The international faculty included Dr. Wong, as well as surgeons from Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, and the USA. The demonstrations and hands-on practical sessions covered surgical techniques from microsurgery to scoliosis.

The CISS meeting program included a wide range of lectures varying from the basic science of nerve and back pain to surgical tips, tricks, and traps. The 150 attendees exchanged invaluable insights and engaged in lively question-and-answer sessions.

Dr. Wong spoke about the controversies surrounding surgical options and complications of lumbar microdiscectomy in the context of Tiger Woods' social media revelations about his own journey following discectomy surgery. He also gave a lecture entitled “Good to Great: Strategies to Achieve Advanced Surgical Skills in Minimally-Invasive Spine Surgery” based on the teachings of our deceased partner, John McCulloch, who was a pioneer in microsurgery and a mentor to Dr. Wong, Dr. Ghiselli, and Dr. Jatana.

The faculty dinners were particularly memorable. South Africa is known for its wineries - combine some excellent wine with restaurants showcasing the ocean, harbor, and mountain views of Cape Town - and you get outstanding culinary experiences to match the outstanding peer insights!

Randy Kleiner had a minor trip in his garage that turned into a major ordeal. After his fall, the right side of his body shut down - his right arm and leg were not responding at all - this earned him a trip in an ambulance. At the hospital, he was told he needed emergency surgery on his spine; he could do the surgery immediately or wait for the swelling to lessen. After a lot of consideration, he decided to wait.

Years of playing hockey, mountain biking, and snowboarding had taken a toll on Randy’s spine, causing severe stenosis, or narrowing of the spinal column, in his neck. His fall had caused swelling of the spinal cord, effectively paralyzing his right side temporarily.

Distraught by the thought of further injury or paralysis to his spine, he wore the neck collar constantly as he and his family researched doctors. His trusted family physician recommended Dr. Gary Ghiselli, and after visiting four doctors’ offices, Randy agreed. “Dr. Ghiselli considered me and what I wanted to do after surgery, he did not talk in the abstract about surgery, he talked about what surgery would do for me.” All of the doctors Randy saw diagnosed him with spinal stenosis exacerbated by his garage fall; but only Dr. Ghiselli recommended a hybrid surgery to fix the problem. Dr. Ghiselli recommended a fusion to stabilize Randy’s current spinal problem, and disc replacement to help prevent future injury.

Unfortunately, Randy’s health insurance didn’t initially approve Randy’s surgery, even though they agreed with Dr. Ghiselli’s hybrid approach. So, Chris Tomasi, Medical Assistant, went to work on Randy’s insurance – finally getting his treatment approved, but in two surgeries instead of one.

So, five weeks apart, Randy underwent a cervical fusion surgery in February, and then a cervical disc replacement surgery in March. The pain lessened significantly after the first one, Randy never needed even one narcotic pill. Randy’s wife made him take it easy because “I don’t have a patient bone in my body,” Randy says, and he regularly saw his physical therapist. Slowly, Randy regained his mobility, allowing for a return to his old life. Randy was just cleared for athletic activity; he hopes to play hockey and mountain bike again this fall and has plans for lots of paddleboarding and camping this summer.

“Dr. Ghiselli is a unicorn, it’s rare to find a doctor with the expertise you need, and the kindness you want,” Randy says. “I chose him because of his expertise, but his undivided attention and the patience and dedication of his team were an added benefit.”

We have changed our practice name only - our team, office location, and commitment to our patients remain the same. Our philosophy is still to exhaust non-surgical treatment options before considering spine surgery, and when surgery is necessary, we utilize the latest technological advances in minimally-invasive spine surgery.

What this means for you:

-    Your doctor and your care won’t change

-    Our office location and our phone number are the same
-    We will be able to BETTER serve our patients under this new affiliation

We are still a spine surgery partnership comprised of the same three partners we have had for the last 20+ years:  Dr. David Wong, Dr. Sanjay Jatana, and Dr. Gary Ghiselli.

The best way to reach us is to call 303-MY-SPINE, or through your patient portal. 

Colorado Spine Partners

Dr. David Wong, Dr. Sanjay Jatana, Dr. Gary Ghiselli

145 Inverness Drive East, suite 100

Englewood, CO 80112

303-MY-SPINE

www.coloradospinepartners.com

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145 Inverness Drive East ste 100 | Greenwood Village, CO 80112 US

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