MDNews - Long Island

happy to ta ke their case and proceed from there." From initial consultation to imaging and various therapies or surgeries when indicated, Dr. Sonstein is proud to offer spine care from start to finish. COLLABORATIVE APPROACH NSPC encourages cross-disciplinar y collaboration in spine cases. Partnerships between neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons allow patients to benefit from the skill sets of both disciplines. Neurosurgeons are well-versed in spine procedures; in fact, spine surgeries make up the bulk of their surgica l cases, as conditions requiring brain surgery are less common. "We do a lot of training in spine surgery throughout our entire professional devel- opment," Dr. Sonstein says. "By contrast, when orthopedic physicians study spinal procedures, it tends to be as part of a fellowship following their residency." From their early professional careers, neurosurgeons are proficient at decom- pressing spinal nerves and spinal cords, while orthopedic surgeons are adept at instrumentation using screws, plates a nd rods placed into bone. However, there is plenty of overlap between the two fields, and collaboration between neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons yields excellent results. "We were the first in the area to adapt this and scale the process of collaboration with orthopedic surgeons in our spine surgical treatments," Dr. Sonstein says. " Working together a llows patients to have the best of both worlds. We refer patients to one another, so patients get two opinions." Dr. Sonstein believes that this col- laboration with or thopedic surgeons helps improve each patient 's overa ll experience. They feel reassured that they have received two opinions and that their physicians concur on their course of treatment. "I think when they know two doctors have independent ly eva luated them a nd ag ree about their best course of treatment, they are going to feel better about what treatment they are getting," Dr. Sonstein says. NSPC's collaborative relationship with orthopedic surgeons allows patients to benefit from two independent minds look- ing at their case and making judgments so they can receive optimal care. Every neurosurgeon at NSPC is encouraged to collaborate with an orthopedic surgeon, a practice borne out by experience. "I was doing this for 25 years as an attending, and I've been working with my orthopedic colleague for more than 20 years," Dr. Sonstein says. "We know each other's movements, feelings and thoughts. When you have two doctors who really love working together, are familiar with each other's movements and can really anticipate what is next, it sets up an ideal situation for success." From sharing second opinions to infor- mal consultations, NSPC neurosurgeons collaborate with each other, as well. Yet, each surgeon provides patients with the long-term, in-depth relationship charac- teristic of a physician in private practice. "We have a university-style practice, but it's a private practice that offers a more boutique experience," Dr. Sonstein says. "Patients benefit from the close patient-provider relationships that you don't find in a university setting." NEW APPROACHES TO TRADITIONAL SURGERIES For the most part, spine surgery has not changed tremendously in recent years, Dr. Sonstein says. Still, many advances have resulted in incremental benefits for patients. "The thing that has changed is that the corridors through which the spine is accessed have become more minimally invasive," Dr. Sonstein says. Those changes include using retractors and devices that a llow the surgeon to ma ke a sma ller incision to reach the surgical site, whereas traditionally the surgeon would have approached through a larger incision. For either option, the goal remains the same. Dr. Sonstein consults with a patient on board the NSPC Mobile Unit. The customized van offers everything needed for a full neurosurgical consultation. Although the NSPC Mobile Unit makes it possible for Dr. Sonstein to see patients by appointment at their workplace, most of the people he sees continue to visit him at one of his practice's six Long Island locations. Here he meets with a patient at his office in Bethpage. M D N E W S . C O M /// M D N E W S L O N G I S L A N D ■ 2 0 2 2 0 7

• Cover