Best Neurosurgeons in Omaha area?

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skibum21
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Best Neurosurgeons in Omaha area?

Post by skibum21 »

Looking for feedback from those that have had or know someone that has had fusion of the discs on their experiences with their Neurosurgeon.  
Who was the Dr?
Would you recommend?
How long was recovery?
any other info..

Please send me a PM if you don't want to share this info above on here.

I've done a lot of searching, but haven't really been able to find good info on the "best neurosurgeons" in the area, so if anyone has any ideas to find this info, please pass that along.

We've visited three Neurosurgeons in the Omaha area.  The first was the one doing the rounds during a hospital visit, he doesn't perform this type of surgery, but has been a wealth of un-biased information on the options since he doesn't stand to gain financially from performing this surgery.  We visited two others, both of which we didn't like, one was a referral from the first doctor.  

We also tried to get into the Mayo Clinic, but were rejected due to them "not having a success rate" with his condition.  the letter was vague, but pretty much said you have a f'ed up back and we hope you can find pain relief through some other means. blah, blah....
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justnick
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Post by justnick »

I don't know if he's still there, but Dr Patil (sp?) at UNMC did the surgery for my AVM.
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Omababe
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Post by Omababe »

justnick wrote:I don't know if he's still there, but Dr Patil (sp?) at UNMC did the surgery for my AVM.
I would second the recommendation of Dr. Patil. When I worked at the lab at UNMC I was acquainted with both he and his daughter, who was at the time a dental student.
skibum21
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Post by skibum21 »

Thanks for the recommendations, but it appears that Dr. Patil doesn't perform Lumbar Spinal Fusion.  Still would love info from those that have had the surgery or know someone that has.
Guest

Post by Guest »

I am a physical therapist here in town,  from my sources over the years Dr. McClellan at Nebraska Spine Center gets good praise.  Also I have had more experience with the surgeons at Midwest Neurosurgery (about 78th and Farnam).  They all do a good job, some have better bedside manner than others I have been told.  But, skill wise they are all solid.  That is a tough surgery and outcomes can vary even with the best surgeon.  I know Dr. Keith Lodhia there does some minimally invasive fusions, but not everyone is a candidate for that.  Hope this helps.
Guest

Post by Guest »

Anonymous wrote:I am a physical therapist here in town,  from my sources over the years Dr. McClellan at Nebraska Spine Center gets good praise.  Also I have had more experience with the surgeons at Midwest Neurosurgery (about 78th and Farnam).  They all do a good job, some have better bedside manner than others I have been told.  But, skill wise they are all solid.  That is a tough surgery and outcomes can vary even with the best surgeon.  I know Dr. Keith Lodhia there does some minimally invasive fusions, but not everyone is a candidate for that.  Hope this helps.
Thanks guest, that is good info.  My husband is in good shape considering and young and all the Dr.s say he will recuperate very well.  But you never know.  His fusion will be a 3 level fusion (the three lowest).  It would be nice for some of the alternatives to come along, like artificial discs and stem cell research, but he really cannot wait that long.  The pain is totally interfering with his life, he can barely walk, can't bend or lift, etc.  Have heard anything about Dr. Woodward at NE Spine Center?
Guest

Post by Guest »

I don't know much about Dr. Woodward, though it seems what I have heard is positive.  Most of the MD's in that practice are good, similar to midwest neuro.  They are doing some disc replacement surgeries, but the criteria to be a candidate are very strict and limited.  I hope all goes well, keep trying a MD until you are comfortable that is for sure.  Sorry I couldn't have been more help.
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thenewguy
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Post by thenewguy »

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I am a physical therapist here in town,  from my sources over the years Dr. McClellan at Nebraska Spine Center gets good praise.  Also I have had more experience with the surgeons at Midwest Neurosurgery (about 78th and Farnam).  They all do a good job, some have better bedside manner than others I have been told.  But, skill wise they are all solid.  That is a tough surgery and outcomes can vary even with the best surgeon.  I know Dr. Keith Lodhia there does some minimally invasive fusions, but not everyone is a candidate for that.  Hope this helps.
Thanks guest, that is good info.  My husband is in good shape considering and young and all the Dr.s say he will recuperate very well.  But you never know.  His fusion will be a 3 level fusion (the three lowest).  It would be nice for some of the alternatives to come along, like artificial discs and stem cell research, but he really cannot wait that long.  The pain is totally interfering with his life, he can barely walk, can't bend or lift, etc.  Have heard anything about Dr. Woodward at NE Spine Center?

Woodward is good.  He's done back surgeries on several members of my family for scoliosis and a few back injuries and they were very successful.  If i had back problems, he's the first one I'd personally go to.
Go Cubs Go
Guest

Post by Guest »

i am also looking for a new neurosurgeon for the same surgery. dr lohdia did the discectomy on me. i am with dr john hain now who is a very competent surgeon however when it comes to dr patient relationship well...unfortunately i am not satisfied and that is why i am looking for a second opinion. he has caused me severe pain unecessarily 5 times now and i am extremely frustrated. i can't remember if dr lohdia is better in this area as i was only with him for a short time. but i was wondering if dr woodward all is speaking of can be a better fit for me?
Guest

Post by Guest »

to clarify i need a dr. who will discuss with me all my healthcare needs including my prescriptions etc. instead of telling me what to do. dr. hain put me on morphine for 3 months. i had a fusion on 4 discs in my neck. he promised my mother he would ween me off (because these are serious narcotics) and denied my prescription without discussing with me if i was ready to try and get off of it. fortunately i have not really had any serious withdrawal effects. thats not even my concern. i am full aware that after a certain time your body becomes addicted to these medications but i actually hate taking medications so its not a mental issue for me.

my frustration comes from 1. you are not supposed to do that to a patient and clearly shows a lack of responsibility and care for me as his patient. 2. every decision that is made in regards to my body and my health should be discussed between us and a plan should derive from that. which shows me again a total lack of responsibility and disregard or respect for myself as his patient. i have been going through this for 8 months. with my neck and my back and legs. that alone being out of work and in severe pain and having to take all these wierd drugs is hard enought and weighs on you. it is important to me for my dr. to take my health seriously and treat me as a person not a paycheck.

i have been bed ridden since he did this to me. basically all i can do is sit and lay. cant even make dinner for my husband. this is no way to live. i called his office last week and told them to find an alternative if he didnt want me back on this medication no call back yet. this is not right
Guest

Post by Guest »

I am too lazy to log in (skibum21), but i recommend Dr. Woodward.  My husband had his surgery last October.  He had 4 layer spinal fusion (4 lowest discs).

My husband got several opinions, including Dr. Hain. He chose Dr. Woodward ultimately.  The surgery went well and now six months+ later he has made a complete recovery minus some flexibility.  He was very professional and thorough.  
If you want more specific information on him, let me know.

He has a very dry personality, but after meeting with 3 other neurosurgeons, it was clear that he was the one for the job.
Guest

Post by Guest »

Anonymous wrote:I am too lazy to log in (skibum21), but i recommend Dr. Woodward.  My husband had his surgery last October.  He had 4 layer spinal fusion (4 lowest discs).

My husband got several opinions, including Dr. Hain. He chose Dr. Woodward ultimately.  The surgery went well and now six months+ later he has made a complete recovery minus some flexibility.  He was very professional and thorough.  
If you want more specific information on him, let me know.

He has a very dry personality, but after meeting with 3 other neurosurgeons, it was clear that he was the one for the job.
PS - regarding prescriptions, my husband had been prescribed a number of prescriptions and he told Dr. Woodward that he wouldn't take some (anti-inflammatories/steroids) due to his research about it doing more harm than good and knowing they didn't help in the past, it seemed pointless.  He was also shocked to learn that despite the immense pain my husband was in he didn't take pain meds, but wore the patches occasionally.  He was not upset that he didn't plan on taking what he prescribed.  I think the key when you are talking to a dr. about medication is what it should do for you/benefit you.  What the risks of the medications are and then do your own research.

I do think that some Dr.'s believe that if you complain of certain ailments they automatically assume you want them to give you a prescription.
Guest

Post by Guest »

is this dr randal woodward of the nebraska spine ctr you speak of......its me again the dr hain patient.....after 6months on my neck surgery im starting to have problems again....it doesnt help that i have carpo tunnel in both hands and tendonitis in the shoulder and bicep but im starting to get some of the same symptoms like before and flare ups in my neck....i tried to go see dr. lohdia and he refused to even see me for a second opinion.....so i just wanted to confirm dr woodward is the one im finding via google before i make the call to see if he can help. thanks  so much!
Guest

Post by Guest »

Anonymous wrote:is this dr randal woodward of the nebraska spine ctr you speak of......its me again the dr hain patient.....after 6months on my neck surgery im starting to have problems again....it doesnt help that i have carpo tunnel in both hands and tendonitis in the shoulder and bicep but im starting to get some of the same symptoms like before and flare ups in my neck....i tried to go see dr. lohdia and he refused to even see me for a second opinion.....so i just wanted to confirm dr woodward is the one im finding via google before i make the call to see if he can help. thanks  so much!
i was referring to Dr. Woodward at the Ne Spine Center.  Have you ever thought about a chiropractor by chance?  Some people don't believe in them, but for back and neck, i do.
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Post by Jason4225 »

I have a friend that had spinal surgery at Mercy and the doctor was excellent. He was highly recommended to her. I don't remember his name, I will check and get back to you.
Guest

Post by Guest »

Anonymous wrote:is this dr randal woodward of the nebraska spine ctr you speak of......its me again the dr hain patient.....after 6months on my neck surgery im starting to have problems again....it doesnt help that i have carpo tunnel in both hands and tendonitis in the shoulder and bicep but im starting to get some of the same symptoms like before and flare ups in my neck....i tried to go see dr. lohdia and he refused to even see me for a second opinion.....so i just wanted to confirm dr woodward is the one im finding via google before i make the call to see if he can help. thanks  so much!
I had a c/6-c/7 spinal fusion in February of 2010 performed at Midwest Neuro Surgery by Dr. Lodhia. I'm an over all healthy 37 year old. The hospital stay was short. 23 hrs. The staff was pretty cool after post op, but there were a couple that were rude as heck. My room had a problem with the thermostat so I pretty much froze my butt off all night at 64 degrees. I asked for another room as the thermostat wouldn't work, but they declined even though there were 20+ rooms empty. My husband wasn't too thrilled either and was on a short fuse by the time we left.

At first I thought everything went pretty well as far as surgery. I went back for a follow up and all seemed ok, still a bit of pain (Lodhia said it's expected for up to a year.) Went for next visit and explained I was still in pain and I wasn't even getting 3 hours of restless tossing and turning sleep at night; they wouldn't prescribe anything. Suggested Melatonin so I tried that.....nothing changed. My next visit he said all was healing nicely and I could stop wearing the bone growth stimulator even though it wasn't fully healed and I was a  smoker. I stopped wearing the bone growth stimulator and within a couple weeks things got worse. I was starting to slowly ease back into the original pain I started with. He did another image and said it looks as if it has stopped healing. We may need to do the surgery again. Come back in 5 months. Sent away with nothing for pain control. Not only was I ticked, but my husband was furious they had left me in pain like that. AND not to mention; they aren't very good at returning phone calls.

Lodhia did a lower lumbar on my aunt a week after I had mine and within days she was in the ER rushed with severe pain. I can't say anymore on her issue, but I will say she will not refer anyone to him and has begged me not to let him do my second surgery, along with my husband demanding the same.

Lodhia did a spinal fusion on the Med Assistant at my physicians office. She was in the same boat I am in now and just had the surgery for her 2nd time. Imagine that!

Needless to say I sought after a 2nd opinion. MRI redone, CT redone. Sent to pain management (AGAIN) and they want to put me on blood pressure meds and anti depressants. Imagine that |expletive|. I have low blood pressure already, now they say since my blood pressure runs low be careful when standing up as i may faint? Seriously? Now we did a nerve block for the 2nd time, worked for a week and poof; right back in the same pain. Yet again, no one can even just ease the pain a little bit just so I can at least sleep? With the most recent report of abuse on pain meds and the overdose deaths of over 14,000 in 2008 alone I suppose I can understand, but if they look at my record and history I only use them when in extreme pain; I did not abuse them in any way. I would like to use them all day, but I know it would make it harder to control post-op pain so I was only taking a half a pain pill before bed just so i could actually rest (which helps immensely on someones psychological aspect.) Pain management said I definitely need to do the surgery again as the first one didn't take because Lodhia took me off the bone growth stimulator too soon. Yes, those were their words. Being I'm a smoker, he should have left the bone growth stimulator on until it was fully healed.

Another aunt had Dr. Hain do the same surgery on her (smoker and all) and within 2 weeks she was back at work and only taking Advil. (SHE is the one who referred me to  Dr. Hain.

Needless to say it's now been over a year since Lodhia performed surgery. I'm officially right back where I started in the first place and honestly I feel worse than before (maybe because it's been this way since October of 2009 and it's now April of 2012.) I can't hold my head up for very long, pain is intense and i can't vacuum or fold laundry. My home has gone to shambles, I cant' work. Yet again; nothing for pain. :( It has been over a year since surgery. I can't take much more of it. I am only waiting until my daughter is on summer break from school because I won't be able to drive for a while and she isn't old enough to. Then she can help me with things around the house so I can take plenty of time this summer and heal properly and definitely going to redo the surgery.

I would NOT recommend Lodhia, but that is my personal opinion and personal bad experience. I think Dr. Hain is going to be my surgeon of choice this time around.
kama

Experience with a doctor

Post by kama »

If you want a doctor that listens to you and works for you do not go with Dr. Lodhia at Midwest neural surgery on 80 th and farnam.  My wife had back surgery for a herniated disk and now is in extreme pain at about a continuous 8.  The dr. would not listen to her and stated that with pain she was faking it and did not rate a disability.  We have him on tape saying this and that pain is nothing to worry about.  He is not worth the space he takes up on this planet.  I believe a doctor may not be the best surgeon but he/she is the best if he listens to the patients.
Guest

Post by Guest »

I am a  nurse here in town.  A couple of the doctors at Midwest neurosurgery are among the top in the country.  Back
Fusions over all do not have a very good success rate long term - 60ish percent I think unfortunately.  Dr Long and Dr Doran are among the best. Both have many years of experience with fusions. Both have great bedside manner. But as far as morphine for long term therapy, you will find very few willing to prescribe that. Almost all surgeons will refer you to a pain management doctor for a prescription that strong.
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