News

When Kumar Vasudevan, MD, a WashU Medicine neurosurgeon at Christian Hospital, meets with patients to discuss if spine surgery is right for them, he shares that their path to pain relief starts before he puts on his surgical scrubs and extends after the operation is complete.

Deirdre Parnell was diagnosed with diabetes more than eight years ago. She then began experiencing pain in her feet, which spread to her legs and hands. Eventually, the pain grew so intense she had to take a leave of disability at work.

Since an athletic injury suffered in his late 20s, Bill’s hard-charging approach to work and sports clashed with severe, right shoulder problems. For decades, he did his best to ignore the pain. But when the agony reached an all-time high, Bill turned to the WashU Medicine orthopedic specialists at Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital.