From: utzoo!decvax!microsof!uw-beaver!cornell!vax135!ariel!hou5f!npois!npoiv!houxm!houxz!hocda!spanky!burl!duke!unc!mcnc!jwb
Newsgroups: net.med
Title: Re: back surgery
Article-I.D.: mcnc.1644
Posted: Fri Apr 29 22:45:32 1983
Received: Mon May  2 06:19:51 1983
References: hogpd.43

Amen to Avi Gross.  I was going to let this one pass (as I have done most
of them lately) because ANY comment is likely to be misunderstood by at
least a few people.  As for the issue at hand, back pain in general,
including disk problems, is a VERY controversial issue.  Before getting
any treatment, I would want to be evaluated by one or more competant
Orthopedic Surgeons (The truly good ones do a relatively small amount of
back surgery--they just inherit taking care of back problems).  How do
you know who is competant?  My bias would be to talk to either one who
has fairly recently completed training, or, preferably, to a faculty
member or attending physician at an institution engaged in significant
medical teaching (medical school, large teaching hospital).  This is not
to say physicians in private practice 30 years are worse.  The groups
I listed are usually more exposed to the pros and cons of controversial
issues and more willing to try newer techniques--and the enzyme injec-
tions are both new (at least FDA approval is) and controversial.  Also
there is big money in back surgery and physicians in teaching situations
usually are compensated in a more indirect method.  (Note I do NOT mean
to imply this makes difference in action which is deliberate--it's a
subtle influence.
Jack Buchanan (MD--note this is a caveat so people won't mistake me for
                   a true healer)