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The Maryland Spine Center:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the focus of The Maryland Spine Center?
The focus of our practice is the diagnosis and definitive treatment of major spinal deformities, tumors, injuries and other major spine disorders.
When are appointments scheduled?
Consultation clinics are Monday through Friday at three convenient locations: Mercy Medical Center, Overlea, and Reisterstown.
Do you offer second opinions?
We offer second opinions. Please bring all your medical records from your previous physicians; all X-ray, MRI, myelogram, or CT films; and a list of all medications you are taking (names, dosages, frequency).
Do you offer disability evaluations?
We do not offer disability determination evaluations; however, we can refer you to physicians who do offer these evaluations.
Do you accept patients without a referral?
We prefer physician referrals, but will accept patient-initiated consultations. To refer a patient or schedule an appointment, contact us.
What insurance plans and payments does The Maryland Spine Center accept?
The Maryland Spine Center accepts Blue Shield, most commercial insurance plans, Medicare A & B, and many HMO plans. Please contact our office to confirm your insurance information. Patients without acceptable coverage are asked to pay a reasonable fee at the time of the consultation. Patients covered under Workman’s Compensation must have full claim information and prior authorization from the workman’s compensation carrier.
How do I get to The Maryland Spine Center?
The Maryland Spine Center is located off the Main Lobby of Mercy Medical Center. For driving directions and parking information, click here.
What should I bring to my initial consultation?
Please bring a letter or recent notes from the referring physician. Also, please obtain and bring any relevant X-ray, MRI, myelogram, or CT films. If you belong to an HMO, it is essential that you bring prior authorization for spine x-rays. Failure to do this will often make a second consultation necessary simply to get the correct x-rays.
What can I expect during my initial consultation?
When you check into the outpatient area, a clinical staff member will assist you with registration. You will be given a spine questionnaire to complete to summarize your current spine problem and general health. The spine physician will review your questionnaire, doctor’s referral letter or notes, and key x-rays. If it appears you will need new x-rays, the physician will order them so x-rays can be obtained and processed before your examination. Since many of our patients are from out of town, the physician will try to accomplish as much as possible during each consultation to save unnecessary repeat visits.
The physician’s goal during the initial consultation is to determine the cause of your problem and outline treatment alternatives. Sometimes an additional set of x-rays is needed during a consultation to confirm physical exam findings or explore a possible treatment alternative. The initial consultation, including record review, history, physical exam, film analysis, and patient counseling, generally takes one hour.
More complicated cases may require additional studies or diagnostic procedures after which the patient returns for a second consultation. Once the physician understands the source of a patient’s problems, the physician studies alternative treatments and, in collaboration with the patient, selects the alternative that best accomplishes the patient’s objectives with the least amount of surgery and risk. The physician then spends as much time as necessary to educate the patient about the condition and treatment program selected, including its probability of success, risks, and expected results.
If surgery is needed, how and when is it scheduled?
Should the patient and surgeon select a surgical treatment, the patient next meets with the Clinical Coordinator to choose a surgery date. The Coordinator will discuss any needed pre-operative medical evaluations, pre-operative testing, and hospital and hotel accommodations. Mercy Medical Center has private room accommodations. The Coordinator will explain the hospital admission procedure and what to expect before and after surgery at the end of the visit or in subsequent telephone conversations.
What should I expect on the day of surgery?
Most patients will arrive early on the morning of surgery as all major spinal cases are scheduled as first cases. You will report to the Surgical Receiving area located on the second floor. After you are prepared for surgery, you will meet the surgical nurses and anesthesiologist who will be caring for you. Shortly before you enter the operating room, your surgeon will visit you and briefly discuss the surgery to be performed. You will be asked to sign the hospital consent form at that time.
What should I expect after surgery?
Based on your medical condition after surgery, you may go from the operating room to either the recovery room or Intensive Care Unit. Most patients go to the recovery room for several hours and then back to their hospital room.
What should my family expect after my surgery?
As soon as your surgeon leaves the operating room, he will meet with your family in the family waiting room area. It is usually possible for a family member to see the patient about one hour after surgery and to spend the night with patients who have private rooms.
How is post-operative pain controlled?
Pain is controlled after larger procedures with a Morphine pump for the first 2 – 4 days. Drains are removed 2 – 3 days after surgery. Fusion patients will then receive their brace and begin physical therapy. Patients who had correction of major spine deformities will have their brace mold fabricated after drain removal and generally receive their brace the following day.
How long will I be in the hospital?
Most patients with cervical spine operations and lumbar spine decompressions are in the hospital 1 – 3 days. Most patients with larger thoracic or lumbar spine operations that include fusion stay 6 – 7 days. Patients with major deformities that require two (2) surgical stages may stay an additional week.
When can patients be discharged?
Patients are not discharged until they have good pain control, a clean wound, good bowel and bladder function, and are free of known medical and surgical problems. Patients destined for home receive physical therapy until they can walk independently.
How are patients transported home?
Mercy’s social worker or case manager will assist patients in obtaining appropriate transportation home. Patients who live within driving distance can ride home in a car. For out-of-town patients, most airlines accommodate transportation of post-operative patients. The Clinical Coordinator will advise patients and their families on appropriate transportation arrangements.
What are the rehabilitation needs?
Rehabilitation needs are assessed by the physical therapists. Each insurance plan has rehabilitation requirements. Some patients are not ready to go home several days after surgery. Patients can stay at Mercy on the 9th floor of the main tower building to continue rehabilitation, which focuses on strength, function, and gaining independence so minimal or no assistance is needed when they return home. In addition, the spine physicians are available throughout a patient’s stay at Mercy.
What type of care will be needed at home following surgery?
When patients are discharged directly to their home, there are few restrictions for patients who had either cervical spine surgery or lumbar spine decompressions. Patients with fusions will have some limitations bending and twisting. Specific details of restrictions and precautions will be provided by physical therapy during the hospital stay.
Patients who have extensive surgery down to the sacrum are advised to arrange their living space on one floor for the first month after surgery. After larger surgeries, some patients need assistance at home for several weeks.
The Maryland Spine Center physicians use resorbable sutures that do not need to be removed. Often skin glue also will be used. As long as the incision is healing well, patients are able to shower when they are discharged from the hospital.
When is a post-operative follow-up appointment scheduled?
At the time surgery is scheduled, a follow-up appointment also is scheduled for approximately four weeks after surgery. Between appointments, physicians or their physicians’ assistants are available 24 hours a day for questions and are in regular contact with patients. The typical schedule for follow-up appointments is one month, two months, and three months after surgery. For patients with larger surgeries or unique needs, appointments at six months and 12 months may be necessary.
How is pain relief addressed after a patient is home?
Pain relief occurs very rapidly after cervical (neck) operations and lumbar decompressions. These patients rarely require narcotics more than a week or two. Larger lumbar reconstructions (with fusion) may require narcotics for up to several weeks. Our goal is to diagnose and correct disorders causing pain so that long-term narcotics are unnecessary. Therefore, we do not prescribe long-term narcotics for outpatients.
When can I return to normal activities?
The speed with which patients can return to normal activities varies considerably with the type of spinal surgery. After most decompressions, patients resume normal activities within 4 – 6 weeks. After fusions, the process is much more gradual. Activity levels advance as the fusion matures.
Permitted activities increase in the 1-3 month timeframe such that most patients are able to perform all normal activities in the three month timeframe. Formal strengthening exercises typically begin in the three month timeframe. An acceptable date to return to work varies depending on specific conditions and type of surgery. This is discussed at length prior to surgery and also during follow-up visits.
Now Accepting New Patients.
Most Insurances Accepted.
Please call for an appointment.
Phone: 410-539-3434
Tollfree: 1-800-MD-Mercy (1-800-636-3729)
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