How to Make a 3D Model from a CT Scan

by

Creating 3D Models from CT Scans: A Guide to Understanding Your Medical Journey 3D models from CT scans are incredibly valuable tools for understanding medical issues, planning surgeries, and holding healthcare providers accountable. With the right software and guidance, you can create detailed, clean, and highly useful 3D models yourself. This guide explains the process … Read more

A Thousand Days of Agony

by

A Thousand Days of Agony: My Journey Through Pain, Loss, and Resilience This excerpt details a veteran’s harrowing experience with medical negligence, focusing on a botched spinal fusion surgery and the subsequent inadequate care received from the Veterans Affairs (VA). The author recounts the initial surgical error, the prolonged delay in addressing complications, and the resulting severe physical … Read more

The story behind the 3D Model of My Spine

by

I never imagined a routine spine surgery would become the catalyst for years of suffering and a fight for medical justice. In August 2021, I trusted my surgeon and the VA healthcare system to fix a relatively straightforward spinal problem. Instead, I woke up to what would become a nightmare – though I wouldn’t understand … Read more

Audio Interview with a VA Spine Patient

by

This interview details a veteran’s complex medical history, focusing on a series of back surgeries and their complications. Multiple medical records document the surgeries, their failures, resulting disabilities, and the ongoing struggle to receive appropriate VA disability compensation. The discussion includes various medical reports, imaging results, and communication with VA staff regarding the veteran’s care and claim. The veteran’s account highlights alleged negligence by the VA and the need for corrective surgeries. Finally, there are forms related to filing a claim for compensation, demonstrating the bureaucratic process involved.

Read Comprehensive Guide for Spinal Surgery

Reference

Deny and Defend: Systemic Failures in VA Healthcare

by

The “Deny and Defend” approach in healthcare refers to a traditional strategy where medical institutions deny responsibility for errors, adopt a defensive legal posture, and avoid transparency in communicating with patients and families. While increasingly criticized in modern healthcare for its detrimental effects, this approach continues to harm veterans in the VA healthcare system and … Read more

Update on my VA SF95 Claim

by

My Federal Tort Claim (SF95) My Federal Tort Claim filed against the Dallas VA Medical Center for medical negligence. The claim centers on the VA’s two-year delay in addressing documented loose pedicle screws following spinal surgery, which ultimately resulted in permanent spinal ankylosis. Stuart argues that the VA’s failure to act on their own imaging … Read more

VA 38 USC 1151 Claim

by

This VA 1151 disability claim filed by veteran Michael Stuart for ankylosis of the spine, a condition resulting from a series of events stemming from a car accident. The claim centers on alleging VA negligence following a failed spinal fusion surgery performed within the VA system, which necessitated corrective surgery resulting in the claimant’s current disability. Crucially, … Read more

A Neurosurgeon Reveals How Our Health-Care System Puts Patients at Risk

by

Neurosurgeon and attorney Dr. Larry Schlachter makes a case that most patients enter the healtyhcare system without any idea of the risks they face, due to a medical culture that denies there is a patient safety problem. He argues that medical culture actively avoids transparency, perpetuates an atmosphere of blind deference to doctors, and protects … Read more

State Medical Boards Fail to Protect Patients: HBO John Oliver

by

John Oliver on HBO recently delved into the problematic nature of state medical boards and their frequent inability to safeguard patients from incompetent physicians. He highlighted several disturbing trends: One case involved a doctor in Texas performing surgery on the incorrect part of a patient’s spine. This incident directly relates to my experiences with Dr. … Read more

UTSW Failed to Diagnose Pedicle Screw Lucency

by

Dr Patel, UT Southwestern failure to diagnose and treat spine issues after radilogy found loose pedicle screws The UTSW consultation highlights a series of systemic failures in the care of a patient with a history of lumbar surgeries. There were communication breakdowns between the VA and outside providers, a conflict of interest in referring the … Read more