Find a Great Spinal Fusion Doctor Baltimore

Spine and neck surgeries, while becoming safer and more common all of the time, are still very delicate procedures that call for extreme precision and skill on the part of the surgeon.  This surgery is, after all, going to be altering the way that soft structures of the spinal column are contained within the vertebrae.  Clearly, mistakes in this kind of procedure have the potential to result in clinical failure of the surgery.  Clinical failure means that the patient's pain is not reduced enough to have made undertaking the surgery worthwhile for them.  Unfortunately, surgery sometimes even results in an increased level of pain and disability for the patient.  So, it is incredibly important for individuals who are considering this kind of operation to find the best possible spinal fusion doctor Baltimore.

Find the Best Spinal Fusion Doctor

Here are some tips on finding a great surgeon for those who are seeking a spinal fusion doctor Baltimore MD (https://www.medstarunionortho.org):

• Don't rely on online rating sites.  In the age of continual connection to the internet, there are literally hundreds of sites that rate medical professionals.  If one looks closely at the ratings, however, it is possible to notice that a lot of the factors going into the overall rating score are somewhat peripheral to the actual skill of the doctor.  Knowing how long the waiting time is to see the doctor is helpful.  It is not, however, related to whether that physician has the skill to surgically reduce the patient's back pain.
• Make a short list of surgeons to personally interview.  Check their credentials when making the list.  Their qualifications need to include being board certified and having completed a fellowship in spine surgery.
• Once the "short list" of possible surgeons is complete, interview each one of them individually.  Do not be afraid to ask very pointed questions like how many times they have performed the procedure.  Be informed on facts like the average success rate for the spinal fusion procedure in question.  Ask each surgeon how their individual success rate compares with the average.
• Ask to talk to other patients who have had the same surgical procedure with the surgeon under consideration.  This will require the doctor's office to obtain a release of information from that patient.