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Posted 3/11/2015 7:38 PM (GMT 0)
My pain doctor has been trying to get me to get a discogram . At my last visit he said it was to look for a torn disc. I saw the neurosurgeon yesterday and told him this. He looked at my mri and said the l5 was torn. He did not need discogram to see it. He also said I would eventually need surgery for this and another back issue but I should put it off as long as possible. My pain doctor wants to do the discogram and operate if he finds a torn disc. I am leaning towards following the neurosurgeon opinion. I have applied for disability and read that if you are asked to get a procedure and refuse you will be turned down for disability. So if I don't do what pain doctor wants they will turn me down?
Posted 3/11/2015 8:40 PM (GMT 0)
I don't know about getting turned down, but a discogram isn't a very nice procedure. I'd go with the neurosurgeon.

Does the pain doc do surgery? I didn't quite understand.
Posted 3/11/2015 9:36 PM (GMT 0)
I don't understand either. I believe he said he would do something about it if he found a torn disc. I am assuming he meant some kind of surgery. The neurosurgeon told me to ask him on my next visit exactly what he planed to do if torn disc was found. I know he does do a lot of different procedures. He just did a geniculate nerve ablation (burned the nerves) on my left knee. Not sure I would trust him to actually do any kind of major surgery though. His specialty other than pain management is anesthesia.
Posted 3/11/2015 10:53 PM (GMT 0)
crazyhazeynut I think I would ask the neurosurgeon to put that in writing or get a copy of your records of that visit. If the neurosurgeon says that he sees the disc tear and knows it is there, and does not recommend a discogram or see the need for it, then there should be no worry about turning down that procedure or test. Your PM does not trump your neurosurgeon, as far as I know. I would go with your neurosurgeon! And if he thinks it is best to put off the surgery right now, then I would again go with what he recommends. I would be interested to know what your PM could do to remedy your torn disc? He might be able to inject a steroid to help eliminate inflammation to reduce the pain, but other than that I don't think there is much he can do to actually fix the situation! Unless he refers you to a different surgeon??? Is your PM in the same medical group as your neurosurgeon? Or is your PM affiliated with different doctors and surgeons??

Hope you keep us informed of your situation as I would be interested in knowing what your PM has in mind to do?

Good Luck to you!

White Beard
Posted 3/11/2015 11:53 PM (GMT 0)
White Beard they are different. The pm is just his practice. The neurosurgeon is with a medical group I use for everything but PM. They don't have pm.
Thank you both for your replies.
Posted 3/12/2015 1:36 AM (GMT 0)
Hello CH, I agree with WhiteBeard on this one. I have never seen a PM dr ever do spine surgery on a patient, that would be a scary thought to me. I too think the neurosurgeon would hold the trump card here. My own PM dr who use to implant pain pumps in his patients refers all pump patients to a neurosurgeon. He says they have the best hands of all drs & I agree with him. I saw one recently who will be implanting my new pump.

I am not sure what type of disability you are talking about, is it Social Security Disability? If it is SSD, I really don't think you have anything to worry about on that because a neurosurgeon's opinion would carry more weight over a PM drs opinion.

I think WhiteBeard gave you some good ideas, let us know what you decide to do.
Posted 3/12/2015 1:45 AM (GMT 0)
Yes straydog SSD. The neurosurgeon said he would back me bacause I can't sit in one spot more than 1 hour or stand/walk more than 10 minutes. I am going to see what pain doctor says he will do if he finds torn disk. See him again in 3 more weeks. I may end up changing pms if he insists on discogram.
Posted 3/12/2015 3:26 AM (GMT 0)
Hi CHnut..................... After reading your posts I am still left with a big question, the surgery your PM is referring to. I am not aware that a PM doctor who is normally a general physician with a specialty in anesthesiology and then a sub in Pain Management can do any surgical procedure other than the standard pain treatments such as injections and ablations. Any time there is a need to "cut" it is normally left to a surgeon (neurologist or orthopedist). I may be wrong but that is what I was exposed to.

I would definitely without hesitation be more inclined to take the neurosurgeons recommendation over the PM doc. And if it was me, I would be getting a second opinion to the first's neuro's diagnosis/finding.

I hope you are able to get your treatment on track. Don't rush into any procedures/surgery without doing your homework, asking questions and getting other opinions - I learned that the hard way!

Hugs from Texas,

Pam
Posted 3/19/2015 1:44 AM (GMT 0)
" I got a call from the neurosurgeons office who said he would take care of my disability paperwork. He told me to give it to them at the desk. Which I did. The nurse called me today and said the doctor said he is not going to fill it out because he does not consider me disabled. I don't understand.He told me last week he would fill it out. What changed? He said I had torn disk along with the l5 slid down covering the s1. He sent me to therapy which after 2 months aloud me to stand 2 more minutes but since I have stopped therapy I have gain no more time. What full time job can a person do that can't stand more than 10-15 minutes or sit in one spot for more than 45 minutes to an hour. I also asked him at my last appointment if a tens unit would help and he said yes then we got side tracked on what pain doctor wants to do. Which he said he sees no call for disco gram and I should put off surgery. I called last Wednesday and spoke to the nurse about getting a tens unit and she said doc would be back in Friday and they would call me. Friday came and went and no call, so I called Tuesday and they said the doc had emergency brain surgery on Friday and wasn't in. They called me this morning to tell me he wouldn't fill out paper work but said nothing about the tens unit. I have another appointment with him in 3 months. I think I am just going to cancel it.I see no need in medicaid paying him when he more or less can't or won't do anything to help me. "
Posted 3/19/2015 2:11 AM (GMT 0)
CH... Have you considered going to get a 2nd opinion? Do you have a copy of all the diagnostic tests that you had done, the torn disc - has it been confirmed by what?

If I was given that kind of indecisiveness by a neurosurgeon I would surely be going to get another surgeon's opinion. I honestly have to say, before I was deemed disabled by SSID - I was going to a lot of doctor's in order to figure out what the total picture was with all my problems. There was one neurosurgeon of whom I was told was one of the best in my area.

Went I went to the office for the 1st time, I waited 2 1/2 hrs to see him. He came in and said, "What's the problem" just as sarcastic and with a grin that I just wanted to slap off his face. Keep in mind I was a hurting puppy after sitting all that time and was in no mood for him to play the doctor god complex with me. He looked at my paperwork (tests, OV notes) and just flipped through them. Asked me to do a couple simple moves and stand, sat back down and said "there's nothing I can do for you"!!! I was like really, really - all I could do was stand frozen in time with tears running down my face - my husband grabbed my hand and said let's go.........................Never returned there.

My point was it that you have to weed through the doctors and specialists until you find one that has a real concern for their patient and doesn't treat them like a number. It happens so often..............

It is not only HIS judgment that would deem you disabled, there are a host of factors involved with that. So don't let that discourage you. You know what your limitations are, if your diagnosis supports that then you have nothing to worry about.

Hugs from Texas,

Pam
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