By Nicholas Theodore, M.D. If a person’s spine is unstable because of injury, degenerative disease or another cause, he or she may need spinal stabilization surgery to correct the problem. During this procedure, surgeons typically take multiple X-rays to pinpoint where to place screws to stabilize the spine. I was convinced there was a better(...)
About Guest Author
Posts by Guest Author :
One-in-a-Million Diagnosis? Those Odds Don’t Faze Us.
By Ali Bydon, M.D. Before he came to The Johns Hopkins Hospital for treatment in 2017, Pedro Gil, now 45, had struggled with a thoracic disk herniation for 10 years. His herniated disk had calcified, turning to bone, and it pressed on his spinal cord to produce excruciating pain, weakness, numbness and even paralysis. He(...)
AI and Eye Health
By Dr. T. Y. Alvin Liu Did you know the retina is actually part of the brain? It’s a direct extension of the central nervous system. So when people say eyes are the window to one’s soul, it’s perhaps not that far of a stretch after all. I’ve been interested in the retina since I(...)
From West Point to East Baltimore
By Dr. James Ficke I have been an orthopaedic surgeon for more than two decades, but I’m also a retired U.S. Army colonel. It was my 30-year career in military medicine that instilled a passion for studying outcomes related to limb loss, limb salvage and lower-extremity trauma—conditions I saw in Mosul that I now treat(...)
Johns Hopkins Has Made My World Bigger and My Future Brighter
By Hamda Almaazmi I love experiencing new things—whether it’s finding a new hotspot for brunch in my Fells Point neighborhood, seeing my first live NFL game or my trip to Disney World earlier this summer. (Yes, I’m 27 years old, but I enjoyed it so much!) Being a research resident at Johns Hopkins has made(...)
Why Wait in Line When You Can Heal at Home?
By Mary Myers China has a population of 1.4 billion and 5.7 million hospital beds. This equates to about four hospital beds for every 1,000 people. For Chinese patients, receiving medical care means waiting in long lines. It’s a pressing challenge throughout the republic. In the United States, we have worked to maximize how we(...)
Three-Continent Comparison of Medical Education
By Rebecca DiBiase I recently completed my master’s degree in public health at the Bloomberg School of Public Health. Through the help of two projects I worked on during my master’s degree, I rediscovered a niche in the field of global health that I find particularly unique and exciting: international medical education. I initially(...)
When Helping Could Hurt: Experiences in Global Health
By Rebecca DiBiase I wrote this blog post as I was flying to Peru to volunteer at a traveling medical clinic. In preparation for my trip, I read an insightful book called When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert that addresses the challenges and pitfalls of relief and development work in low-income(...)
Stirred by Our Shared Vulnerabilities
By Rebecca DiBiase I sat, enveloped by the clinic’s dusty walls and chalky smell. It felt as if a fog of gray haze had descended over the building and muted the surrounding colors. Two plastic chairs were next to the door, with one single picture of skeletal anatomy hanging above them, forcing the makeshift closet(...)
House Calls and Health Care Today
By Mary Myers Traditional hospitals today account for about a third of all medical spending—an incredible $1.1 trillion. However, during this era of consolidation across health care, we are seeing a steep decline in inpatient facilities. In fact, 20 percent fewer hospitals are operating in the United States than 35 years ago, and they are(...)
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