Need a GOOD neurosurgeon!

[jrdeahl]

Hello:

Help! Need a really good neurosurgeon right away.

I am about at the end of the rope. The constant pain and its complications are dragging me down and draining my energy. I feel like I am circling the drain.

I am a service connected disabled veteran since 1976 when the VA hospital in IA City, IA tore my C8 nerve, left side, in two at the foreman during a bilateral first rib resection (bilateral thoracic outlet syndrome).

It took me 1 ½ years before I could go back to work. Worked for 10 years before a mass of very strange symptoms put me on disability from the VA and SS. I have Medicare part A and B.

I had a local neurosurgeon years ago that was a pretty good troubleshooter, but he retired.

All of the neurosurgeons I have been to since have dismissed me with ”don’t see anything”, “those shouldn’t bother you” or “can’t do anything for you”. The VA said I had tendonitis in the left shoulder but tendentious doesn’t cause atrophy.

It really is disappointing when you give a new neurosurgeon 10 pages of history, med exam results, surgeries, medications and other diagnoses and they ask questions that tells me they didn’t even review the material.

There has to be something causing this worsening condition.

I have copies of my cervical MRIs on CD.

If you can help or know of an extremely good neurosurgeon please contact me.

John R. Deahl
[email protected]

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[bustbones26]

Hello:

Help! Need a really good neurosurgeon right away.

I am about at the end of the rope. The constant pain and its complications are dragging me down and draining my energy. I feel like I am circling the drain.

I am a service connected disabled veteran since 1976 when the VA hospital in IA City, IA tore my C8 nerve, left side, in two at the foreman during a bilateral first rib resection (bilateral thoracic outlet syndrome).

It took me 1 ½ years before I could go back to work. Worked for 10 years before a mass of very strange symptoms put me on disability from the VA and SS. I have Medicare part A and B.

I had a local neurosurgeon years ago that was a pretty good troubleshooter, but he retired.

All of the neurosurgeons I have been to since have dismissed me with ”don’t see anything”, “those shouldn’t bother you” or “can’t do anything for you”. The VA said I had tendonitis in the left shoulder but tendentious doesn’t cause atrophy.

It really is disappointing when you give a new neurosurgeon 10 pages of history, med exam results, surgeries, medications and other diagnoses and they ask questions that tells me they didn’t even review the material.

There has to be something causing this worsening condition.

I have copies of my cervical MRIs on CD.

If you can help or know of an extremely good neurosurgeon please contact me.

John R. Deahl
[email protected]

This is probably not the best place to look for medical advice. There are plenty of good neurosurgeons out there. But without knowing details, perhaps you don't need one. If you're c8 nerve was damaged, there might not be anything that can be done. Hence, nerves can't regrow or re-attach. I do understand that you are probably in pain, have you tried pain medications? Been to a pain clinic? nerve blocks? devices? etc. etc. These are things that a neurosurgeon can't always offer you?

Also, don't disregard tendonitis. Just because you have a known nerve injury doesn't mean that you can't have an underlying tendonitis as well.

Your frustration is that no neurosurgeon seems to be able to help you, but just consider the possibility that the services you need are outside of the realm of what they do. Also, face the reality that you have a damaged nerve and you will ALWAYS be in pain, no doctor, no neurosurgeon, nobody will ever be able to change this, but only control the pain to a tolerable level. That should be your goal.

 

[neglect]

Ahhh, fond memories of neurosurgery clinic...

Not.

No wonder they love the OR!

 

[jrdeahl]

I was not looking for medical advise.

I was hoping someone knew a really good neurosurgeon. One that spends some time on a case and thinks outside the box rather than the assembly line medicine of today. I feel that medicine today is practiced from the stand point of a healthy person having an accident rather than that same person having a more complicated situation years later because of complications. Complications like musculoskeletal and stenosis problems.

I stated the C8 was torn in two at the foreman. That location also causes sympathetic nerve problems. Like left bundle branch block and stomach cramping just to name a couple.

Please first note the pain went away after the operation for 10 years. I now have a degenerating condition with increased pain and atrophy.

I can vary the permanent numbness in my left hand by turning my neck. To me that denotes a physical impairment or entrapment. The pain gets worse at night which implies the spacing of the disks deteriorating during the day (proven fact that disks shrink the longer you are up) and causing more impairment. It also is proven that the vertrabrea below and above a damaged or operated on vertrabrea take on more of the load and will deteriorate faster.

Repetitive left arm movement aggravates nerve condition causing pain. Tens units etc have same effect. The docs have tried approx 60 plus different meds to no avail. Was on oxycontin for 4 years and am now on morphine for last 3 years.

I prefer to stick to neurosurgeons because nerve pain is the very worst. I probably would not be in this condition if a neurosurgeon had done the initial surgery. It was done by a vascular surgeon. From my personal experience it is not advisable to have a vasular or orthopedic surgeon around the cervical plexus.

Over the years I have noticed the medical profession has changed. The requirements for surgery now are much more stringent. It is probably due to many surgeons not knowing what they are doing and the insurance companies reacting to the lawsuits. I remember the criteria used to be that if the film around the spinal column was dark all the way across it needed surgery. Now that apparently no longer applies in all cases.

I saw a speech once by a politician that stated the medical profession should be more like the FAA. The FAA investigates with the mfr and reps involved and comes up with a solution, normally within a year. Then they inform everyone of the problem and solution. He then quoted a study that found it was 15 years until all the doctors were aware of something new medical.

Doesn’t anyone know a really good neurosurgeon?

 

[llogg]

This is not the appropriate forum for your request.

 

[bananaface]

SDN is not a place for medical guidance, including referrals. If you need a referral, please consult your own personal physician.

Thanks.