My Question About #TigerWoods’ Lumbar Disc Replacement (Part 3/5)
(Part 3/5) My question (or I should say one of my questions) regarding #TigerWoods' lumbar disc replacement: Did he have a vascular surgeon? Here's why I ask. Struggling with chronic…
Mel Uses Bolt Cutters on 6mm Cobalt Chromium Spinal Rods
#FlashbackFriday to last week when Mel completely CRUSHED IT in the OR. You don't often see women in orthopaedic surgery using bolt cutters but here Mel is, cutting 6.0mm cobalt…
Fusion vs Disc Replacement (Tiger Woods Spine Surgery Part 2/5)
(Part 2/5) I want to get back to talking about Tiger Woods' lumbar disc replacement surgery, but first, let's discuss fusion vs disc replacement: which does better? Struggling with chronic…
Have You Heard The News About Tiger Woods?
(Part 1/5) Did you hear the news? 👀 Tiger Woods had an L4-5 disc replacement surgery. While I believe he's going to do spectacular, I have a few other thoughts…
My Take On Disc Replacements
Some surgeons prefer to focus on just disc replacements, but as a spine surgeon, I love being able to give my patients the operation they NEED instead of just the…
Treating Spondylolisthesis with a Laminectomy
The theme today is tight. (And unfortunately, by "tight" I don't mean "cool".) This young and active octogenarian has spondylolisthesis – where a vertebra slips forward onto the vertebra below…
Who is Mel?
Time to address a growing question: Who is Mel? The short answer: Mel handles ✨everything✨ else so I can focus on surgery and my part. The long answer: Watch and…
Treating Scoliosis in 2025 (Part 5/5)
(Part 5/5) I feel strongly that not every scoliosis case automatically warrants a spinal fusion. In Part 4 I reference an actual patient to explain my opinion, but it isn't just one…
Treating Scoliosis in 2025 (Part 4/5)
(Part 4/5) Fun fact about me: I love performing scoliosis surgery. It's great in the *right* setting. The sad truth is, I feel that some patients are getting "duped" into scoliosis surgery…
Treating Scoliosis in 2025 (Part 3/5)
(Part 3/5) It's time to realign new technology with our approach to treating scoliosis. Take this active scoliosis patient with severe bilateral pain and a herniated disc in addition to…