Neurosurgeon specializes in spinal
disorders
by Megan Fink
Public Relations
As the rate of degenerative disc disease increases, the medical world is pressured to seek solutions to common infirmities, like lower back pain, that force so many to the doctor’s office.
Dr. Ian Johnson
explains the benefits of an artificial facet joint, an advanced
replacement that stabilizes the spine while facilitating movement.At MUSC, Ian T. Johnson, M.D., recently joined the Division of Neurological Surgery within the Department of Neurosciences. The department’s strong history of teaching, clinical excellence and research in spinal cord injuries attracted Johnson to MUSC. He currently is exploring research projects in biomechanics and the treatment of patients with disc disease.
With the annual cost of treatment and associated expenses approaching $91 billion in the United States, the need for research on degenerative disc disease is imperative. Under the direction of Sunil Patel, M.D., Johnson is helping expand the Division of Neurological Surgery to address this growing problem.
“Dr. Patel is a strong leader who gives you room to breathe. He lets you take a project, build upon it and assists in its development,” said Johnson, who is helping to create a regional referral program for the treatment of spinal disorders.
Johnson comes from the Boston Spine Group where he completed a fellowship at New England Baptist Hospital with the guidance of his mentor, Eric Woodard, M.D.
“Operating on the spine became an enjoyable, exciting experience,” said Johnson. “I became more comfortable with difficult spine cases. If you like the challenge and work hard, it becomes more worthwhile.”
It was during his residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, which is an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, when Johnson fine-tuned his skills in neurosurgery. Highlights at Harvard, besides the reputation, included numerous projects available in the field of neuroscience and cutting-edge operating techniques. Though deemed a first-rate training opportunity, Johnson felt that he and his wife were “Southerners in a northern city.”
Johnson returned to Charleston where his extended family has lived for six generations. When not working, Johnson spends the majority of his time with his wife of 14 years and two children; a third is on the way. Shopping with his wife, swimming in the pool with his daughter and son, and Sunday dinners with his parents are cherished moments for Johnson. “In neurosurgery, you have to take the time to spend with family,” he said.
His philosophy on patient care is that “once you start caring for a patient, it’s like they are part of your family.” Since the beginning of Johnson’s studies, patient care has been his primary interest, followed closely by his love of teaching. “It is a privilege to operate on someone, because that’s asking a lot. …They’re sick, in a compromised state or vulnerable situation, and they’re asking for your help,” Johnson said.
Meanwhile, he also hopes to open a normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) clinic for patients with excess fluid on the brain. NPH is a treatable disorder that can appear in people of any age, but mainly it affects older adults. The clinic, according to Johnson, “is a good way to provide patient care to a part of the population that is sometimes neglected.”
Friday, June 29, 2007
Catalyst Online is published weekly,
updated
as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public
Relations
for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of
South
Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at
792-4107
or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to
Catalyst
Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to
catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Island
Publications at 849-1778, ext. 201.