Earlier this month, a patient came to see Dr. Sham Vengurlekar complaining of excruciating back pain. This patient had been turned away from two hospitals, each of which said he had “muscle spasms.” They had missed a critical and potentially life-threatening injury.
Dr. Vengurlekar did not dismiss this patient’s pain complaint. He completed a manual exam and three MRIs, only to discover that this patient had a fractured vertebrae and spinal infection. Within two hours, Dr. Vengurlekar admitted this patient to the hospital. The patient had spine surgery the following morning at dawn with IV antibiotics. He was on the verge of complete paralysis from a cord compression, caused by epidural abscess.
Without question, the speed and efficiency of Dr. Vengurlekar’s diagnosis saved this patient from impending paralysis (and perhaps even death). The patient is extremely grateful.
