I've seen a gaggle of healthcare providers in the year+ that I've been dealing with my herniated cervical disc nonsense. Some of these neck-related practitioners were terrible, some were so-so, and some were fantastic.
Here's who I'd recommend in NYC...
My neurosurgeon, Robert B. Snow MD at Cornell.
This man is the bee's knees -- kind and experienced (but not too old) with expert hands and sharp judgment. He's always on time, returns phone calls, answers any/all questions (...and I had MANY), talks you reassuringly through the procedures he's recommending, and follows up thoroughly. My spine hearts Dr. Snow.
My physiatrist, Alex Simotas MD at HSS.
Dr. Simotas was terrific at finding the right balance/combination of meds to help with my pain. He also gave me some much welcome temporary relief with 2 epidural steroid injections. Chronic pain can be a frustrating condition to deal with, but Dr. Simotas was always patient, thoughtful, and helpful. I trusted him completely, so when he said it was time for me to have surgery, I knew I had to take that next step.
My physical therapy clinic, KIMA Center for Physiotherapy & Wellness in downtown Manhattan is awesome.
In the past 15 years I've had 8 shoulder surgeries and now this spinal surgery. All of those operations have meant a lot of rehab and a lot of contact with physical therapists -- in my experience, no one does P.T. better than KIMA. They are actively involved, out of the box thinkers. Many of them are also athletes so they can relate to a patient like me that just wants to get back to a healthy, sporty, pain-free life after surgery.
Glad you're feeling better! I can only imagine the long road you've been on. I know your blog is about your neck but I'm also curious about your shoulder injuries. I'm recovering from a disastrous shoulder surgery and could use a little light at the end of the tunnel. Take care and happy recovery!!!!!
ReplyDelete@ Anon - so sorry to hear about your rough recovery from shoulder surgery. what's going on that it's so disastrous?
ReplyDeletemy arms are a mess, but they're much better now after the 8 operations. i was a competitive swimmer growing up - that, combined with a medical mistake in one of my surgeries left me with lots of issues. i've had stabilizations, rotator cuff repair, labral tear repair, etc. it's been a long road, but i finally feel good/pain free now. i'm not 'normal' with my strength or range of motion, but it's just minor limitations.
i wish you the best of luck with your recovery - i know what a long, slow process it can be.