I was always led to believe that a neurosurgeon is the ONLY surgeon who
should do spine surgery. Too many ortho hacks who think they can do
anything, unless you are with one who "specializes" in spinal surgery.
I had some very sensitive spine surgery done by a neuro and would have had
it no other way considering the results I achieved.
He had to remove two discs, and clean out severe stenosis strangling my
spinal cord and clogging some foraminal openings. I have a steel plate
holding my neck together now. I cannot say what your particular situation
needed or why he did or didn't do what you have had done. Might try asking
him for an explanation and explain your results.
Hospitals have records of the post surgical reports on file. You can obtain
a copy of that report if you choose to do so.
GaryZ

Hi there.

quick answer why is a neurosurgeon doing surgery on your back?  BECAUSE the
spinal cord it right there and the bones that hold it are the back bones.
Between there is the nerves that carry impulses to the body and believe me
"that is the best doctor to do any major surgery on your spine"

I had one and I would not of traded him for a ortho at all.  I even had an
ortho tell me HE did that surgery  I had done but I said but THIS DOC knows
the nerves that control things and to me that is more important.  After
all, that is what paralyses you if some thing goes wrong.

The ortho pod can not make that assumption with out seeing the MRI of your
spine before a neuro did that job, and he did say that he never saw them to
compare why the neuro did what he did.

I also think NO one can give you a straight answer because the back is
really a touchy subject and to the debate of both a ortho doc and neuro.
But I had given myself two options,  Would I want something to happen to
the nerve endings because a ortho missed it, or would I want the neuro to
really check it out and figure IF for sure surgery was beneficial to me and
to my ability to have less pain and comfort.
Remember IT Is not the bone that causes the pain. It is the nerve ending
protruding off the spinal column and them nerves are sensitive and what is
a neurologist, a NERVE specialist.
Made sense to me and that just my opinion.
there probably others like ortho better so My choice is my choice and the
reason is a so evident to me.
I had a neck fusion done and a lower back surgery BOTH done by neuro.
With good results.
But know this?  any back surgery will have scar tissue form later down the
road as well as some arthritis set in.   tis just nature of it and that is
what I am fighting now with blocks to my neck fusion.

You also do know that it may have looked like the trimmed area was just
that but it might also be degenerative disk disease too.  Hard to tell if
that is it or not with out prior MRI
hope I helped.
You want more info. Let me know
janers

Back in my home town THE fella to do your back surgery is a nuerosurgeon.  In
fact, the head football coach at FSU, Bobby Bowden, came down to Gainesville
to have his back surgery done by this guy despite it meaning he was on the
campus of his biggest football rival.

That said, there are good and bad surgeons in every category.  it is possible
that you got an inferior neuro-back-surgeon and hopefully you now have a
superior ortho-back-surgeon.  Still, I'm one who'd want to find a GOOD
neuro-back-surgeon for any work involving spinal nerves.

Personally speaking, and this is just my theory, I suspect your ortho's
wording re: he can "tell" your surgery was done by a neurosurgeon is just an
prejudice against neuro-back guys.  He doesn't like the way it was done
and/or results, so it must have been the "other" guys!

i don't know the answer.  but i'm glad you asked the question, cuz it
touches on stuff i might need to know.  thanks for asking.

kate