Healthcare used to be the recession proof industry. People always get sick. People always need a doctor. Note I said, “used to be”. The economy, nationally and especially regionally, is having quite an impact on healthcare, and not in a good way.

No one does a job well when they are unhappy. That was the premise that spawned the creation of Sierra Neurosurgery Group’s Brain Power Committee.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Sierra Neurosurgery Group. Three decades providing exceptional spine and brain care. Three decades of teaching, mentoring and learning. Three decades of caring for our community.

On the eve of Make a Difference Day, I think it’s fitting to talk about how each of us can do just that–make a difference. Whether in our family, our neighborhood, our workplace, or a larger stage, we all have the ability to make a positive impact. I try to make a difference by educating my colleagues in healthcare about neurosurgery so that they can make a difference in the health of their patients.

Vice President Dick Cheney just had back surgery. While his latest health issue made it into USA Today, he has a condition that many older adult have, lumbar spinal stenosis.

I spent a hot August afternoon recently in the theater at Galena High School in south Reno. I was there at the invitation of the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association to present to football and soccer coaches on the topic of head and spine injury. 

Many patients are referred to the neurosurgeon for spinal problems and are told that if they do not have surgery they will likely be paralyzed. The true incidence of someone having sudden onset paralysis is quite low and, although a whiplash type injury can cause spinal cord injury, most of the injuries are incomplete injuries where the patient will recover most of their neurological function. Any patient who is told that they must have surgery to prevent imminent paralysis should seek a confirmatory opinion from a board certified neurosurgeon.

An epidural hematoma occurs when there is bleeding between the dura mater (the tough layer of tissue between the brain and skull) and the skull bone.

The bleeding occurs when arteries are torn as a result of a blow to the head. Common causes include skiing and snowboarding injuries, motor vehicle accidents, and violent blows to the head.

Dr. Michael Edwards specializes in Pediatric Neurosurgery and treats patients from around the country at Sierra Neurosurgery Group in Reno and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford University. Here he shares the story of patient Shandi Wagner and her successful spinal tumor surgery.

What it means and when to worry.
In this blog, I thought I would discuss the most common problem that we see as neurosurgeons that can lead to spine surgery. It is called spondylosis, or degenerative disc disease, and it occurs in all human beings at all levels of the spine–cervical, thoracic and lumbar. Spondylosis is a result of time and gravity, two things we can’t avoid, and that’s why 100% of the population will develop it to some degree.