Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is one of the more common reasons patients need to undergo surgery for their cervical spine. In this instance it’s not usually a question of whether or not you need surgery, but rather what’s the best surgery for you. Here second opinions can be invaluable.
Though precise figures are hard to come by, Dr. Ghogawala estimates the number of CSM surgeries has nearly doubled over the past decade or so to 200,000 a year, with some $4 billion a year in hospital charges alone.
Check out this brand-new article in the Wall Street Journal describing the current debate in spine surgery as to what will be the optimal surgical outcome for each individual patient with CSM.