Zeljko Kojadinovic, MD- Neurosurgeon and Pain Specialist
What is the goal of the pain video consultation?
The goal is to stop the pain. In order to successfully solve the pain, it is necessary to first determine which structure is the source of the pain and which pathological process is taking place in it. Only then can an adequate combination of drugs and possibly other types of treatment be prescribed to resolve the pain.
What is the goal of the consultation in Neurosurgery?
If you have been given a neurosurgical diagnosis and suggested operative or non-operative treatment, you can consult us if you have any doubts. The topics of this consultation can be all neurosurgical diseases of the brain, spine or nerves described on this site (brain tumors, meningiomas, gliomas, neuromas, brain injuries, disc herniations, brain aneurysms, nerve injuries, spinal tumors, etc.) and all types of long and persistent pain
Yes he can, and it often happens today thanks to the easy possibility of video communication. Such consultations are especially effective for patients with persistent pain who have not been cured for a long time by the prescribing doctors. A significantly higher percentage of such patients are cured by a doctor, during a video consultation, who knows well the anatomy of pain and has experience in its treatment than by a doctor who does not have this knowledge, even though he can perform an examination in the outpatient clinic.
Is it possible to help patients who have had pain for years despite persistent treatment?
Yes it is. In over 70% of such patients, the reason why the pain has not been cured is that its true cause has not been discovered. In that case, the most effective treatment cannot be applied.
No, it is not. Modern imaging in over 50% of cases does not clearly show the cause of the pain. Often, when images show some degenerative changes during the conversation about the patient’s complaints, it turns out that these changes are not the real cause of the pain. This is often the case with spondylotic changes on the spine or disc herniations, which are blamed for any back pain even though they are not. The same applies to every other part of the body.
Is performing the video consultation complicated?
No it is not. WhatsApp, Zoom, or Skype can be used for a video consultation as you would normally use them. If you have no experience with using them, we will send you a video link. When you click on it, a video connection with a doctor is established. We also makevideo calls with elderly people who live alone and are not used to using smartphones or computers without any problems.
What is the consultation process and how do you start with it?
Should I immediately send a detailed description of the disease and medical documentation? ANSWER. Please don’t. First, on WhatsApp or email, explain your problem in a few sentences. If we think we can carry out the treatment, we will contact you and state what our plan is, what the consultation conditions are, what information we need about the disease and what medical documents you should send us.
How should the documents be sent?
It is very easy. Send them via email or WhatsApp. If you need to send larger images like MRI, that is also possible and very easy, and you will be explained how.
Don’t worry, we understand that this is a common problem. Our doctor has already reviewed the medical documentation and description of the complaints you sent before the interview. Thanks to this, he starts a conversation already very familiar with your problem. The conversation lasts about 30 minutes and during that time you tell what you think is important; the doctor asks you what is important to him and at the end gives you an opinion and treatment plan. After that, you can ask if you have any questions. Only when the conversation is over does the doctor type and send you the report with a treatment plan. On the other hand, it is common practice for the specialist’s examination to last 20 to 30 minutes, but during that time doctor reads your documentation, looks at images, and writes a report. So he has very little or no time left to listen to you carefully. But the truth is that often the doctor actually needs to find the key to solving your pain in your words.
Yes, you can. During 2 weeks, you can send messages to the doctor with questions, which will be quickly answered.
In most cases (70-80%), the treatment lasts 6 weeks, although reducing or stopping the pain is usually achieved much earlier. After that, the therapy is adjusted to maintain such a state for 6 weeks. After this period, most or all of the therapy is usually discontinued and a longer-lasting effect is achieved.
How many video consultations with the doctor need to be done during the 6-week treatment period.
For a treatment of 6 weeks, it is usually necessary to perform 2 to 3 video consultations. In addition, the doctor answers your questions by text messages if they arise between consultations.
Is your online consultation covered by health insurance and in which country?
We conduct our online consultations in many countries around the world. This is why our services are not covered by health insurance. Every patient should have the right to a second opinion. In order to get a more suitable approach to your illness, it is often desirable that the expert who gives it is not from the circle of experts who have treated you so far. For example, consultants from Europe (Germany, France, Austria, etc.) may have a different approach to treatment that suits you better. This applies especially to diseases that last a long time despite treatment.
We don’t think so. The prices are also adapted to the population with lower incomes.
Have these methods of video consultation already been successfully used?
Yes, they have. We have been using them successfully for 12 years.