resource and comfort for her. Last week I told everyone that my sister had been in severe enough pain to go the hospital. They got the pain under control and here she is a week later with the exact same thing going on... maybe even worse. Tomorrow morning she's going to her doctor.... thank goodness. Thanks, everyone, for reading and trying to help me to help her! I know it has to come from her, so I'm sending her this link again.
 
Hey mamakitkat...... I, too, hope my sister winRAB up here.... and that she's reading this right now because I sent the link to her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :angel:

I'm so comforted with all of your posts but sad to read that "many spiney's don't get that type of understanding from family & frienRAB." Why is that I wonder? I think sometimes my poor sister feels that others (unfortunately, even doctors) believe she's imagining a lot of the pain. She tries to be "brave" and just deal with it, but I see what she goes through and I know she suffers throughout some very long days at times. Makes me think of a quote I heard once.... "An hour of pain is as long as a day of pleasure." I'm seeing how true that is. I wish all of you much more pleasure than pain on any given day, and I thank you again for all your responses.
 
Back
Top