I'll post more if I decide to have surgery with Dr. Shonnard.
First, he came very highly recommended for cervical disc replacement surgery. I did have to go through my PCP for the necessary MRI before I was able to schedule an appt with his office, but everyone I dealt with was extremely professional and friendly.
Upon being examined by Dr. Shonnard, he was warm, friendly, professional and thorough. I've since seen 3 more doctors to add more opinions to the mix and none of them have been as thorough in their assessments and examinations.
He explained what was going on in my neck, what his believed my main option is and why, patiently answered what questions I had, requested that I schedule a followup appt and sent me home with a very clear letter explaining exactly what the operation entailed and what the risks could be. I was encouraged to do additional research and come back to the followup with any other questions.
My husband was present for both the first and followup appts and between those appts I did get a second opinion (which was the complete opposite). Dr. Shonnard was still very warm, and very thorough and confident in his decision and was able to clearly explain why he thought his surgical approach would be superior to the second opinion's approach. He answered all the questions we'd come up with after reading the letter and doing research.
Because of the aggressive nature of this surgery, I'm still waffling on getting it, but my pain and symptoms are increasing rapidly and my 4th opinion has brought me full circle to believing that it really is my best option.
Every other surgeon I've seen has spoken highly of Dr. Shonnard and he is well known and respected in his field. read more