I am considering flying to Denver from Calforia to see Dr Oro for possible surgery. Can anyone tell tell me about good and bad. I am concerned about being so far away from the Dr that performs the surgery. How long did you stay in area after surgery. Good experiences?
Hello!
I am scheduled for surgery with Dr. Oro in 8 1/2 days on Oct 15th at noon. I am starting to get quite nervous, but I feel like I could not be in better hands. He is thorough and experienced and I have heard nothing but good about him.
I don't know your specific situation (could you fill us in?) as far as what tests you have had done, the mm of herniation, what docs you have seen, etc. I want to say that he is very, very thorough and will not do surgery if something else could negatively affect surgery, or if something else could be causing the symptoms. So, depending on your situation, be prepared for him to look under every rock and possibly order more tests.
After meeting him, I had bloodwork to do, a CINE Mri, and a spinal tap done, then I was cleared for surgery.
Please tell us more about your situation. I feel totally confident in Dr. Oro and am glad that he will be performing my surgery.
Where in CA are you?
I am in the Central part of Ca. I have had a cine MRI and MRI. I have been diagnosed with a18mm Chiari and a functional brain flow obstruction. 2 NS have recommended surgery. I have an appointment with Dr Oro the 3rd week of October. I am concerned about after care and the logistics of traveling to Denver. Why do they do a spinal tap? Where are you traveling from? Thank you for getting back to. This is sure an uncharted journey for me.
Wow! I would say that an 18mm herniation with CSF obstruction warrants surgery...holy smokes~ are you going to be there the week of the 15th?
I am about a 7 hour drive from Dr. Oro's office. I will have my local doc remove my staples, then see Dr. Oro 8 weeks after surgery for a followup visit and MRI to see how things are working in there. In reality, your travel time from home to him could be close to how long it takes me to get there, if not quicker. I think you are smart to get his opinion...
I had a spinal tap to rule out a Pseudotumor. I don't thinks it's common to have a tap, so I wouldn't worry about it. It sounds like you have a lot of bases covered before you even get there, which I think is good. When I went to the office, all I had done so far was the brain MRI that discovered the Chiari.
Diana will prob chime in to this thread. She traveled from Texas and will have a lot more info and thoughts about air travel and logistics on that. Diana?? :-)
I live on the Western slope of Colorado....
I'm traveling from AL to CO for surgery w/ Dr. Oro in two weeks, and I have no doubt that I have made the best choice!
I have an appt with Dr. Oro in two weeks..So do I understand that he doesn't have the cine MRI done there if he deems it necessary? What testing is done during the 3 day visit to Aurora?
From what I can tell, the tests that he has performed varies from patient to patient. I was sent to another building on campus to have another MRI performed, and it included CINE.
I had surgery with Dr. Oro on Sept. 11 of this year. I am also from central California. I can tell you that we flew out on Sept. 9th, 2 days prior to surgery. One day to get settled in, then we had hospital registration and preop lab work the day prior to surgery. I guesstimated and went with what I thought the worst case scenario would be for me. I book my flight home for 6 days after surgery. I was right on. I stayed in the ICU for almost 4 days, then 1/2day on the med/surg type of floor and released. I had horrible h/a the next day and was readmitted for one day for brain swelling and was placed on steroids. I was released Sunday and flew out Monday as scheduled. Airfares are expensive as I’m sure you have seen. If in doubt, I would buy the ticket with the option to change you dates without fees. Please, feel free to ask me any questions you might have. I hope this helps 
Would it possible to talk to you?
Sure, just message me. I’ve got a few errands to run today, just let me know when and what time works.
My son is having surgery on the 12th of November. We have heard nothing but good things.
Thank you everyone for chimming in. Great information. I am flying out to Denver on Tuesday 10/23 to see Dr Ono. And a special thanks to my Central Valley friend.
God Bless you Marlene! Keep us posted, sending lots of prayers your way.