The Complexities of Spinal Surgery with Dr. Ardavan Aslie
Robert Sikes
•
Do you have a negative view of spinal surgery? Dr. Ardavan Aslie is a
Board Certified, Harvard University Fellow Spine Surgeon. During his
first three years of practice, Dr. Aslie became aware of a
significant challenge confronting patients who underwent spinal
surgery. Solving this problem became Dr. Aslie's main priority and
finally, after years of research and study, Dr. Aslie developed the
laminar plating system. It was a pleasure to talk with Dr. Aslie, and
I learned a ton about the evolution of spinal surgery and the
challenges he faces in his field.
What
you'll hear in this episode:
The current standard of care in spinal surgery (3:05)
Pedicle screws, what they are, and the controversy surrounding them
(12:05)
The problem surrounding pedicle screws that occurs as recipients of
the surgery age (17:39)
The faulty studies and a whistleblower (26:15)
Why spinal surgery is so different from other orthopedic surgery
because of gravity (31:37)
How the faulty, unethical report condoning the use of pedicle screws
changed the entire course of spinal surgery (36:27)
Fellow surgeons and their reactions to Dr. Aslie's ideas (38:09)
Financial incentives for using the pedicle screw (40:09)
Why it's so challenging to cease using the pedicle screw (49:31)
What it would take to change course and use something other than the
pedicle screw in spinal surgery (52:52)
The challenge Dr. Aslie is facing when it comes to challenging the
efficacy of the pedicle screw (58:47)
Why he decided to write his book and why it's such an important
read (1:00:09)
The device he has developed to use in place of the pedicle screw
(1:09:22)
The implications of his books and device (1:12:19)
Where
to learn more about Dr. Aslie and purchase his book: