This is Carly Beam with the Becker Spine
and Orthopedics podcast,
and I'm thrilled to be joined today by
doctor Ramen Roch, chief of neurosurgery at Saint
Catherine of Siena Hospital and Medical Center. Doctor
Roch, thank you so much for joining us
today.
It's my pleasure. Thank you for having me.
So before we dive into questions, I'd love
for you to just, you know, share a
bit more about your background expertise.
Yeah. Thank you very much.
As you probably know by now,
I am a neurosurgeon
experiencing,
brain and spine surgeries complex and minimally invasive.
Can you hear me okay?
Yes. I can. Oh, good. Thank you. And,
I joined my current
team of neurosurgeons
about nineteen years ago, and so I've been
in Long Island, New York for, you know,
about nineteen years now, almost twenty years.
And,
we have been,
you know, one of the busiest neurosurgery practice
in the country, one of the largest. And
over the past couple of years, we have
been recognized as number one neurosurgery
practice in the state of New York
by Castle Connolly. But, anyway,
yeah, I have been involved
with the brain and spine surgeries for for,
many years, and I've been involved in leaderships
at
the New York State Neurosurgery Society, Suffolk County
Medical Society, and I've been nominated now for,
vice president
of medical society of the state of New
York or.
So,
yeah.
And
I can I can I can keep going,
but but that's pretty much that's that's, you
know, a big part of it? The the
other thing is that I have also created
a brain nutrition supplement,
plant based
brand, which is called iMind.
And,
it's pretty much a healthy nutrition for a
brain, nutrition that is missing our daily diet
that is not needed for, normal function of
the brain
as a as a nutrition. And we created
I created these brands called EyeMind,
and it's
organic, non GMO, kosher, and and vegan, and
it's available on Amazon now.
So
but that's what I do on the site
also whenever you know, just, to do something
also fun.
Yeah. That's very fascinating. I definitely wanna circle
back on that. But to start, I'd love
to, you know, tap into just this most
recent leadership role that you've taken on, chief
neurosurgery
at Saint Catherine of Sienna. Can you talk
about your top three goals in that role
this year?
Sure.
So I've been elected
as I have been, you know, directed as,
you know,
as as as a new chief of North
Australia, Saint Catherine of Sierra Hospital. But, you
know, I have I have multiple goals this,
you know, this year for for my terms,
you know, achieved there.
You know, probably one of them, maybe the
most important one is to make sure that
St. Catherine Hospital is recognized as
as a place when people can trust and
and come have their brain and spine surgery
done there. You know? I've been, behind the
scenes involved with
improving the quality and and equipment and operating
room,
you know,
state of the you know,
advancement in a in in a way that,
you know, Saint Clair Hospital will be able
to perform most neurosurgical,
procedures.
In fact,
we have,
now one brand new
operating room that is state of the art
as far as technology and equipment goes for
brain and spine surgery. So we are able
to
perform most complex spine surgeries,
and, we're gonna be able to do, lots
of brain operations also. You know, we're also
trying to get level two trauma level at,
at Saint Kennedy Hospital,
taking care of brain and spine traumas.
Additionally,
you know, probably, I would say the most
important thing I wanna make sure that people
know in the communities that
we are able to perform most brain and
spine surgeries, you know, in in in local
community house hospitals.
These these hospital, they are, you know, now
very advanced as far as patient care and
and availability and
and and technology. You know? It's like
you know, when I when I came to
Long Island,
you know, many years ago,
most people pretty much used to go to
the city,
to the brand name institutions for their procedures.
And that throughout the years, because of our
presence, things have changed.
And, but still, I see people going to
the brand names, and they may or may
not know the name of their surgeons. But
because, you know, they go to these brand
institutions, you know, they, you know, they assume
that they're gonna get the best care better
than Long Island. But
my my goal is try to change this,
perception of
of, brand name quote, you know, that, you
know, people they they're attracted to. So I
wanna make sure that people, they know that
they don't need to go all the way,
sit in the traffic,
go to the city, and and have their
case done there, and
everything can be done here in Long Island.
So
so that that's that's one of my primary
goals. And in fact, you know, we are
you know, even though we are considered,
like, private practice, but in fact, there is
nothing private about about our practice. We, you
know, we are available here for patients in
their own
neighborhood. You know, we are available
twenty four seven. I mean,
we have mid level
practitioners who who take care of patients on
a daily basis. But ourselves, neurosurgeons,
most of my patients, you know, they can
find me same day. Lots of patients, they
have my cell phone.
And then it's like family care, one to
one care, and they are not like a
number.
So,
and the quality of care is it's fantastic.
So, this is a message that I wanna
make sure people understand that that,
you know, if if I have a family
member who needs care, I I won't take
them to the city. I'll just stay in
Long Island because
because we get the best care here.
Yeah. And I'd love to just kinda dive
deeper into your strategy, especially when it comes
to you know, sounds like you're acquiring acquiring
a lot of new technologies. I love to
you could just kind of dive in a
bit more on how you're gonna really differentiate,
yourself
from, you know, the the big names.
So, yes, as far as the big name
I've heard what the the the the technology
and the the capability and availability goes.
We have everything that the big names have
as far as the operating room.
You know?
Let's try to talk about, like,
interpretive
monitoring, interpretive navigations,
interpretive,
microsurgical
stuff,
and anesthesia,
post op care, pre op care.
And so so
so we have what we call the I
we always call the three three a's, which
is availability,
affability,
and,
and ability. So we have we have all
those three three
big a's, and and
and,
there's really not unless it's, like, something that
it's some clinical trials or something that people
that need to go for specific
reasons, then
then maybe. But, otherwise, everything can be done
pretty much here. And and it should be
left up to the surgeon
that if the surgeon thinks that, okay, this
needs to be dealt with in a, you
know, major
academic center, then then that's fine. We'll take
care of that. But, you know, short of
that, most most thing can be done here.
Then primary doctor, they should know that. They
should know that,
you know, rather than just directly send the
patient to big name, they should just contact
the local neurosurgeon,
your spine surgeon or brain surgeon,
and,
and discuss the case with them. And if
that surgeon thinks, okay. This needs to be
done in major brand names, then that's an
oratory. But, otherwise,
you know, it can be dealt with here
and on.
Absolutely. And I'd love to hear, you know,
what are some of the biggest headwinds that
you're facing this year, and how are you
gonna be getting ahead of them?
Yeah. I mean, there's always,
challenges with
patient,
you know, navigating through the patient's
outreach and and
and and and and and and and support.
And,
again,
you know, there's always concern that,
you know, patients'
insurance will or will not cover certain
admission surgeon certain surgeries.
So dealing with those,
you know, insurance situation is always is always
a challenge, but we are here to
help patients
through through this,
through the, you know, question that they have
regarding their,
insurance coverage. It's it's, you know, it's one
of the,
I would say, you know, major,
concern that patients they have,
of course, beside the brand names that we
mentioned.
I also want to ask you about you
mentioned the top of the podcast, your,
your supplement that you've created. You talk more
about that and how that kind of incorporates
into
the overall,
spine and brain well-being that you do?
Sure. Yes. You know, again, throughout my, you
know, my my career, I have,
noticed that, you know, you know, everybody is
worried about the the number of calories they
take a day. You know? What is the
sugar coming,
or what is the protein? And at the
end of the day, it's like, no one
really think about, do I really feed my
brain properly?
Does the nutrition that I'm consuming every day,
does that really provide the nutrition that my
brain needs as an as an
human organ?
And the answer to that, it's it's no.
As, you know, the diets that we have
here in, you know, pretty much western countries,
like,
lots lots of ingredients that they are needed
for the health of the brain. It's it's
it's missing in our in our daily nutrition.
And lots of them is provided are provided
by mother Earth. You don't need to create
some some chemical or artificial stuff or man
made stuff.
You know, throughout
thousands of years of
human relation with with nature,
you know,
everything is provided pretty much for health of
the brain by by mother earth and plants
and roots and nuts and fruits.
It's it's all in there. And
so I put together this this brand, and
I choose 15 plants and roots and nuts
that they are
good for the health of the brain and
the nutrition, and I try to avoid stuff
that could eventually cause potential side effects or
too much of any ingredients.
And, try to put these plants together without
adding any any sugar or any color or
any artificial
stuff. And
to be honest, it wasn't easy to make
the taste right because, you know, some of
those ingredients, they are bitter. Some of them,
they are sour. Some of them, they are
not sweet.
So but it took couple of years to
figure out the taste without really,
adding anything,
any artificial stuff to it. But
so now, this this EyeMind, they are in
sort of bars now.
You know? It's like, you know, you can
purchase them on Amazon, but it's it's a
very earthy and
natural taste, and we are almost five star
on Amazon. So
so that's that. I think it's just something
that it should be on every household,
every everyone's backpack. Should it
be part of people's lifestyle. You know? So
Yeah. That's really fascinating. And I'm wondering
how else, you know, besides, you know, your
side hustle, how else are you approaching kind
of like that more,
whole health, approach to your spine patients, not
just operating on them, but also just making
sure that
you have full wellness.
Absolutely. Yes. It's it's all about lifestyle. You
know, we measure nutrition, but also lifestyle. You
know, we always talk about
exercises, activities,
and and,
you know, take care of your, you know,
mind and body. But, yes, surgery usually is
the last thing that, you know, you you
you know, I will recommend if if you
can avoid it as much as possible. But
when people, they they come to us, when
it's needed, it's needed. And these days, the
surgical
procedure have advanced so much that
pretty much my goal is to for lots
of patients to get patients home for dinner.
You know? It's like minimally invasive,
respecting
the the anatomy, normal anatomy, and and natural,
you know, tissues and really fix the problem
and and make patients feel better. And, you
know, one thing I would say is that
people, they should avoid looking to all the
stuff that is
online or or social media because it can
be very confusing. People, they can put whatever
they want on there, and there's really no
filtration.
And I would say they should listen to
their doctor, to their surgeon,
and,
you know, doctor Google can be can be
confusing.
So,
but yeah. I mean, you know, really, we
have combination of, lifestyle
and and eventually surgery when it's needed or
conservative management. All that stuff
really is helping a lot. You know? Patient
do not need to to suffer for for
too long. And one thing I was
I I I wanna add is that,
you know, yes, my pain management colleagues, I
love them. They're great,
physicians, extremely helpful for patients' quality of life,
but there should be some sort of limit
to that. It's like too many epidural injections,
too many
of
any of too many medication, too I mean,
all those stuff can have more side effect
than just fixing the problem when when it's
recommended or needed. And the patient should not
be afraid of,
indicated,
procedures. That's all.
Yeah. And I'm curious how how, you approach
these conversations with pain management
physicians to really strike that balance.
It's a it's a it's a very good
question, and and it's sometimes not easy. But
I think pain management physician, they should
consider to refer the patients to surgeons when
they have tried a couple of months or
a couple of injections or, you know, few
times rather than
continuing doing same thing and patient to get
only temporary result, they should really refer the
patient to to proper surgeons. Like,
you know, lots of time, you know, it
becomes like a band aid treatment.
I mean, it's one thing if patient,
physically or mentally or not not candidate or
not ready for any surgery, yes,
pain management would be a good alternative. But
when there is really anatomical
problems and, like, say,
severe compression on the on the nerve roots
in the spine. I mean, you can do
as many epidural as you want, but then
at the end of the day, it will
be band aid treatment. So and once patient,
they start having, like, neurology or deficits, like
weakness, numbness, and stuff like that, then then
it they should it should be really referred
to a surgeon.
The last question I had for you today
is, what do you think will be the
next big game changer in spine surgery?
I think we are going more and more
towards,
minimally invasive procedures.
And,
you know, we talk always about robotic surgery
and, endoscopic surgeries, all that stuff. Endoscopic surgery,
we are doing it now robotics. Yeah. We
start doing that. But but even before that,
I think, spinal navigation
technology and microsurgical
techno techniques are are really,
extremely helpful in patient's outcome. And, again, you
know, patient,
they recover, like, very fast and
and,
you know, with the again, our goal is
to get patients home,
and back to lifestyle and and activities as
soon as possible.
Right. Well, doctor Rock, thank you so much
for joining us on today's podcast.
It's a great conversation, and I look forward
to connecting again in the future.
Absolutely. My pleasure. Thank you very much.