I’m sorry to hear about your spinal stenosis. Spinal stenosis involves a narrowing of the bone channel occupied by the spinal nerves or the spinal cord. Most people with spinal stenosis develop it as part of the aging process. Many do not feel it, but if allowed to progress long enough, most people will notice radiating pain, weakness, or numbness.
Spinal stenosis is typically diagnosed using an MRI or CT scan, or both. Although there are some treatments that do not involve an operation, many patients choose to have an operation to correct spinal stenosis. There are several types of surgeries, including a laminectomy, a facet replacement or total element replacement, and interspinous process devices.
During these delicate surgeries involving the spinal cord, many surgeons choose to have the surgery monitored. This type of monitoring is called intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM), and involved hooking up electrodes to the body that can record the nervous system and how it is reacting during surgery. This can help guide the surgeon to avoid mistakes during surgery. You should talk to your doctor more about IONM if you have questions or concerns.
If you have been seriously harmed during a surgery that involved IONM, you should speak with a medical malpractice attorney. An attorney can help you determine whether or not a medical professional committed malpractice. Call me, Conal Doyle, IONM malpractice attorney, at 310-385-0567. I can help. Call today to learn more or to schedule your free consultation.