M6 Lumbar Question, anyone with M6-L?

[biakenny]

Hi, I am looking at 1 or mostly likely 2 levels L4-S1 ADR. Is there anyone on this forum who has had it done with M6?

Thank you!

[Jstuckey]

Not yet, but likely will in about 12 weeks. Let me know if you want any info on my research to date, or go to my blog and dicipher what you want from it!

[brokenbrian]

Originally Posted by Jstuckey

Not yet, but likely will in about 12 weeks. Let me know if you want any info on my research to date, or go to my blog and dicipher what you want from it!

I read your blog. Wow, thats a lot of fighting with insurance. Can I ask you, what was the first step in suck a longs process? Did you first start with and email and send in some MRI's and such or did you start with a phone call. I am wanting to get 2 M6's and I really don"t know where to start. I"m sure my insurance wont cover it, but I still plan to call them and get some info.

I find this whole processes of getting started is very overwhelming and I am just curious what steps to make first. It seems like where I live I cant get anything done because any Dr. I see wants to go to fusion and I don't even get a choice of an ADR.

Brian

[Jstuckey]

Well, here's some advice...
You won't get M6's here (US), they aren't FDA approved. You can check the clinical trials and see if there are any going on that you might qualify for. Home - ClinicalTrials.gov . That is one way to get around insurance and lack of FDA approval, but you have to meet the qualifications.
First step? Make sure you have all of your medical reports handy, because if you do start to inquire with other doctors, they'll need those in order to give you a recommendation and quote. You can get all of your films on a CD from the facility that did the tests. I didn't get charged by any of the locations - that surprised me.

Keep reading this site. I go to it every day reading the new posts, as well as poke around at old posts related to my condition, and still have not (after6 months) found a day that didn't enlighten me with something. This is a good way to get a good feeling about a doctor overseas or in another part of the US, if that is where you are starting to look. There are similar sites like this one, but I've mostly stayed here, not wanting to spend more than the few hours I take out of my day already on this subject!
Once you get some physician names that you feel good about, just "google" them and find their homepage, and contact them. They all have slightly different methods of communicating, some using what is not-so-lovingly referred to "spine brokers". That middle man will call you within a few hours and tell you how to submit information for your recommendations and quotes. They can be a little pushy, or give advice that they aren't qualified to give (prefaced with, "I'm not a doctor, but...."). I didn't worry about them too much, as I think busy surgeons need someone to handle inquiries. Just don't put much faith in them until you get to the surgeon. The physicians will generally email, after receiving your medical reports (Overseas that is. I haven't tried US physicians as my general theory is: If insurance won't pay for my local surgeon, I'm going out of the country for what I consider more experienced/better options).
I was most impressed with the progress I made in this process due to the phone consultation with Nick Boeree for which there was a fee, but in the scheme of things, very useful and important.
And yes, fighting the insurance company isn't fun, but I figured I might as well keep sending in the appeals (with attached letters and research gleened from the internet) so that in the end, I know that I've thoroughly tried everything financially, research-wise, and utlimately medically to get a handle on this ever present spine issue.

One other thing I found helpful... my family doctor (that initially referred me to the specialists) mentioned that one of his other patients had a 3 level ADR in Germany. I asked if he could connect us, and after getting permission from his patient, I got his name/number and we talked on the phone. Having a local guy (in my small town in Indiana) with a first hand experience available by phone was helpful. He had a 3 level M6 lumbar at Stenum in the summer. (Doing well)

Feel free to private message me, or whatever is helpful to you. You'll be helping others too down the road, I suspect.

[brokenbrian]

Thank you very much for taking the time to give me so much info, I really do appreciate it. Now I can form a plan, and it sounds like the first thing I need to do is get all my images together. I too read this and a few other sites almost every day and I still keep learning. I have gathered enough information to know what I want, now comes the hard part of making it happen.

I may have some questions in the future and may have to pm you. Thank you for the help, and good luck I hope all goes well when you finally get your ADR's.

Brian