Sunday, July 14,
2002
Spine
surgeon saw a need in Abilene
By Brian Bethel
Reporter-News Staff Writer
At a young age, Dr.
Paul McDonough was exposed to two different sides of the medical
world.
One of his grandfathers
was a family practitioner. Another died after having spine surgery,
made necessary by years of professional football injuries.
Paul Roy McDonough,
for whom Dr. McDonough is named, was a pro ballplayer for the
Cleveland Rams and the Pittsburgh Pirates, but a series of back
injuries left him in the clutches of debilitating pain. He died
not long after having back surgery at the age of 42.
McDonough’s
father told him stories of having to help his once hale-and-hearty
grandfather out of bed each morning because of his condition.
“I never got
a chance to meet him, but I remember hearing that story,”
he said. “I would sometimes sit and think about his back
surgery and wonder why it led to his untimely death.”
Years later, McDonough’s
step-grandfather was a primary surgeon serving in southern Utah.
McDonough recalls during his summer visits hearing him creep out
of the house in the night, the door softly closing behind him
as he prepared to fly his small plane to wherever he was needed.
“He told me
a great number of surgery stories when I stayed with them,”
he said. “All of these things essentially added up to my
taking an interest in medicine.”
Spine surgery has
made incredible progress since McDonough’s grandfather died,
and the grandson who bears his name is at the forefront of innovation
in that field.
With an impressive
resume and years of training under his belt, McDonough, who came
to Abilene less than a year ago, employs microsurgical techniques
using a powerful microscope to make spine surgery as minimally
invasive as possible.
“The idea is
simple: The less invasive the procedure, the easier it will be
on the patient,” he said. “What we’re able to do
now is make extremely small incisions and conduct very precise
surgical work that lessens recovery time and is overall far more
agreeable to the patient.”
The physician came
to Abilene after hearing of its family-friendly atmosphere, thinking
it would be an excellent place to start a practice.
“No one needs
to or should have to travel three hours to Dallas for similar
spine care,” he said. “I saw a genuine need in this
area for the sorts of services I knew I could provide.”
He said he has not
been disappointed in the locals, finding Abilenians equal to their
kindly reputation.
“I have found
the people of Abilene are generally very down-to-earth and appreciative
of someone’s efforts to help them,” he said. “...
I enjoy helping them find solutions for their problems.”
Need to succeed
McDonough was driven
to excel at an early age. The oldest of six children, he said
setting an example for his brothers and sisters was essential.
“I took this
responsibility seriously in many facets of my life, particularly
in academic achievement,” he said.
As an undergraduate
at the University of Utah, he excelled in the sciences, majoring
in chemistry while intrigued by his physics and anatomy courses.
Those two interests eventually led him to the art and science
of orthopedic surgery.
Since completing
his medical training, McDonough has distinguished himself by publishing
multiple research papers in spine journals from 1998 to 2001,
including a survey of neck surgeries in the prestigious research
journal Spine.
He has also performed
extensive research in spinal surgery and presented his results
at medical conferences in New Orleans, San Francisco, Atlanta,
and Edinburgh, Scotland.
McDonough participated
in research for the FDA approval of bone morphogenic protein,
the first genetically engineered product available for the spine,
he said.
“It’s a
protein that stimulates the body to make more bone, which speeds
healing immensely,” he said.
McDonough presented
the results of the research at the annual meeting of the International
Society for Study of the Lumbar Spine in Edinburgh, last summer.
Of all the instruction
he has received, McDonough said he values his fellowship training
under the direction of Dr. Thomas Zdeblick most.
“He is the developer
of much of the modern spinal instrumentation and is known worldwide,”
McDonough said. “Training with a world-class spine surgeon
really helped me develop my surgical decision-making skills.”
Spine fellowship
training is the highest level of training available in spine surgery
in the United States, and its inclusion allows McDonough to perform
complex surgeries while preparing him to find the best alternatives
for each patient, he said.
“The most gratifying
portion of my work for me is working with people who have had
severe pain for months, or even years, and then seeing them get
relief with surgery and returning to the activities they enjoy,”
he said.
Making a difference
That said, spine
problems can be complex.
“It takes much
physical and mental energy and devotion to carefully evaluate
each patient and perform the delicate and complex surgeries,”
he said. “The results, both for them and for me, are worth
it, though.”
Sharon Anders, owner
of the Mezamiz coffee house on South 7th Street, knows firsthand
the benefits of such surgery. McDonough operated on her neck a
few months ago, and her recovery has been “remarkable,”
she said.
“I was in terrible,
terrible pain,” she said. “We’d tried everything
first before opting for surgery, including shots in the neck,
physical therapy, you name it. Nothing seemed to relieve it at
all.”
McDonough performed
a variety of sophisticated surgical work on Anders’ neck.
“Now, I have
people who ask me who worked on my neck because they can see such
a difference,” she said. “It really made a positive
impact on my life, and he was a wonderful, caring physician throughout
it all.”
Although his career
is important to him, and he has devoted much time to building
his practice in the mere months he has been in town, McDonough
also allocates time for his family and other pursuits, such as
golf and playing guitar.
“He’s incredibly
down to earth,” said Dr. Dale Funk, a local orthopedic specialist
who works with McDonough. “He’s not from Texas originally,
but he may as well be. He’s an extremely laid-back, personable
guy, and he’s a remarkable surgeon.”
Contact
wellness writer Brian Bethel at 676-6739 or bethelb@reporternews.com
Preventing spine
problems
- The best way to
deal with spine problems is to avoid them. Abilene spine surgeon
Dr. Paul McDonough offers the following tips:
- Physical fitness,
including maintaining a reasonable weight and activity level,
is important. Exercises that focus on abdominal and back muscle
strength can be helpful.
- Quit smoking. Smoking
has been associated with early disc degeneration and reduces
the effectiveness of spine surgery.
- Maintain correct
posture and use correct lifting techniques, using the legs instead
of the back. Also, do not lift more weight than is appropriate
for your body size.
Paul McDonough
- Age: 34
- Occupation: Spine
surgeon with Orthopedic Associates of Abilene
- Education: Graduated
top 10 percent, medical school, University of California in Los
Angeles, 1995; awarded Longmire Medal for most outstanding graduating
student in surgery; residency training, UCLA Medical Center;
fellowship training, University of Wisconsin
- Family: Wife, Kristy;
three children, Allison, 10, Kimberly, 8, and Kirsten, 4
- Community involvement:
member, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
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