Invasive Surgery

Interspinous Spacers: The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread or a Bad Idea?

Lumbar stenosis is a big problem that can make it hard to stand upright, so invasive surgery is often recommended. However, over the last five years, a new device category called an interspinous spacer has emerged that promises to solve this problem with minimally invasive surgery. However, is this a good idea? Let’s dig in.…read more

The BEAR Implant for ACL Tears

ACL reconstruction surgery has been a staple of modern sports medicine for decades. However, now a new surgical implant called BEAR is shaking up that world by offering a solution to try to “regrow” the torn ACL. Let’s look at the positives and negatives of this new technology and compare it to the Regenexx perc-ACLR…read more

What Does Your Back Pain and a Nerve in Your Ankle Have to Do with Your Bladder?

For the last decade or so I’ve realized that there’s a very big cross-over between patients with back pain and bladder problems. However, for many years this connection was ignored by urologists. Now, there are new devices that take advantage of this connection. So let’s dive into how a nerve in your ankle may impact…read more

Surgically Damaging the Neck

Surgery is damage to accomplish a goal. I say that to patients all the time, but it always helps to have a visual. This morning we’ll go over a patient who had multiple neck surgeries that left her with clear and visible damage on her neck MRI. Let’s dig in. Damage to Accomplish a Goal…read more

Why Is Hip FAI Common in People Who Have No Hip Pain?

One of the real problems in modern medicine is our over-reliance on MRIs to make a diagnosis. This is rampant in the world of arthroscopic hip surgery where detecting FAI can result in an invasive procedure. Several studies have shown time and time again that while hip FAI is treated as an abnormality, it’s actually…read more

ACL Reconstruction Surgery Is a Second Hit to the Cartilage: Time to Rethink Orthopedics?

ACL reconstruction (ACLR) surgery is a sacred cow of modern orthopedic sports medicine. Most surgeons view it as the first major advancement in that specialty beyond the use of the arthroscope itself. However, this has been an awful decade for orthopedic surgical research with study after study showing that common surgeries are ineffective or harmful.…read more

Protecting Yourself From Overly Aggressive Surgery and Procedures

If there’s one big mistake I see most patients make that places them at risk, it’s not understanding how to gauge the risk of procedural-based care. So the goal this morning is to help you understand how to protect you, and your loved ones, from us doctors. Let’s dig in. Complications Complications can happen in…read more

New Research: Low Back Fusion Surgeries Are Ineffective

Low back fusion in medicine is one of those procedures that some doctors have come to hate. Why? While a handful of patients do fine, many become lifelong patients with new problems caused by the procedure. So I have to say that I’m happy that the research has finally caught up to what we see…read more