Thoracic
It is very confusing. I would say I have been to 3 of the top tier thoracic surgeons and they all said something different. Even two who actually wrote book together on thoracic surgury, disagreed tremendously. Dr. Regan, while probably a genius with VATS, has to many variables for me. Well respected doctors around Texas do not care for him at all, they remember him from his days with TBI and they won't say why they just say do not go to him. Others who I wont name that have a working relationship with him told me straight up, I work for non-profit so I dont benefit financially in your surgury, but Dr. Regan does. That is all he would say besides not agreeing with his surgical recomendation. I don't know all details or Dr. Regan, it was just scary to choose surgury with all that. All doctors have other docs who do not care for them, it might be they are doing something cutting edge no one understands, I dont know. Its just when I mention Dr. Fessler to my long time thoracic doctors, even though some may disagree with his recommendation, each one says he is one of the best. But I am sure he has distractors also, so who knows.
Also another doctor has said Dr's are moving away from VATS due to the potential damage to nerves or lungs, cant remember exactly.
In Chicago with Dr. Fessler, he says he does thoracic min. invasive surgury all the time and its not as big a deal as I thought.
But back to thoracic, it is very confusing. Some say that after fusion rest of levels protected from adjacent problems and others dont. Some say tears in thoracic dont cause pain, or herniations should not cause pain others do. Some say discogram results are true others dont. I have been through that for 8 yrs now and its so very confusing, but I have always known where my pain came from and after discogram and ESI worked I knew 100%. Just like I know where this new lumbar/cervical pain comes from but same of s**t of to small, etc. Go here, go there and I will eventually end up in original place and they will say it does come from there. It only took about 3 yrs last time. But its part of the price to pay to get diagnosis.
Needless to say back pain sucks.
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