Texas Back Institute info., anyone? - Spinal Cord Disorders Message Board

ruth ann · 01-13-2003, 10:35 PM

Has anyone experience with or information about the Texas Back Institute? Good, bad whatever. Thanks, friends.

SherryElaine · 01-14-2003, 05:09 PM

I have been to the TBI in Plano, TX back in the late 80's for lumbar problem and did not like it cause I was on worker comp and it was like a boot camp.... I have since been back to the Plano, Tx TBI in 2001 and it was completly different and I was not on workers comp and there for different reason. It is a nice place, very big, very busy and crowded but the doctors are good. I now go to the TBI in Denton, Tx and it is a smaller branch and they only have 2 doctors there. I have not had surgery yet so can not say anything on that subject but they do everything they can for you before they try surgery, from chrioprator, PT, Injections. They also do the new implants there at TBI on some people and not sure how they determine who gets them. They also have other branches of TBI in Fort Worth Texas....

ruth ann · 01-14-2003, 06:43 PM

Dear Sherry - Hooray! Finally I've received an answer!
Thanks so much for your input. I have a few questions for you. Did you encounter either a Dr. Araghi, or Dr. Hochschuler there? How was it like boot camp? (mine is also work. comp.) What problems were you seen for? How did you hear about it? My current ortho surgeon has mentioned that TIB is a very "commercial" enterprise. Would you agree? TIB has recently opened up an office here in Phoenix. Evidently this has something to do with Dr. Hochschuler, one of the TIB co-founders, planning to retire here. I have a consult (it's a 2nd opinion on a herniated disc/sciatica) on Thurs. It's so new here, I'm not sure what to expect. Thanks for responding. Can you answer my new questions? Thank you so much!

SherryElaine · 01-16-2003, 01:32 PM

Ok I will try to answer your questions..

Dear Sherry - Hooray! Finally I've received an answer!
Thanks so much for your input. I have a few questions for you. Did you encounter either a Dr. Araghi, or Dr. Hochschuler there?

I never heard of Dr. Araghi.. I have heard of Dr. Hochschuler and met him a few times during my 6 week stay at TBI during hard working PT back in the 80's while on workers comp, but at that time my doctor was Dr. Guyer cause that is who I was referred to at the time. I have 3 friends who have had surgery by Dr. Hochschuler and they highly recomend him and think he is great and say he is ranked one of best surgeons in the country.

How was it like boot camp? (mine is also work. comp.)

Because back them "don't know if they still do" I had to stay 6 weeks there and work out 8 hours a day and was watch and followed by some one all the time with a clip board and pencil writting about my progress or lack of. haha

What problems were you seen for? How did you hear about it?

At that time in the 80's I was seen for low back pain, torn disc and disc ring and stained back. I was living in another town 60 miles from the Plano BTI and my doctor referred me there after I had done 3 months of PT with him that did not help.

My current ortho surgeon has mentioned that TIB is a very "commercial" enterprise. Would you agree?

Yes I agree some what. It is a learning center and a Fellowship training school.
They advertise on bill boards and radio. The Plano office is the main campus and is very big and busy. They seem to rush people thru at a fast pace to me. It is almost as big as the hospital next door to it.

TIB has recently opened up an office here in Phoenix. Evidently this has something to do with Dr. Hochschuler, one of the TIB co-founders, planning to retire here. I have a consult (it's a 2nd opinion on a herniated disc/sciatica) on Thurs. It's so new here, I'm not sure what to expect.

This is the first I have heard of this news of new office in Phoenix or that DR. Hochschuler is moving. If he is then your getting one of the best doctors. He does not do necks, "cervical" cause I tried to get appointment with him and that is what they told me. He only treats lumbar. Did you know they have a web site where you can read about all the doctors and it tells about TBI. The name is the website.
Hope that helps, you probably already had your appointment before you read this. Let me know how it went and what you thought.......
Sher

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Sher

ruth ann · 01-16-2003, 03:45 PM

Hi, Sher. I just got back from my appt. with Dr. Araghi at the TIB office in Phoenix. He was very thorough and made sure I understood the procedure he recommended and the risks involved. (it's a microendoscopic discectomy). He is only about 35, newly moved here from NY, and seems to be very well versed in the most modern procedures. He is doing an IDET on Mon., for example. He explained that TIB is on the cutting edge of back surgery technology and that if they were just a commercial enterprise, he wouldn't have spent an hour explaining the procedure to me.
I am really torn between having the surgery done with him and the present ortho spine dr. I am seeing. TIB seems extremely competent in handling worker's comp situations. Araghi knows his stuff. His education and experience, however, I do not think are at the level of my present guy (Araghi is a DO and does not have the impressive medical credentials the other guy has). Is the TIB affiliation an indicator of technical skill and being up-to-date? I am pretty confused. What do you think?