When the Spine Surgeon Becomes the Patient: 4 Insights

Spine surgeons spend the majority of their days taking care of patients. But what happens when they’re the one who’s injured?

Four spine surgeons shared their experiences as orthopedic patients throughout their lives and how their physicians left an impression on them.

Question: Think about a time in your life when you were a spine or orthopedic patient, whether for surgery or not. What stood out in your experience?

Todd Lanman, MD. ADR Spinal Restoration Center (Beverly Hills, Calif.): I’ve had several times in my life when I was a spine surgical patient. What stood out in this experience was my confidence in knowing that the procedure that was going to be performed would be beneficial to me. I knew that having artificial discs replaced would cure my back pain and my neck pain and that decompressing my nerves would relieve my nerve pain. I was careful to select surgeons who were experienced in each particular type of procedure that was done. So, across my 11 spine surgeries, I have sought the expertise of several different surgeons.