Dr. Adam Smith Discusses ACDF for Cervical Myelopathy

Denver neurosurgeon, Dr. Adam P. Smith, MD, discusses different cervical spine surgery options, including ACDF for cervical myelopathy. Check out the video below for more on these treatments. Also, for more information on our specialties and the conditions we treat, click here! Visit and subscribe to the Rocky Mountain Brain and Spine Institute Youtube channel…

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Cross Our T’s, Dot Our I’s, and Close Our Holes

The minimally invasive tubular decompression is a workhorse procedure for spine surgeons.  Patients complaining of leg symptoms with a focal disc herniation who have failed conservative options can undergo this procedure with great success.  Most patients go home the same day, just a few hours after surgery. Good results are achieved in 80-90% of patients…

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When Does Conservative Back Pain Treatment Turn Into Swiss Cheese Making?

Conservative treatment is often tried before considering low back surgery.  Time, anti-inflammatory medication, physical therapy, yoga, and injections are reasonable modalities.  Even after surgery, adjuvant options may be considered. Often when patients present in a neurosurgery clinic, they have already tried injections and ponder if they have pursued enough to consider surgery.  It’s not uncommon…

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Hockey Hands… or Hockey Brain?

“A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be” – Wayne Gretzky In ice hockey, players like Patrick Kane are thought to have “good hands”. Filthy moves… dekes and dangles that defy all three of Newton’s laws. For anyone who wants to debate…

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Etymology of a “Shrink”

As a neurosurgeon, my patients occasionally refer to me by numerous friendly slang terms, including “doc”, “sawbones”, “spine guy”, “pop the topper”… I’m most commonly mistakenly called a neurologist, which is a similar specialty, but a non-surgical and completely separate field treating the nervous system. However, I’ve found it interesting that psychiatrists are routinely called…

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