At Texas Neuro-Spine Surgery (with Dr. Chris Michael, Dallas Spine Surgeon), we understand how unsettling back or neck pain can feel and how it can affect work, sleep, and family life. Many people worry about whether symptoms need immediate attention or can be managed with outpatient care and feel uncertain about the safest next step.…
👉 Spinal deformities / Anterior-posterior (front-back) Spinal Fusion — At Texas NeuroSpine Surgery, our goal is to always find the least invasive approaches for the best surgical outcome. However, some cases require more extensive approaches, as in this case of an L4-5 deformity in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis and years of debilitating low back…
“This 53-year-old patient had a collapsed L5-S1 disc, retrolisthesis and foraminal stenosis contributing to severe low back pain. She had tried years of conservative (non-operative) treatment including physical therapy and injections without relief. At Texas NeuroSpine Surgery, we will always continue make every effort to treat your low back pain from a collapsed disc without…
“A Chiari malformation results when a patient has too little room for their cerebellum in the back part of the skull. The cerebellar tonsils get forced down into the spinal canal. The result can be a syrinx or fluid filled cavity within the spinal cord that can cause pain, weakness and numbness. The Chiari malformation…
“Taking a call at a Level 1 trauma center is stressful and takes time away from family and a neurosurgeon’s precious free time. I was reminded recently why I still feel passionate about taking a Level 1 trauma call when I met this simply miraculous 89-year-old woman. She was involved in a motor vehicle collision…
Surgery for cancer that has spread to the spine is extensive and recovery can be long. It is always appropriate to carefully consider all options including surgery and other treatments because many patients with metastatic spine cancer have a limited lifespan. The most important reason to do surgery is that some patients will beat the…
Here is a recent case that shows why spinal fusion is often needed along with laminectomy (decompression) surgery. It also illustrates the importance of having a thorough evaluation done by your doctor. What makes a thorough evaluation is having a complete history and proper X-rays. Image 1: This patient had spinal stenosis at L4-5 on…
Here is an example of another cervical spine case: MRI and CT scans show a 54 year-old male who had a cervical fracture dislocation at C5-6 after diving forward into shallow water and striking his head. He was fortunate not to be paralyzed. The patient also had chronic conditions in his cervical spine that put…
Cervical refers to the neck while myelopathy is a disorder of the spinal cord. Thus, cervical myelopathy is a spinal cord compression in the neck. Myelopathy can cause the following symptoms: Neck pain or stiffness, tingling, weakness, or numbness in arms, fingers, hands, Balance issues that could affect walking, and trouble with fine motor skills…
Here is a picture from another recent case of trigeminal neuralgia cured with microsurgical intervention. The patient is a 60-year-old female who had severe, debilitating pain along her left jaw that would not respond to medication or other treatments. The picture shows a nice intraoperative view of the Fourth (blue arrow) cranial nerve and Fifth…