MDNews - Mid Hudson

COVER FEATURE the lumbar spine necessitated a microd- iscectomy. Thanks to the success of the operation, Dr. Oppenheim has led an active, healthful life, running marathons and playing tennis and golf. However, he has never forgotten the experience of undergoing a major operation. "I've been a patient, as well as a surgeon. When I say to patients, 'I feel your pain,' I really do because I've been on the other side of the table. I understand what it's like to be a patient with a spine problem under- going spine surgery," says Dr. Oppenheim. "I look at everybody from the standpoint of what it was like for me, and I understand what an enormous experience having a surgical problem can be — the fears involved and the loss of autonomy. I treat people the way I was treated: with compassionate and skilled care." The experience Dr. Oppenheim shares Dr. Oppenheim visits with a postoperative patient and her husband at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center. or compromise a patient's quality of life. The team's concern matches the national effort to curtail a growing epidemic: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in 2011 that data from the Drug Enforcement Administration demonstrates a greater than 300% increase in sales of prescrip- tion drugs to health care providers and pharmacies. In fact, pain medications such as hydrocodone, methadone, oxy- codone and oxymorphone contribute to more than 40 overdose deaths in the United States every day. The Philosophy of Surgery At the heart of the Good Samaritan A CT revealing the successful results of minimally invasive spine technology utilized by Dr. Oppenheim at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center 8 | Mid Hudson MD NEWS ■ MDNEWS.COM Regional Medical Center neurosurgery spinal program is a genuine apprecia- tion for the patient experience and all of its inherent anxieties and fears. Dr. Oppenheim explains that although he and his colleagues can employ mini- mally invasive approaches in most cases, patients' perceptions of spinal surgery remain more akin to the traditional, open procedures that involve long scars, high levels of pain and long recovery times. As a former spine patient who is attuned to patients' concerns, Dr. Oppenheim has shaped his practice around the mission of creating a comfortable environment in which surgeons treat patients judiciously and compassionately. This is one reason physicians and nurses turn to these specialists when they are in need of spinal surgical care. Dr. Oppenheim's own spinal story began 20 years ago. A herniated disc in with his patients translates not only to a strong connection to their cases, but also a keen interest in exhausting conservative measures of treatment before opting for surgery. When surgery becomes necessary, however, he aims to chart the smallest rather than the largest intervention. The neurosurgeon relates a recent interaction in which a patient inquired about seeing an acupuncturist to address spine pain before utilizing surgery. Dr. Oppenheim, though skeptical of acupuncture, encouraged the patient to try alternative medicine, explaining the patient was the one who would undergo surgery and thus, should be completely confident that the entire breadth of options had been considered. In the neurosurgery program's office are several binders filled with thank you cards from patients who received similar advice and were pleased with their outcomes. "I started at Good Samaritan in 1994, and we've been developing the program progressively ever since, bringing in the most advanced, innovative technology," says Dr. Oppenheim. "At Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, we're second to none in terms of offering all kinds of surgical intervention. At the same time, the thing that really drives quality is not having the sharpest scalpel but exercising the best judgment."

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