Specific Doctors

[mbeckoff]

Where can one locate information on doctors before one goes to meet with them? information such as medical school attended, age , # of surgeries preformed, etc

Thanks

Melissa

[LindaRacine]

Where can one locate information on doctors before one goes to meet with them? information such as medical school attended, age , # of surgeries preformed, etc

Thanks

Melissa
Hi Melissa...

I have links to bios for a bunch of scoliosis specialists on my website:

http://www.scoliosislinks.com/ScoliosisSpecialists.htm

I'm in the midst of updating this page, so you'll find a lot of the links are broken. For the most part, I find these bios simply by Googling the specialists name. I get the specialists names from an Scoliosis Research Society directory.

--Linda

[mbeckoff]

Thanks for the information

I have been seeing Dr Samuel Chewning since I moved here in 2007.

He was recommended to me by another Doctor.

Now that the time has come for surgery, I am getting very nervous about the whole situation and keep second guessing myself as to if I really should have the surgery

Melissa

[LindaRacine]

Leatherman is supposed to be one of the better advanced training sites for scoliosis. Unfortunately, he only did 3 months there. A full year fellowship would be more impressive.

The one thing I would encourage you to do is to find some of his patients who had similar procedures, and find out how they're doing. There's a scoliosis support group in your area:


Jennifer Baxley (704) 904-3205 email: scolijen@yahoo.com

[mbeckoff]

Why would he have only done 3 months at Letterman?

Is it a big deal that he did not do a full year there?

Thanks for all this information.

Should I ask him about Letterman?

Melissa

[LindaRacine]

Why would he have only done 3 months at Letterman?

Is it a big deal that he did not do a full year there?

Thanks for all this information.

Should I ask him about Letterman?

Melissa
Hi...

I don't know. I don't recall ever seeing 3-month training on a bio. Perhaps he already had a paying position, and his employer sent him to Leatherman for the additional training. I always think it's a good idea to question one's surgeon about their training and experience. You should specifically ask how many adult scoliosis surgeries he does each year. I think you want someone who is doing at least 2-3 per month if possible.

--Linda

[mbeckoff]

He has already told me that he does about 150-175 per year

Should the Letterman issue be a problem?

Should it be discussed?

Melissa

[LindaRacine]

He has already told me that he does about 150-175 per year

Should the Letterman issue be a problem?

Should it be discussed?

Melissa
If he said he's doing 150-175 scoliosis surgeries a year, I'd run the other way, as that's pretty close to impossible.

It's Leatherman, not Letterman, and I really don't know if it's an issue.

--Linda

[mbeckoff]

I am sorry that was my fibro brain fog kicking in . he does about 1-2 a week.

Does that sound better?

Does that issue with Leatherman seem to be a problem that needs to be looked into?

Melissa

[LindaRacine]

Does that issue with Leatherman seem to be a problem that needs to be looked into?

Melissa

I don't know how many ways I can say this, but I don't know whether it needs to be looked into. :) Sorry.

[mbeckoff]

Thanks

sorry I just did not understand

My fibro brain fog sometimes acts that way

Where did you find that information that he was only there for three months?

Melissa

[LindaRacine]

Thanks

sorry I just did not understand

My fibro brain fog sometimes acts that way

Where did you find that information that he was only there for three months?

Melissa

A Google search found this:
http://www.google.com/url?q=http://docs.google.com/viewer%3Fa%3Dv%26q%3Dcache:jv7cOZzQE84J:www.spine-health.com/files/SamuelChewning.pdf

[mbeckoff]

As you had said before , prehaps he was working

If you look he was working for Gaul Orthopedic Group from 7/84 -9/85

He went to Leatherman from 2/85 -4/85 while he was working for Gaul.

Melissa

[mbeckoff]

How can I find out if he has ever lost a patient and what the circumstances were?

Melissa

[LindaRacine]

How can I find out if he has ever lost a patient and what the circumstances were?

Melissa

I don't think that's public information, so you'd have to ask him. It's relatively unusual for a spine patient to die.

[mbeckoff]

It is on my list of questions to ask him

Melissa