Chad Patton, MD, MS — board-certified spine surgeon.
Twenty years of surgical experience. Fellowship-trained in comprehensive adult spine surgery. Physician leader & Medical Director of Spine Surgery.
Clinical practice
Board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopaedic spine surgeon. Twenty years of surgical experience. Comprehensive surgical treatment of adult spine conditions — disc herniation, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, adult scoliosis, trauma, spinal tumors, and revision surgery.
Leadership
Medical Director of Spine Surgery, leading a multidisciplinary program across hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, and outpatient sites. Advocacy work in Washington DC to improve patient access to care.
Research and teaching
40+ peer-reviewed publications, with research focusing on improving patient outcomes and health economics in spine surgery. Research background in adult stem cells for spinal cord injury.
Recognition
Consistently recognized as a regional "Top Doctor," with more than 100 five-star patient reviews. Affiliated institution recognized among Healthgrades' 100 Best Hospitals for Spine Surgery.
Common spine-related conditions
Spine-related conditions can cause a variety of symptoms. Here are some of the most common reasons why patients consider surgery.
Neck pain radiating into the arm
Sharp or burning pain down the shoulder, arm, or hand, often with numbness, tingling, or weakness in the hand. Frequently worse with driving, sitting, and sleeping. This happens when a nreve root in the cervical spine is pinched.
Hand clumsiness, balance changes, or gait trouble
Numbness in the fingers, buttoning shirts becoming difficult, unsteady walking, or a sense that the legs aren't responding normally — sometimes without much pain. This happens when the cervical spinal cord is compressed.
Lower back pain with leg pain, numbness, or weakness
Pain that travels from the back into the buttock, thigh, calf, or foot — typically worse with sitting or bending. This occurs when a nerve root in the lumbar spine is compressed.
Buttock, thigh or leg pain and/or heaviness when walking
Pain, cramping, or fatigue in one or both legs that is worse with walking and is relieved by sitting or leaning forward. This occurs when arthritis compresses the nerves in our lower back.
Worsening posture or visible spinal curvature
A forward-leaning stance, uneven shoulders or hips, or progressive curvature noticed in adulthood — sometimes accompanied by back pain or reduced standing tolerance.
Back pain from an osteoporosis-related fracture of the spine
A simple fall, or even an intense coughing spell, can cause collapse of frail or weak bones in the spine and leads to intense pain with activity.
Surgical procedures
Dr. Patton performs a wide range of surgical procedures, from minimially-invasive surgery to revision spinal reconstruction. Procedures marked ASC-eligible are commonly performed at an ambulatory surgery center with same-day discharge.
Surgery is a shared decision between you and your surgeon
Spine conditions and spine treatment can be nuanced, and often there is not a right or wrong answer. If you have been told you need surgery, a 2nd opinion can often help you determine the best treatment to meet your goals.
A recent MRI (within 12 months when possible), prior imaging reports, operative notes from any prior spine surgery or recent injections, and a list of conservative treatments already attempted — physical therapy, injections, medications.
A focused review of the imaging and your symptoms, and a discussion of options — surgical and non-surgical.
Often times, surgery is not the answer and conservative care is the best option — a clear "no surgery" answer is, for many patients, the most useful outcome of a second opinion.
Online scheduling is available. A recent MRI within the past 12 months is required.
Back pain is the 2nd most common reason to visit a healthcare provider
Prior to visiting with a spine surgeon, you should see your PCP or a back pain physician, called a Physiatrist. Only 5-10% of patients with low back pain have a specific structural cause that can be treated with surgery.
Acute or chronic back pain without leg symptoms is rarely treated with surgery. A diagnosis can be difficult to make, but most patients with back pain have muscular pain, age-related disc and facet changes, mild-to-moderate degenerative findings, and/or disc bulges.
For patients with isolated low back pain, a Physiatrist or pain medicine specialist -- rather than a spine surgeon -- is typically the right place to start. A Physiatrist is a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician, trained in the broader functional evaluation and treamtent of back pain through using conservative options such as physical therapy, targeted injections, medication management, and the longitudinal care that most back pain patients need.