Spinal Surgery

Degenerative Arthritis or Osteoarthritis  is the most type of arthritis seen in patents.  Our bodies were not meant to live up to a lifetime of wear and tear from sports injuries, work, and repetitive stress to the body or the joints.  Shoulders, hips, vertebra, knees, ankles, wrists, hands and feet are all affected by arthritis.  The most common problem body part is the spine, with Low Back Pain leading, followed closely by neck pain.  Most of these problem areas are treated with anti-inflammatories, cortisone injections, and medications.  But what happens when these do not work?  Surgery?  For some, it is appropriate; however for the vast majority, it is not.

In the United States there are more spinal surgeries, including fusion and laser spine surgery, than anywhere else in the world.  Subsequently, this leads to the highest rate of Failed Back Surgery Syndrome in the world, approaching 50 percent.  To put this into perspective:  "Russian roulette" is one bullet in a six-chamber gun.  That's a 16.6 percent ratio.  Add two more bullets and you arrive at 50 percent.  Yes, a slightly different analogy, yet two equally dangerous procedures, both with potentially bad outcomes.  In Europe, the patient selection for spinal surgery is much more selective, and thus a higher success rate.  Our society has been conditioned to want immediate results, with the latest technologically breakthroughs. This leads to unrealistic expectations.  Patients become frustrated, depressed, and delusioned with the entire health care process.  Yet, what if you started off on the right foot with the right doctor, were given more options and had realistic expectations?  Things would appear vastly different.  Things would change and more people would be living better lives as a result of it.  After all, it's really not just about pain, it really is about a better quality of life.  

Having discussed the degenerative process of aging that affects all of us, what if we took a different view?  What if we focused our attention away from managing the painful degenerative arthritis  cascade and instead focused on REGENERATIVE MEDICINE.  Remember when Dollly the Sheep was cloned?  Through technological advances in medicine, such as stem cell transplantation and platelet-rich plasma, we can not only treat elite athletes with Regenerative Medicine, but also perhaps halt or reverse the ravaging effects of degenerative osteoarthritis, as well as autoimmune arthritic diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis.

How do you find this cutting-edge medical technology — where do you turn?  The Yellow Pages?  The Internet or some blog posting?  Your Family Physician?  It is extremely difficult for the average person to find the right doctor, who has the right answers.  This and our other websites were created to help you become educated.  Most people, when armed with the proper information, are in a better position to make an informed decision.  After all, it is your life, and what is being affected is your quality of life.  I have treated thousands of patients in my 20-year career, and I still care.  That is the difference.

If you or someone you care about continues to suffer, or is contemplating surgery on their spine or having a joint replaced because there appears to be no other treatment, contact Dr. Dennis Lox for a consultation at (727) 462-5582.