Generally, surgery is used for severe pain that has not improved with other modalities. Just like pain procedures, there are many different types of surgery available. Your surgical options will depend on your symptoms, exam, review of imaging studies, and your surgeon. Dr. Moran knows many excellent surgeons across the city and will only refer to highly respected surgeons.
Getting a Surgical Opinion
Just because you see a surgeon or Dr. Moran refers you to a surgeon, does NOT mean you will have surgery. This is simply a chance for the surgeon to review your situation and then let you know if you are a good candidate for surgery. You and you alone will decide if you want surgery. Nothing will happen without your consent. If you are a good candidate for surgery but do not want surgery, we can try other options to manage your pain.
It’s possible the surgeon did not think you are a good surgical candidate now and wants you to try to avoid surgery. Or maybe the surgeon knows your insurance company will not approve surgery yet so wants us to try other things first before returning back to the surgeon and see if you meet the criteria then.
Why Would I See A Surgeon For SCS Placement?
Because I want what’s best for you! If you qualify for an SCS implant, we will refer you to a surgeon for evaluation and plans. The surgeons we use for SCS placement are highly trained surgeons at the top of their fields. Although Dr. Moran can do your surgery for placement, he knows the surgeons he uses are much better at surgery than he is. The surgery required for the SCS implant is relatively simple for a surgeon and usually takes less than one hour.