DASCOR

[Jason B]

Has anyone either had or heard about someone else participating in the clinical trials for DASCOR?

Specifically, I would be interested in post-op progress etc.

Thanks.

[dylan]

yeah man,
I am getting one next week
with dr regan. I just talked to the receptionist and they are all over the news.
Their first patient was up and walking with no back pain 4 days after the surgery.
check the thread in arthroplasty titled "new techniques"

[WILLIAM]

Hi Dylan. Good luck next week....as you know I am also considering the Dascor if my discogram gives the right kind of diagnosis. Trouble is I don't know what the right kind is although I DO know the annulus must be in a reasonably good state. What is your diagnosis ? sorry if youve stated this somewhere else but I haven't seen it and it would be useful to compare notes....eg. back only pain or leg as well, pain on sitting...standing....or all the time....and is it a tear or something else. Thanks.

[Jason B]

Dylan,

good luck on the surgery and PLEASE keep us posted when you are ready to give some feedback.

Procedure looks real promising to me from the perspetive of someone looking to stay as non invasive as possible.

[sharman]

I'm so glad you guys are into this. I think these new technologies are very exciting, and I need someone to talk to about them!

I'm hoping to post a bunch of thoughts and info this week--including on ADCT (injection of cultured cells taken from nucleus, least invasive of all), and look forward to your thoughts.

William, some quick thoughts (for what it's worth) about determining if you are a candidate for nucleus replacement:

1) Need disc height at least 5mm

2) With ADCT, they 'pressure test' the disc to determine if the annulus is competent. I may be wrong, but I'd think, if you went through a discogram and the tears didn't leak, your annulus is cool.

3) The nucleus replacements being done in this country are clinical trials. There may be more stringent requirements (such as, no previous surgery) that have nothing to do with being a candidate for the procedure, but rather getting a straightforward trial patient population.

The procedures--including the vast variety of devices and implant procedures now available--are available in Germany.

4) Also wrt the trials. Nucleus replacement is often done in conjunction with a discectomy, where the discectomy is indicated to fix a herniation. But I'm pretty sure the technology is also indicated to address low back pain, with or without a discectomy. One thing I do not know is, with the clinical trials going on in this country, is it only in conjunction with a discectomy?

[WILLIAM]

thanks for that. I cant speak for the usa but in the UK where I live, the Dascor trial is definitely available without a discectomy. Looking forward to any more info on ADCT etc.

[Rob Wilson]

Does anyone know which surgeons in the USA are invloved in this trial? Is Dr. Bertagnoli involved in Germany?

Thanks

[sharman]

Dr Yue in New Haven is doing a trial on one of the PDNs (the Neudisc, I think). He has a website (sorry for being lazy here--google 'Neudisc'). But I got no answer to two emails I sent asking for info.

[sharman]

Rob Wilson, small world, I grew up in Youngstown. What was the story with your unsuccessful ADRs (very sorry to hear that)? Why are you considering nucleus replacement?

[Rob Wilson]

I am 1 year post 2 level ADR at L4-5 and L5-S1 from Stenum Hospital. I have had continued back and leg pain (mostly leg pain in the medial calf and ankle) since the ADR's but the MRI and myelogram did not show much especially since the ADR's blur the pictures. The myelogram did show some clumping of the nerves consistent with arachnoiditis. I even went to an arachnoiditis expert, Dr. Burton in St. Paul, MN., and he stated that there was some arachnoiditis but it seemed mild and wouldn't cause all my symptoms. Therefore, I took the plunge and had some decompression surgeries at the Laser Spine Institute in Tampa, Fla. I had L4, L5 and S1 decompressed. All these nerves were compressed and inflamed with scar tissue, bone spurs, and bulging discs. The surgeries seemed to help but I still have intense pains in my medial calves and ankles (both). Does anyone else have these symptoms. These symptoms are all L4 dermatome that I just had decompressed. I guess the only causing factors could be:

1. still getting over post op pain at L4
2. arachnoitis
3. L4 is degenerative and need a discogram to confirm.