Patient Care

Back on the Dance Floor: Kathryn’s Patient Experience

Kathryn is a former patient of mine who has left a lasting impression. Her back pain began when she hurt her L3/L4 disc after a spinning class, and she believes she aggravated the injury during a subsequent game of golf. Initially, Kathryn told me she didn’t think too much of it because she’s athletic and used to pushing herself outside her comfort zone. Kathryn thought this was something she could deal with – so she sought a massage treatment, iced her lower back area, and rested. Afterwards, she continued to play golf and attend spinning class. Unfortunately, what Kathryn didn’t do was listen to her body and get help when she needed it. I see this in a lot of patients; a good rule of thumb is if the pain persists, starts to travel down your arm or leg, and/or keeps you up at night, it’s time to see a physician. Unfortunately, the pain took a turn for the worse when Kathryn further exacerbated her injury lifting a mattress while vacuuming. Kathryn contacted my office and met with me to discuss different options that would work for her injury. Because she had severe nerve compression in her lower back due

February 3, 2015

3-D Printing in Spinal Surgery

In spinal surgery, advancements in technology and medicine have given doctors new ways to combat conditions affecting the human body. Minimally invasive procedures use small incision for less complex procedures; in robotics, surgeons use robotic arms to carry out a minimally invasive procedures with potentially more accuracy. So what about 3-D printing? Technically, it’s been around since the 1980s, but hasn’t been used in medicine until recent years. Commonly used to support or replace body parts that don’t enter the bloodstream, 3-D printing has the ability to fabricate prosthetic limbs, layer by layer, from the ground up. What is 3-D printing? What is 3-D printing? In medicine, 3-D printing, also referred as additive manufacturing, is the process of using plastic or metal gel to shape a replacement body part based on a patient’s MRI or CT scan. 3-D printing is allowing prosthetics to be produced and personalized in complex shapes including hands and fingers. No longer will these devices cost thousands of dollars, removing much of the financial burden patients and their families may face. “If a parent wanted to purchase a 3-D printer of their own and produce hands for their own child, the cost of the printer and

January 27, 2015

Research Round-Up: Back pain intensity may predict future pain and disability

Back pain is one of the most common health complaints: it’s believed that 70 percent of people will experience it in their lifetime. New research found that many of these patients will in turn suffer long-term chronic pain in the low back area. While this may seem obvious, having proven scientific findings at the ready will enable doctors to take immediate action for patients experiencing pain to prevent more problems down the road. In a recent study published by the American Pain Society’s Journal of Pain, it’s become clear that high pain intensity at onset, as well as a belief that back pain will last for a long time, can forecast future pain or disability within a five-year span. This study is the first to demonstrate this association over a long period of time and “confirms that pain relief is an important target, not only in the initial management of the symptoms, but for the potential contribution to long-term improvement.” It’s important for doctors to address both pain management and the patient’s beliefs early in the treatment process. The American Academy of Pain Management is candid in saying that there is no single medication or procedure to cure everything and

October 15, 2013

Scuba Diving after Spine Surgery

Last month, I shared a wonderful story about my former patient, Sarah Cohn. This month, I have the pleasure of introducing you to another former patient, Rosemary Kurtti. Rosemary came to my practice in September of 2010, after nearly a year of chronic back pain. Before being referred to me by one of her friends, she tried treating her debilitating pain with physical therapy, epidural injections and painkillers, but nothing seemed to work. I determined that Rosemary was actually suffering from a herniated disk in her lower back, a condition all too familiar for many of my patients. After discussing various approaches, we decided that surgery was her best option. It would be a minimally invasive procedure and the benefits outweighed everything else. At first Rosemary was a little hesitant. She is an avid scuba diver and was concerned that she would not be able to continue pursuing her passion following the surgery. With a big smile, I told her she would absolutely dive again. Nothing about my job makes me happier than being able to get patients back to doing the things they love. Not knowing that I too share her passion for scuba diving, Rosemary asked if I

June 12, 2013

The Misconceptions and Fears about Spine Surgery

The word “surgery” often causes anxiety and fear for patients. Many times, they specifically ask what treatment options are available aside from surgery because they want to avoid having an operation all together, due to common misconceptions. These misconceptions are about surgery, especially spinal surgery, and I’ve heard them all. More often than not, they get in the way of the best treatment that is available for the patient .The truth is, depending on what type of injury you have and the situation you are in, surgery may end up being your best and safest option for a full recovery. Although surgery is not always the answer, it is also not always the option of last resort. A few common misconceptions that I often hear at my practice are: I will never be able to be active again! Actually, the opposite is often true. Without spinal surgery, many patients continue to suffer from their symptoms, making any type of physical activity painful. After the problem is corrected, patients can very often get back to normal activities, including sports. Also, I usually recommend that my patients begin taking walks quickly after surgery in order to regain mobility, which also helps with the healing

May 28, 2013

Sarah Cohn: “Practice Yoga While You Play Golf”

Nearly six months ago, I performed a revision surgery on patient Sarah Cohn for an Anterior-Posterior Revision Lumbar Fusion for Spondylolisthesis, after she received a failed minimally invasive spine decompression surgery at another practice. Following the revision surgery, Sarah, an avid golfer and yoga enthusiast, recovered quickly and was able to return to her athletic passions. Sarah can play golf again and stretches during rounds with simple yoga. I was touched to not only receive a copy of her book Practice Yoga While You Play Golf but also to be nominated by her for the Mount Sinai Medical Center “Honor Your Doctor” award. Most importantly, I was fascinated by Sarah’s unique fusion of golf and yoga and wanted to share with my readers and patients. You can visit her website at SarahCohnYoga.com and purchase her book here. Read below to see what Sarah had to say about her experience! Q: How did you discover Dr. McCance, and how would you describe your experience with him? A: I was referred to Dr. McCance by a pain management doctor who really wasn’t able to help me. I needed a spinal fusion and Dr. McCance made the process seem less terrifying, plus he spent plenty

May 21, 2013

The July Effect: Patient Spinal Care Service Unaffected in July

A controversial topic has been dominating headlines recently, and is an important issue that I’d like to discuss. It’s the phenomenon known as the “July Effect” – the notion that being admitted to a teaching hospital in July, the month in which medical students begin residency, will increase the risk of poor patient care and medical errors. With this uptick in concern, numerous articles have been published about the topic and rightfully disprove the claim, including research from The Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine and The Mayo Clinic. In my opinion, the July Effect is absolutely false. The Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine found that among the sicker, high-risk patients who had more illnesses and higher rates of mortality, there was no difference in any outcome of patients admitted in July compared to those admitted in another month. Jennifer S. McDonald, a researcher in the radiology department at the Mayo Clinic, made the poignant argument that “if there really was a July effect, we would expect it to manifest in these patients.” I agree. Let’s look at spinal surgery specifically – a practice that is immensely delicate and technically demanding. At Mt. Sinai Hospital, on my service, the residents are closely supervised

March 25, 2013

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