While the board-certified, fellowship-trained neurosurgeons at Hoag Spine Center consistently deliver cutting-edge surgical treatment options, every one of these respected surgeons will tell you: sometimes the right approach is not to operate.
“People who come to us with debilitating back pain are often surprised to hear our neurosurgeons say they might not need surgery,” said Burak Ozgur, M.D., director of the Hoag Spine Center. “In many cases, physical therapy, pain management and weight loss can help people avoid back surgery altogether.”
Such was the case with Linda Lifur-Bennett, Ph.D., who was weeks away from an invasive back surgery before getting a “third opinion” by Dr. Ozgur. He correctly diagnosed the cause of her debilitating back pain – one that required a nonsurgical approach that has changed her life.
“Without Dr. Ozgur’s tremendous breadth of knowledge and experience, I fear I would have undergone a major surgery which would have left me in the same progressive pain,” she said. “His careful consideration of the nuances of my case, combined with his wisdom and clinical skills, became a medical ‘game-changer’ for me.”
She could not believe Dr. Ozgur told her no surgery was needed, not by him or anyone else. Instead, Dr. Lifur-Bennett’s pain specialist could perform a non-surgical procedure called Radiofrequency Ablation.
“Within two days I had a 90% reduction in my pain,” she said.
“In addition to being warm, compassionate and engaging, Dr. Ozgur had no ego in this. There was no financial benefit for him, rather his focus was on what was best for his patient. That says everything about his character.”
The experience so affected Dr. Lifur-Bennett, she has since become a “Hoag for Lifer.”
“I’m quite sure that, at some point, Dr. Ozgur will need to perform something on me. When that time comes, I wouldn’t even consider getting a second opinion,” she said. “I now consider him my neurosurgeon for life!”
As skilled as they are in determining if someone can avoid surgery, these spine specialists truly shine in the operating room.
Hoag Spine Center is a recognized leader and provider of the most advanced non-operative and minimally invasive treatment options available. Hoag’s spine experts provide personalized patient-centered care that enables them to achieve some of the best clinical outcomes in the nation.
“Bringing innovative technology into the community is part of the culture at Hoag, we are imagining and creating the future of spine surgery right here in Orange County,” said Adam Kanter, M.D., associate executive medical director of Hoag’s Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute.
Hoag’s neurosurgeons work collaboratively with specialists including rehabilitation, pain management, physical medicine and rehabilitation, dietary health, physical therapy, acupuncture and chiropractic medicine. Each patient is navigated to the appropriate specialist based on their condition with just one call to the Hoag Spine Center’s dedicated nurse navigator.
Whether you require surgery or not, Hoag is an all-inclusive spine health destination.
To learn more or take the health risk assessment visit hoag.org/spine.
