Your Spine Surgeon: Seeking Out A Medical Professional

If you're suffering from chronic back pain that require spinal surgery but you're not sure where to start trying to find a spine surgeon these tips and guidelines can help you select the best surgeon in your area.

One of the biggest problems you have probably encountered with your chronic back pain is the fact that is almost impossible for a doctor or anyone else for that matter to gauge how bad your pain is since it doesn't show up in x-rays or MRIs. So when it gets bad enough that you feel you need an operation to correct it only you are in the position to know that.

Another problem with back pain is the fact that most back surgeries are considered an elective operation by insurance companies and their fourth often times your surgical procedure is covered by insurance.

With this in mind you need to find a surgeon who will go over all of your options with you and not just push for surgery if that is at all avoidable. A good surgeon will go over every option you have including the benefits and risk factors for each option choice. Sometimes your only option is surgery and if that's the case you need to understand completely and fully why your doctor came to that conclusion. Part of interviewing a potential surgeon is to ask questions including why they are recommending this or procedure and what will happen if you leave your condition untreated. You also need to know the risks and benefits of your surgical options and ask realistic questions about the possibility of a poor outcome and what it would mean for you. For example if your surgery is not successful can it be done again or is this something that can only be done once.

When you're considering who to interview keep in mind that the term Spine surgeon actually covers a variety of different specialist who can operate on your back including a neurosurgeon and an orthopedic surgeon. Which type of doctor you choose will depend on why you need surgery in the first place. For example a neurosurgeon will often be the doctor you select to remove a tumor while an orthopedic surgeon is geared more towards correcting deformities. It's not considered unusual to have both of these surgeons operating on your back at the same time.

When you're looking for a spine surgeon you want to make sure you pick one who has some solid experience doing back surgery. A good place to start is by checking with the North American Spine Society which requires its members to devote at least half of their practice to spine treatment in order to be considered members. This organization can give you a list of spine surgeons in your area and help you narrow down your search and help you know what types of questions to ask when you do find a spine surgeon that meets your needs.