Hi, I ve been victimized by ankylosing spondylitis for thirty-five years. Sixteen years ago this upcoming August a resection osteotomy and fusion in the t-11, t-12 (andersen lesion) was performed on me by a prominent spinal specialist at Buffalo General hospital. Recently I was diagnosed with drop foot by my rheumatologist, after complaining of progressive numbness in my right leg (I ve also had hip replacements). My rheumatologist believes the numbness generates from my spine (I ve been dealing with a dull, constant ache on my lower right side for some time). My problem: the surgeon in Buffalo no longer accepts medicare patients, and I can t afford to pay out of pocket. Therefore, I need to find a new surgeon in the upstate New York region (not far from the Elmira/Corning area where I live). Equally frustrating is my inability to get a good radiology reading of what s going on since the hardware in my spine (rods and pedicle screws from s-1 to t-6) generates a lot of scattering. Not sure why but every time I go to my local hospital for a ct-scan I m told it is too hard to determine a reading of the area in question due to the scattering. I attribute to lousy, dated equipment, since I usually get a good read on x-rays in Buffalo. I wrote my rheumatologist last week, but, as in the past, he s overwhelmed and doesn t get back to me. If you have any suggestions I would appreciate your advice. Thank you,