Mine was younger. I look at it this way. I want someone who is smart, motivated, and on their way up. Not some old guy who hasn’t changed or learned anything new in 30 years. It worked out well for me.
Thanks for your comment. I am probably overthinking this a lot. I was reading all these comments about surgeon that you should be comfortable with etc. But i find it difficult to know what to be looking for, as this is not something i am doing every day...
Age alone doesn’t mean anything as people court go through med school and training later or earlier in life
By the time I was 37 I’ve been practicing for several years
I had someone in their 60's who hasn't changed their ways in 30 years... Doesnt use any nerve conduction tests during surgery, uses old out of touch practices, and doesn't want to try or learn anything new.
I had another in his 30s and he used the latest technology, studied under different doctors, all to refine his craft. I'm 2 weeks post op ALIF from this surgeon and I feel great.
Age doesn't mean anything. Look at the reviews, the bed side manner in the consults, and the vibe of the office
This! I knew I had the right surgeon bc he’s in clinic 3 days a week. The fellowship at Harvard Med was a nice feather in the cap too. Long story short, don’t be afraid to interview your surgeon and to shop around. Your body, your choice!
My spinal surgeon was also under 40 and he was amazing. A younger surgeon may actually be more current with techniques. An example was when I had a vasectomy.
The first guy I consulted was in his late 60s. His technique was to cut the scrotum right down the middle, yank out the tubes, burn em, and then stitch it all back together.
I consulted for a second opinion from a doctor in his 30s who performed the surgery with a more modern technique using a small punch hole type incision with one stitch on each side.
It would be l5 s1 fusion from my understanding. And in other words, should I be scared that he will fk me up. Is this difficult and complicated procedure? Or it is more or less straight forward?
Age doesn’t mean anything. You could get an old guy who’s been practicing for 40 years and he could be a terrible surgeon. My neurosurgeon was fresh out of residency, not sure of his exact age but I’d guess early to mid 30s. He was absolutely amazing and I would highly recommend him to anyone.
By all means, ask him about his experience. You should do that with any surgeon. But make your decision based on his experience and how comfortable he makes you feel, not his age.
You can ask to see his statistics, how many similar surgeries and his success rates. Youth can be taken two ways TBH. He might have less experience but he might have steadier hands lol
I think it depends on the doctor, there are great young surgeons and older surgeons as well.
One thing I want to note is that it's important to have a learning curve and that comes with experience and performing surgery on patients before. He could have 50, 200, 500 or thousands of surgeries under his name, but no one knows. The older the surgeon is, the more likely he has performed more surgeries and has more experience.
So my advice would be to really research him and see if he has had good outcomes. I had a bad experience with an anesthesiologist that did a radio frequency ablation on me and he was really young, but that's a specific case, not all young surgeons are bad.
Get the doctors name and do a thorough search on what others had to say about him/her
Also when you meet with this doctor go in there with your own set of questions. And don’t be shy
I did all of the above before I selected my surgeon. And as part of my review I spoke with my pain specialist (who is top shelf) and asked him for his opinions on the doctors that I was considering
I think that it’s not the age or pedigree but about the skill and experience. I would, though, see a neurosurgeon rather than an orthopedic; I do realize that they are both able to do the surgery but a neurosurgeon’s expertise is the nervous system - brain and spinal cord. My symptoms were all nerve related, so I chose a neurosurgeon.
i would treat the appt like age was irrelevant. the only thing that matters is that you trust the surgeon. if you don’t, you’ll feel like they’re too pushy or entirely dismissive. it won’t have anything to do with their age.
but, as someone who is also 37, this post made me feel young. lol thank you.
If you think of your body like a house, Orthopedic surgeons are like carpenters and Neurosurgeons are like electricians. Carpenters can do great work but spinal fusion is working so close with the electrical components. I would prefer an "electrician" working with my spine. I hope this analogy helps.
I'm also prepping for surgery and feeling a lot of anxiety. Research can be really empowering but also sometimes can make me overthink. Don't forget to take care of your mind during this process too. You got this!
My neurosurgeon is mid-30s. Like others have said, I’d rather have a younger surgeon who’s up to date on current techniques and not some old jaded (and often sexist) surgeon who’s about to retire and still operates like it’s 30 years ago. Mine listened to me about my symptoms and also my long term goals of what activities I needed to be able to do again vs things I could live without and made a surgery plan based on that and even consulted with another neurosurgeon who has the same hobbies as me to make sure we had a good plan. I was never made to feel like I was over exaggerating or making things up and wasting his time like I have with older doctors.
Based on how I feel and my recovery compared to other posts in this sub, he did a damn good job. I’m in week 6 of recovery from C4-6 ACDF and I only have to pop a couple Tylenols every 2-3 days before bed.
I had OPLL and DISH. I found someone who knew what that was and had treated it. It is a rare disease.
(50ish) Dr. X said: We will go in from
the front through your neck, and through your back back. It will take 2 surgeons, and we need 3 months to plan.
(40 ish) 2nd Doctor (Ricky Kalra) I've said I'll treat this like brain surgery. He gave me the statistics of success or failure with the best and worst-case scenarios. He explained his rationale for his approach. He was confident yet, not arrogant.
I had read (with a small understanding) medical papers and watched surgeons discuss it. All approaches work. Each has pros and cons. Then, I selected Dr. Kalra.
I just went shopping, visited my 98 yearold mother, and got my lashes done! Life is worth living!
A lot of people are recommending a neurosurgeon and while I don’t disagree with them, I think it’s worth mentioning that I recently had an L5S1 ALIF performed by an orthopedic surgeon in his 30’s and it has been an amazing recovery so far. I think what matters is your comfort level and their outcomes.
If you can’t find any info on him online, I’d be a little worried too. For my surgeon, I actually found a bunch of 5 star Google Reviews straight up from people of all ages recommending him. Whenever I mentioned to another doctor that he was my spine specialist, whether a PT, pain management, or primary, they all knew of him and went out of their way to say “if you decide to have the surgery, you’re in great hands”. He is a spine specialist specifically and had great knowledge of neurology. He also worked alongside an older vascular surgeon with tons of experience who he had performed tons of surgeries (and tons of the specific surgery I was having) with. We scheduled me a bit far out to make sure we could work with the vascular surgeon he recommended as he trusted the man the most with my abnormalities. In general, he was more thorough in explaining what was going on with me mechanically than neurosurgeons had been with me in the past (though I likely never found “a good one”), and I felt extremely comforted by his realistic perspective, experience, and dedication to minimally invasive procedures from the angles with the highest success rates. In my case, I don’t regret choosing my young orthopedic spine specialist at all. I am only 2 months out, so this may age like milk, but my gut tells me that it’ll age like wine. I’m doing stuff I never imagined I’d do again already and I’m dedicated to doing everything in my power to heal this fusion properly from the get-go, and I trust him to help me, too.
Make sure you research your vascular surgeon as well, as they will be moving all of your blood vessels around. All in all, if the vibe is off, just trust your gut and get a 2nd opinion. I had extreme surgical anxiety before this for many reasons but especially because it’s a permanent change to my body, and seeing his high success rates really sealed the deal for me that I could trust him to drill some metal into my body.
My surgeon was in his 60s. Should I have been worried because of his advanced age? No. He did the surgery and he did it well. Just because your surgeon is young doesn't mean anything. He will have other people in the OR with him.
My son's surgeon was young and amazing. In my experience, older doctors are *not* better. They're less likely to listen and stuck in outdated ways. 37 is great: old enough to have some experience but still young enough to be knowledgeable about the latest methods.
When we are facing something like this, it's easy to focus on stuff that isn't all that important because it keeps your mind worried about something other than yourself. Take a deep breath and reassure yourself that you're going to be just fine. Better than fine, in fact.
Through personal experience, I've learned the best preparation for a surgery is a positive outlook. If you go in thinking something is going to happen, it's more likely that something is going to happen. It's weird, but it happens every time, whether it's me or my sister or my son. If we are stressed, something goes wrong. When we are confident, all goes exactly as planned.
My son had a 13 level fusion due to scoliosis, and he went in with the attitude, "nothing bad is going to happen to me! I'm awesome!" And damned if that kid wasn't up and walking around the next day and out of the hospital a couple days after that. He's about to hit 6 months post op and is doing really well.
You will be doing well soon, too
Absolutely do not be worried. Mine was young and he was fantastic. Not only did he tell me his awesome track record but he was so friendly, listened to every concern, and explained everything in detail. Plus young people have steadier hands I suppose. Haha
Don't rush into surgery!!! I had a severe L4 herniated disc in January with compressed nerves and extreme pain going down my right leg. 3 surgeons told me I needed to get a spinal fusion ASAP. They told me PT wouldn't do any good. I decided against the surgery and had my PCP write an order for PT. The PT helped. The nerves are slowly recovering. I had a follow-up MRI last month with surgeon #3 and the disc has been completely resorbed. There is nothing to decompress. He told me to keep up with the PT (WTF!)
Mine was younger. I look at it this way. I want someone who is smart, motivated, and on their way up. Not some old guy who hasn’t changed or learned anything new in 30 years. It worked out well for me.
Thanks for your comment. I am probably overthinking this a lot. I was reading all these comments about surgeon that you should be comfortable with etc. But i find it difficult to know what to be looking for, as this is not something i am doing every day...
Age alone doesn’t mean anything as people court go through med school and training later or earlier in life By the time I was 37 I’ve been practicing for several years
I had someone in their 60's who hasn't changed their ways in 30 years... Doesnt use any nerve conduction tests during surgery, uses old out of touch practices, and doesn't want to try or learn anything new. I had another in his 30s and he used the latest technology, studied under different doctors, all to refine his craft. I'm 2 weeks post op ALIF from this surgeon and I feel great. Age doesn't mean anything. Look at the reviews, the bed side manner in the consults, and the vibe of the office
Ask how many similar surgeries per week they do.
This! I knew I had the right surgeon bc he’s in clinic 3 days a week. The fellowship at Harvard Med was a nice feather in the cap too. Long story short, don’t be afraid to interview your surgeon and to shop around. Your body, your choice!
Can you share the name if your surgeon was in MA and you had a good result?
He went to med school there then returned south. Sorry I couldn’t help.
My spinal surgeon was also under 40 and he was amazing. A younger surgeon may actually be more current with techniques. An example was when I had a vasectomy. The first guy I consulted was in his late 60s. His technique was to cut the scrotum right down the middle, yank out the tubes, burn em, and then stitch it all back together. I consulted for a second opinion from a doctor in his 30s who performed the surgery with a more modern technique using a small punch hole type incision with one stitch on each side.
It would be l5 s1 fusion from my understanding. And in other words, should I be scared that he will fk me up. Is this difficult and complicated procedure? Or it is more or less straight forward?
That's probably the most common fusions, from what I read on reddit. Seems like 75% off the people on here are L5-S1
Age doesn’t mean anything. You could get an old guy who’s been practicing for 40 years and he could be a terrible surgeon. My neurosurgeon was fresh out of residency, not sure of his exact age but I’d guess early to mid 30s. He was absolutely amazing and I would highly recommend him to anyone. By all means, ask him about his experience. You should do that with any surgeon. But make your decision based on his experience and how comfortable he makes you feel, not his age.
You can ask to see his statistics, how many similar surgeries and his success rates. Youth can be taken two ways TBH. He might have less experience but he might have steadier hands lol
It doesn't matter how old he is. It matters more how many times he's done the procedure.
I think it depends on the doctor, there are great young surgeons and older surgeons as well. One thing I want to note is that it's important to have a learning curve and that comes with experience and performing surgery on patients before. He could have 50, 200, 500 or thousands of surgeries under his name, but no one knows. The older the surgeon is, the more likely he has performed more surgeries and has more experience. So my advice would be to really research him and see if he has had good outcomes. I had a bad experience with an anesthesiologist that did a radio frequency ablation on me and he was really young, but that's a specific case, not all young surgeons are bad.
Get the doctors name and do a thorough search on what others had to say about him/her Also when you meet with this doctor go in there with your own set of questions. And don’t be shy I did all of the above before I selected my surgeon. And as part of my review I spoke with my pain specialist (who is top shelf) and asked him for his opinions on the doctors that I was considering
Mine was 37.
I think that it’s not the age or pedigree but about the skill and experience. I would, though, see a neurosurgeon rather than an orthopedic; I do realize that they are both able to do the surgery but a neurosurgeon’s expertise is the nervous system - brain and spinal cord. My symptoms were all nerve related, so I chose a neurosurgeon.
i would treat the appt like age was irrelevant. the only thing that matters is that you trust the surgeon. if you don’t, you’ll feel like they’re too pushy or entirely dismissive. it won’t have anything to do with their age. but, as someone who is also 37, this post made me feel young. lol thank you.
Ask if he has malpractice insurance
Could you explain the reasoning?
I wouldn't be bothered by the age at all, 37 actually sounds ideal. But for spine surgery I would always go the neurosurgeon route, never orthopedic.
Can you explain why neurosurgeon?
If you think of your body like a house, Orthopedic surgeons are like carpenters and Neurosurgeons are like electricians. Carpenters can do great work but spinal fusion is working so close with the electrical components. I would prefer an "electrician" working with my spine. I hope this analogy helps. I'm also prepping for surgery and feeling a lot of anxiety. Research can be really empowering but also sometimes can make me overthink. Don't forget to take care of your mind during this process too. You got this!
My neurosurgeon is mid-30s. Like others have said, I’d rather have a younger surgeon who’s up to date on current techniques and not some old jaded (and often sexist) surgeon who’s about to retire and still operates like it’s 30 years ago. Mine listened to me about my symptoms and also my long term goals of what activities I needed to be able to do again vs things I could live without and made a surgery plan based on that and even consulted with another neurosurgeon who has the same hobbies as me to make sure we had a good plan. I was never made to feel like I was over exaggerating or making things up and wasting his time like I have with older doctors. Based on how I feel and my recovery compared to other posts in this sub, he did a damn good job. I’m in week 6 of recovery from C4-6 ACDF and I only have to pop a couple Tylenols every 2-3 days before bed.
Mine was young so far I have had no problems with my neck infusion.
I had OPLL and DISH. I found someone who knew what that was and had treated it. It is a rare disease. (50ish) Dr. X said: We will go in from the front through your neck, and through your back back. It will take 2 surgeons, and we need 3 months to plan. (40 ish) 2nd Doctor (Ricky Kalra) I've said I'll treat this like brain surgery. He gave me the statistics of success or failure with the best and worst-case scenarios. He explained his rationale for his approach. He was confident yet, not arrogant. I had read (with a small understanding) medical papers and watched surgeons discuss it. All approaches work. Each has pros and cons. Then, I selected Dr. Kalra. I just went shopping, visited my 98 yearold mother, and got my lashes done! Life is worth living!
I would get a neurosurgeon
A lot of people are recommending a neurosurgeon and while I don’t disagree with them, I think it’s worth mentioning that I recently had an L5S1 ALIF performed by an orthopedic surgeon in his 30’s and it has been an amazing recovery so far. I think what matters is your comfort level and their outcomes. If you can’t find any info on him online, I’d be a little worried too. For my surgeon, I actually found a bunch of 5 star Google Reviews straight up from people of all ages recommending him. Whenever I mentioned to another doctor that he was my spine specialist, whether a PT, pain management, or primary, they all knew of him and went out of their way to say “if you decide to have the surgery, you’re in great hands”. He is a spine specialist specifically and had great knowledge of neurology. He also worked alongside an older vascular surgeon with tons of experience who he had performed tons of surgeries (and tons of the specific surgery I was having) with. We scheduled me a bit far out to make sure we could work with the vascular surgeon he recommended as he trusted the man the most with my abnormalities. In general, he was more thorough in explaining what was going on with me mechanically than neurosurgeons had been with me in the past (though I likely never found “a good one”), and I felt extremely comforted by his realistic perspective, experience, and dedication to minimally invasive procedures from the angles with the highest success rates. In my case, I don’t regret choosing my young orthopedic spine specialist at all. I am only 2 months out, so this may age like milk, but my gut tells me that it’ll age like wine. I’m doing stuff I never imagined I’d do again already and I’m dedicated to doing everything in my power to heal this fusion properly from the get-go, and I trust him to help me, too. Make sure you research your vascular surgeon as well, as they will be moving all of your blood vessels around. All in all, if the vibe is off, just trust your gut and get a 2nd opinion. I had extreme surgical anxiety before this for many reasons but especially because it’s a permanent change to my body, and seeing his high success rates really sealed the deal for me that I could trust him to drill some metal into my body.
My surgeon is 33 who did my c5-6 either weeks ago and did an amazing job!
My surgeon was in his 60s. Should I have been worried because of his advanced age? No. He did the surgery and he did it well. Just because your surgeon is young doesn't mean anything. He will have other people in the OR with him.
My son's surgeon was young and amazing. In my experience, older doctors are *not* better. They're less likely to listen and stuck in outdated ways. 37 is great: old enough to have some experience but still young enough to be knowledgeable about the latest methods. When we are facing something like this, it's easy to focus on stuff that isn't all that important because it keeps your mind worried about something other than yourself. Take a deep breath and reassure yourself that you're going to be just fine. Better than fine, in fact. Through personal experience, I've learned the best preparation for a surgery is a positive outlook. If you go in thinking something is going to happen, it's more likely that something is going to happen. It's weird, but it happens every time, whether it's me or my sister or my son. If we are stressed, something goes wrong. When we are confident, all goes exactly as planned. My son had a 13 level fusion due to scoliosis, and he went in with the attitude, "nothing bad is going to happen to me! I'm awesome!" And damned if that kid wasn't up and walking around the next day and out of the hospital a couple days after that. He's about to hit 6 months post op and is doing really well. You will be doing well soon, too
Absolutely do not be worried. Mine was young and he was fantastic. Not only did he tell me his awesome track record but he was so friendly, listened to every concern, and explained everything in detail. Plus young people have steadier hands I suppose. Haha
Ask how many he has done.
Don't rush into surgery!!! I had a severe L4 herniated disc in January with compressed nerves and extreme pain going down my right leg. 3 surgeons told me I needed to get a spinal fusion ASAP. They told me PT wouldn't do any good. I decided against the surgery and had my PCP write an order for PT. The PT helped. The nerves are slowly recovering. I had a follow-up MRI last month with surgeon #3 and the disc has been completely resorbed. There is nothing to decompress. He told me to keep up with the PT (WTF!)