Ernest Braxton, MD | Spine Surgeon | Vail, Aspen, Denver, Grand Junction CO

About adminbraxtonmd

Dr. Ernest Braxton is a Board Certified neurosurgeon specializing in brain tumors, neurotrauma, and complex and minimally invasive outpatient spine surgery and artificial disc technology. He is passionate about minimally invasive spine surgery because patients return to performance faster. He is an expert with motion preservation technology such as artificial disc surgery and has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Braxton is an Afghan war veteran with extensive experience caring for complex combat injuries during Operation Enduring Freedom.

Dr. Braxton Completes First “Awake” Spine Surgery in Vail

adminbraxtonmd2019-08-15T02:47:44+00:00

Dr. Ernest Braxton, a Neurosurgeon at Vail-Summit Orthopaedics & Neurosurgery, introduced a first-of-its-kind-in-Vail procedure [...]

Dr. Braxton Completes First “Awake” Spine Surgery in Vailadminbraxtonmd2019-08-15T02:47:44+00:00

Prestige LP Cervical Disc

adminbraxtonmd2019-08-15T02:51:41+00:00

What is the Prestige LP® Cervical Disc? As both a neurosurgeon and neck surgeon, Dr. [...]

Prestige LP Cervical Discadminbraxtonmd2019-08-15T02:51:41+00:00

Posterior Cervical Laminectomy

adminbraxtonmd2019-08-15T02:52:27+00:00

What is Posterior Cervical Laminectomy? As a neck surgeon, Dr. Braxton performs posterior cervical laminectomy [...]

Posterior Cervical Laminectomyadminbraxtonmd2019-08-15T02:52:27+00:00

Mobi-C® Cervical Disc

adminbraxtonmd2019-08-15T02:53:30+00:00

What is the Mobi-C® Cervical Disc? The Mobi-C® Cervical Disc is an artificial disc that [...]

Mobi-C® Cervical Discadminbraxtonmd2019-08-15T02:53:30+00:00

Concussions in Sports

adminbraxtonmd2019-08-15T02:54:37+00:00

What is a Concussion? When there is a degree of impact or trauma to the [...]

Concussions in Sportsadminbraxtonmd2019-08-15T02:54:37+00:00

Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy

adminbraxtonmd2019-08-15T02:56:02+00:00

What is Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy? Cervical spondylotic myelopathy is a condition of the cervical spine, [...]

Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathyadminbraxtonmd2019-08-15T02:56:02+00:00

Cervical Laminoplasty

adminbraxtonmd2019-08-15T02:57:30+00:00

What is Cervical Laminoplasty? As a neck surgeon, Dr. Braxton performs cervical laminoplasty for patients [...]

Cervical Laminoplastyadminbraxtonmd2019-08-15T02:57:30+00:00

Artificial Disc Replacement Neck

adminbraxtonmd2019-08-15T02:58:35+00:00

What is an Artificial Disc Replacement in the Neck? As a neck surgeon, Dr. Braxton [...]

Artificial Disc Replacement Neckadminbraxtonmd2019-08-15T02:58:35+00:00

Cervical Anterior Microforaminotomy

adminbraxtonmd2019-08-15T03:02:18+00:00

What is Cervical Microforaminotomy? As a neck surgeon, Dr. Braxton performs anterior microforaminotomy disc preservation [...]

Cervical Anterior Microforaminotomyadminbraxtonmd2019-08-15T03:02:18+00:00

Anterior Cervical Decompression

adminbraxtonmd2019-08-15T03:00:55+00:00

What is Anterior Cervical Decompression and Fusion? Patients who have been diagnosed with any of [...]

Anterior Cervical Decompressionadminbraxtonmd2019-08-15T03:00:55+00:00

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Ernest Braxton, MD

Average rating:

7 reviews

Aug 1, 2019

by Gary T. on Ernest Braxton, MD

Jazz in the OR

"On July 24, 2019, I met with Dr. Ernest Braxton, my neurosurgeon to plan for spine surgery to correct Lumbar Spinal Stenosis. I was advised that surgery would last approximately three hours. I was given the option of foregoing general anesthesia to be fully awake under monitored anesthesia. I agreed to this groundbreaking procedure and was offered the option of watching a movie on an I-Pad for the duration. I proposed a music source on headphones instead and Dr. Braxton thought that was a great idea. I was told to bring my smartphone and headphones to the operation.

I checked in for my surgery on August 1 and was concerned that my smart phone and headphones might not pass the rigorous operation room sanitary standards. The OR team simply wiped them down and that became a non-issue. As the procedure began I lay face down on the operating table with headphones on and began listening to jazz on Pandora. I awaited the inevitable stings from injections. My normal inclination has always been to tense up not knowing the number and intensity of pending injections. I turned my attention to the sounds of jazz, visualizing the instrumentation that I was hearing and relaxed. Very shortly a nurse lifted a headphone to report the injections were complete. Discomfort was minimum. As the operation activity continued I was vaguely aware of background voices and varying pressures on the lumbar area of my back. The access incision was barely noticeable. My jazz concert was only occasionally interrupted by a nurse with a progress report and opportunity to ask questions. I was given a one-word signal to advise if IV anesthesia needed to be increased. Overall the dominant sensory presence was jazz. I was totally dialed in to the varying rhythms, the elusive melodies, and the emotional solos. I have no doubt that the jazz made the overall experience far more tolerable in my fully conscious experience. As I was rolled from the operation room to the recovery room I was struck by how clear my visual and audible senses were. This would not have been the case under general anesthesia. While I rested in the recovery room I could easily see how this could be a one-day outpatient experience. As it turned out, a variety of tests such as oxygen consumption ruled in favor of an overnight observation. The jazz immersion continued in the recovery room and I vowed to make it an integral part of my recovery at home. I was released the next day. Jazz continued to be at the core of my pain management in the following weeks of homebound recovery.

While jazz was my genre of choice, I have no doubt that other music passions such as classical or bluegrass would have similar therapeutic affects during conscious surgery. Surgery centers should be prepared to offer these listening options. The power of music cannot be overestimated."