Raymond Garrett, MD, practiced as a nephrologist in Denver for 40-plus years before retiring and moving with his wife to New Mexico. While his health had been declining for years, the 70-year-old never imagined needing extensive spinal surgery.
“I have a lot of comorbidities, and then when I had the series of falls, I was in such pain,” he said.
A group of short falls on Thanksgiving Day 2022 left him in excruciating pain from several spinal fractures, compressed vertebrae, and pinched nerves. Dr. Garrett’s spine became so deformed that he was bent over, a condition called kyphosis. He also had developed scoliosis and lost 3-4 inches in height due to the compression and unnatural curvature of his spine.
“When my friend—a fellow retired physician—heard of my condition, she called me and said I should see Dr. Beckman,” Dr. Garrett said. “She said he was far and away the best spine surgeon she had experienced.”
Joshua M. Beckman, MD, is a board-certified neurosurgeon and Denver spine surgeon who has more than a decade of experience in complex spine surgery and neurosurgery. Prior to joining Neurosurgery One in 2021, Dr. Beckman was the director of spine surgery at San Antonio Military Medical Center, the nation’s largest military hospital and Level I trauma center where he developed special expertise in treating severe spinal and head injuries.
“I’ve always taken the approach of treating all of my patients the same, regardless of whether you are a physician, a high-ranking military officer, or my neighbor down the street,” Dr. Beckman said. “I’m honest and help my patients have reasonable expectations. I focus 100% on the patient and their issue, not where they come from, and I believe that helps me and my team help patients have better outcomes. We are successful because we are laser focused on the operative plan and do not allow outside factors to affect our performance.”
“There were many days when I thought I was going to die, and I believe Dr. Beckman saved my life,” Dr. Garrett said. “I’m so pleased I went with Dr. Beckman. I had a rough surgery, and having the support of a stellar surgeon and his team made all the difference.”
Personalized Plan for Each Patient
Dr. Beckman creates a personalized treatment plan for each patient and sticks to it. For Garrett, that meant several months of improving his bone health through Neurosurgery One’s Bone Health and Spine Fracture Clinic.
“I thought I would come to Denver and have surgery right away,” Dr. Garrett said. “Instead, I spent four months improving my bone health so my surgery would have a better chance of success.
Dr. Garrett has several health conditions, including muscle weakness and kidney issues. When he arrived for his first consultation with Dr. Beckman, he had lost a lot of his physical functionality due to being sedentary, and his bone health was in frail condition.
Dr. Garrett worked with Kate Setter, a board-certified family nurse practitioner. Through physical therapy, injections, anabolic medications, interventional pain management, and lifestyle changes, Dr. Garrett significantly improved his bone health over the course of 4 months.
“As my strength and bone health improved, my pain got better even before surgery,” Dr. Garrett said.
In addition to prescribing Dr. Garrett a bone health treatment plan, Dr. Beckman also worked extensively on a spine surgery plan tailored to Dr. Garrett. Because Dr. Garrett was a high-risk patient due to his health issues and age, Dr. Beckman created a surgical plan that created the most efficiencies in the operating room, as is Dr. Beckman’s goal with all his patients. For Garrett, that meant Dr. Beckman collaborated with his Neurosurgery One colleague Zain Allison, MD, an experienced spine surgeon and neurosurgeon who specializes in neuro-trauma.
“Ray’s case was so complex and extensive, to minimize his time under anesthesia and reduce blood loss, Dr. Allison operated on the lumbar spine and I operated on the thoracic spine,” Dr. Beckman said. “This improved our surgical time and efficiency by about 40%.”
Dr. Garrett required a complete reconstruction of his spine from the middle of his spine, also known as the thoracic spine, down to his lumbar spine, which is the lower portion of the spine that connects to the sacrum. During the surgery, Dr. Beckman and Dr. Allison performed a number of procedures including spinal deformity correction and several levels of spinal decompression and spinal fusion. They used cement augmentation to create stability in the spine and intraoperative stereotactic navigation to directly pinpoint the areas of the vertebrae to repair. The surgery went well by all standards, including surgical time, blood loss, and ability to repair Dr. Garrett’s range of spinal deformities caused by fractures and compressions.
“We took his body and totally reconstructed his spine, which stretched his nerves and made him a few inches taller,” Dr. Beckman said.
This type of procedure takes at least a year to recover from, Dr. Beckman said.
Eight months after surgery, Dr. Garrett is able to walk short distances without a walker and his pain is much more manageable.
“There were many days when I thought I was going to die, and I believe Dr. Beckman saved my life,” Dr. Garrett said. “I’m so pleased I went with Dr. Beckman. I had a rough surgery, and having the support of a stellar surgeon and his team made all the difference.”
Referrals from Other Physicians
Dr. Beckman appreciates the praise of fellow physicians.
“I want all my patients to be happy with their outcomes,” Dr. Beckman said. “Receiving praise from my peers who have extensive medical training, and, honestly, who sometimes have to let their guard down a bit and trust me, is really flattering.”
Dr. Beckman’s compassion went a long way in making Garrett feel confident.
“I had already heard what a stellar human being he is even before meeting him, and he certainly is that,” Dr. Garrett said. “He’s patient, caring, and his techniques are exemplary. I couldn’t be more pleased with how he treated me and how my surgery went.”
Dr. Beckman collaborates with patients in a way that feels personalized to them. For some patients, that may mean consulting with their past surgical teams, and for others, that may include involving key members of their family in the decision-making process.
Dr. Garrett, and his friend who referred him to Dr. Beckman, are two of the many physicians who have trusted Dr. Beckman to perform their complex spinal surgeries.
“I really strive to provide personalized patient care, regardless of your background,” Dr. Beckman said. “We have been fortunate enough to be involved in many high-profile cases. I don’t give anyone special treatment. I give everyone my extra attention — it makes a big difference and ensures everyone has realistic expectations. I find it leads to much better outcomes for us all.”
