Less Invasive Decompression...

[Marcie Mayer]

Hello! Has anyone heard about Dr. Jho in Pittsburgh PA. He seems to be an inovative neurosurgeon who's goal is to perform less invasive operations. He does a decompression that seems much less traumatic than the standard. Just wondering if anyone has heard anything about this? Thanks,
Marcie:rolleyes:

[maridane]

I read somewhere not too long ago about someone else inquiring about Dr. Jho's less invasive surgery for chiari and I believe that a reply to that question was run as fast as you can away from there.

I read your other post on the new visitors page and I am attempting to reply to that as well. Pardon me if I seem to ramble, not having a good day for the past week.

As far as surgery goes and finding a "cure" for chiari, Marci there isn't a cure. Yes decompression is as you said in your other post, only a therapy. In a way I guess you could look at it like that. It is an attempt to halt the progression of symptoms and if it takes away some, if not all of the ones you are having then that is a plus. But as far as there being a cure for chiari well, there isn't and that is just the facts.

I am no doctor, not qualified via anything other than my own research, doctor visits and my children and one childs decompression already. She had her decompression almost 3 years ago and although it didn't fix everything and she still has a lot going on, although she isn't able to ever return to work and although besides the chiari there are other issues as well, she is glad that she had it done and if she had it to do over again she wouldn't change a thing.

I just don't see how anyone can have a succesful decompression through a minimally invasive surgery. Heck there isn't anything about chiari that is minimally invasive. It either has you or you're lucky. As for Dr. Jho and his minimally invasive surgery I would seriously like to take a look at his patients that have had this type of surgery from the first one to the last one and all those in between. I would like to know how they are feeling today, did they have dibilitating symptoms to begin with and what were they. Have their symptoms returned and if so are they worse now than they were before surgery. I would ask Dr. Jho if there are patients that have had this surgery that I can talk to and not just the so called successes either. I'm sorry to sound so down on this, but I just do not believe that a chiari malformation sufferer can have this kind of surgery and it do them any good at all.

For most of us we are born with chiari and for one reason or another we have progressed with symptoms, it is a fact of life and up to us to find the best way to adapt. I fully intend to get back to NY and TCI for decompression one day soon but until then I will continue with pain management and playing each day by ear. I hope that you will thoroughly research this Dr. and if he is worth his salt he shouldn't have any problem with you talking with other chiari patients that have had his "band-aid surgery".
My best to you and God Bless
Marilyn

[Mayzoo]

I have heard of the surgery by a different person. By Jorge A. Lazareff, M.D.
Associate Professor, Division of Neurosurgery, UCLA Medical School. Here are some links:

http://www.chiari-syringo-news.com/subs%20only/volume%201/issue%201/tonsillectomy%201(1).asp

http://www.chiari-syringo-news.com/subs%20only/volume%204/issue%204(2)/editorial%204(2).asp

hope these help some

Mayzoo

[Marcie Mayer]

Thank you so much for your thoughts Marilyn and for the link Mayzoo!
I can't help thinking that there has got to be a better way of dealing with Chiari than the current methods. Remember what knee surgery used to look like? You would be left with a 10-20 inch scar and now they can do the same thing through a tiny incision. I agree, many many questions need to be asked before even considering this alternative surgery but I am glad to see that there is an alternative. Thanks again,
Marcie:)

[baitcatcher35]

fortunatly for me my Chiari surgery was a complete sucess. I saw a complete halt of all symptoms and regained my eyesight to near perfect. unfortunatly for some that is not the case. As far as band-aid surgery?????If after all the pain I went through after the decompression (and it was very painful, but not quite as bad as I thought) the doctor told me I had to have it done again, I would not go for a less invasive route. As far as I see it there is no way to treat Chiari in a less invasive way. they have to take out the parts of the base of the skull and part of the back of the spine and that is what is the painfull part. Unfortunatly that is the biggest part of the surgery and there is no way around that. I will asy that.... I had my decompression on June 15th 2006 4 1/2 months ago and I am completely pain free at this point. I still have a small amount of stiffness right at the base of the skull first thing in the morning, but after about 30 minutes it is gone. I am definatly glad I had the surgery. I hope everything goes well for you guys. We all deserve a little relief in our lives.

[razzle51]

Good for you. Who was your surgeon and do you recommend him ? Do I know you?

[BumSpine]

I've had two minimally invasive neck surgeries with Dr. Jho and I'm very pleased with the results. He is incredibly busy and some are put off by delays in the review and scheduling process.

Obviously I'm dealing with different physical conditions, but I just wanted to add in my actual personal experience with surgery from Dr. Jho




Hello! Has anyone heard about Dr. Jho in Pittsburgh PA. He seems to be an inovative neurosurgeon who's goal is to perform less invasive operations. He does a decompression that seems much less traumatic than the standard. Just wondering if anyone has heard anything about this? Thanks,
Marcie:rolleyes: