McCord David H MD PC

Dr David McCord grew up in Hopkinsville Kentucky His father Dr Gerald McCord was a family practitioner there for many years and inspired the best in his son Because Dr Gerald McCord was a juvenile diabetic he personally understood how medical conditions could affect every aspect of ones life His compassionate medical practice became the model of care Dr David McCord wanted to emulate in his own spine practice Dr David McCord graduated as valedictorian from Hopkinsville High School and summa cum laude from Vanderbilt University Following medical school at Cornell University he did a surgical internship and orthopaedic residency at Duke University Dr McCord completed his spine fellowship with worldrenowned spine surgeon Dr Paul McAfee formally of Johns Hopkins University Dr McCord became board certified and has practiced as a Spine Specialist in Nashville for over twenty years with his care limited to spine neck and back related issues In the early 1990s Dr McCord was instrumental in the development of semiflexible disc cage replacements and participated in the original FDA study Dr McCords pioneering work combined with guest surgeries and lectures across the globe helped lead to major changes in the field of back surgery Today disc cages are commonly used throughout the world Dr McCords progressive insight into back and neck treatments for over two decades has improved the lives of countless patients In 1993 he designed and implemented a minimally invasive technique and instrumentation to become the first surgeon to replace a disc with a cage through a scope He has continued to redesign and improve disc cages with subsequent new FDA approvals and his insight has led to a patent application He remains dedicated to refining surgical treatments for optimal patient satisfaction Dr McCord believes the best outcomes start with a thorough diagnosis In 2008 he spearheaded bringing Upright MRI technology to Tennessee This revolutionary Open MRI offers imaging in weightbearing positions previously impossible to obtain By scanning the spine in the position pain occurs diagnostic capabilities can be over 50 more accurate than with traditional liedown MRIs Accurate diagnoses combined with advanced treatments form the basis for Dr McCords goal for favorable outcomes Dr McCord has many times successfully treated patients who had previous unsuccessful surgical interventions elsewhere He strives to improve patients symptoms with little or no residual pain restore their active lifestyles and reduce or eliminate their need for pain medications Dr McCord believes successful patients tend to be wellinformed and secure with the decisions they make regarding their healthcare His practice works to educate patients on their specific anatomical problems the natural course of the issues if left untreated and the treatment choices including conservative care If surgery is an option the chance of a good outcome is discussed along with associated risks of an unexpected outcome By providing this information patients are empowered with their decisionmaking process Spine neck and back surgery is almost always an elective procedure and ultimately must be the patients choice