Stenum Hospital

[jf110]

Has anyone else been hearing reports that Stenum Hospital is having big problems as of lately?. I wolud really like to know what problems they are actually having. I have spoke to a lot of patients that have had adr surgery there in the past and there experiences and outcomes were good. If anyone has some information on this, sure would like to know. thx, JF110

[MrBee]

Whoa Jf,

You have asked a loaded question coming from me. I went to Stenum in August of 04. I had in late Dec 03 and early January 04 had three in a row, hemilaminectomys. I had a vicious rupture of my L4/L5 disc, blowing up the spinal canal 22mm, transversely 10mm, posteriorly 8-10mm and anteriorly 8-10mm.

After the first surgery it ruptured again. After the second surgery a blood clot formed on the root of my spinal cord. That was surgery #3. All-in 14 days. My neurosurgeon suggested the ADR in my case due to my age and activity level (46 and very fit).

By June I had exhausted all stateside avenues for the Charite (the particular device I preferred) My insurance (Health Net) declined to pay for FDA clinical trials (at least that was what I was told and Cedars Sinai where I was scheduled to have it done on June 24). Then just last month I found out they lied to me and they do pay for FDA approved clinical trials, so the lesson here is to dig deep.

After finding Stenum on GetADR.com I called and was jubilant to find Malte Petersen a phone call away with all the right answers. So long story short we went to Stenum, they examined me and said my L3-L4 needed to be replaced (never had a disc-go-gram, which was scheduled at Cedars too). So on August 7th, the magic was performed. On my third day I walked 3 miles, I even walked out of recovery in 3 hours, and hospital policy is 24.

The only issue was my abdomen was very swollen and bruised. I kept asking and was told it is nothing. More on that later. Then we had the exit x-rays taken, my L3 ed plate was at a 15 degree angle, I asked Dr. Zechel about this, again no problem, it isn't clinically relevant.

In checking the films of three other Americans we all had crazy placements. More on that too. So we go home, on the plane I get sick, the flight attendants get a doctor who examines me and says when we get to LA go straight to the hospital. We did. I was hospitalized for 10 days with a seroma, which is a build up of abdominal fluid.

They removed 900 ml the first time. In 5 days another 150 ml which hurt a nerve to my left leg and caused phantom pain to rip my muscles again (happened when I blew the disc). So after 6 weeks and the next x-ray the L3 was now at a 30 degree angle. Oh did I say that since the surgery I had daily lock ups which were ghastly painful?

So after numerous emails to Stenum and all returned with this is not clinically relevant I sent my films to DePuy Spine. In two days I was speaking to the Manager of Product development, who said they will have the Waldemar Link office check into this, a week later I get an email from Stenum, saying Mr. Beeson your subsidence is now clinically relevant.

So, in late Oct 04 off to Stenum and I brought with me Mark (mmglobal) as my companion. He was exceedingly helpful and he was approved to scrub up and attend my surgery as an observer for my revision surgery.

The surgery was performed on Oct 23rd, this time it was a 180 from the first one the pain was sky-high. In recovery I asked the nurse to stop the morphine, so I could check my left leg (my problematic leg since the ruptures) after it wore off, Mark and a friend checked my left leg which I couldn�t fell at all. It was cold.

After a marathon doctor's meeting I was taken to the Red Cross in Bremen and a CT was performed. It revealed an occlusion of my left iliac artery. This was serious, but they said not leg threatening. So after a week I was taken back to the Red Cross and an angiogram with stints was done. This was not successful. So after all these agonizing tests I desired to go home with my wife (she flew over on an emergency flight) so we came home.

Right into the hospital here for pain mgt. My pain was so severe I routinely blacked out and had sky rocketing BP. Followed by it dropping to a dangerously low point. At this time, a vascular surgeon saw me and said I must wait until my nerve pain in my left leg resolved prior to having a bypass plastic graft installed around this closed artery.

So after ten days I came home and was in recovery on massive narcotics, nerve drugs, pain patches you name it. In Feb of this year I saw another vascular surgeon who performed another angiogram, this too failed to open the artery. Now I am not able to walk more then 100ft and I have a new acute pain in my low left abdomen which precipitated numerous tests to see I my colon or intestines were damaged. All negative.

My PMD last week said it is a cut or severed femoral nerve. This echoed what the vascular doctors said too. During this time I went to UCLA and was taken aback by this excellent surgeon who first asked why I decided to wait this long I said the first vascular doctor told me too. This guy flipped out and said now I have a very difficult complex surgery due to the 4 months of scar tissue on top of scar tissue in my abdomen blocking access to my artery to bypass it.

Bottom line is this, I am waiting for this surgery which will either be done in April if my HMO approves or in May when my PPO starts. The surgeon said any one doing this aorta-fem bypass will have a 50/50 chance of not damaging my left ureter tube which will cause my left kidney to fail.

Also I have a life long chance of losing my leg and the grafts only have a patency of 5 to 10 years. So if you wanted a horror story this is it. Does Stenum perform successful ADR's yes. However only by the hair on their chinny chin chin. Since they do not follow the Charite installation manual of placement and they do not use a 360 degree radiography x-ray to check position of the implant and oh make sure it is the right size. That is what they finally told us in Oct that they used a too small of size.

So Jf, this was a mini book but you asked for it I wish I could condense it but if I told the whole agonizing story it would blow Rich's server.

It is your gamble if you wish to go to Stenum many others has successful outcomes from Stenum but it is due to shear luck not surgical skill. I can say this confidently because Mark witnessed Stenum's technique and tools during this surgery.

Any way I can help let me know, I mainly stay in bed due to the ab pain which is murderous after 45 minutes of sitting.

Best to you in your search.

Willie
(mrbee)
Ps; my story is true and as to my reference to others with problems I know of four from Stenum who have had to have revision surgery. Albeit I was the only one to have the device explanted and reimplanted. If any others are out there I would like to know too.

[Carmont]

There are several people that have had poor outcomes from Stenum. I happen to be one of them. In Aug. '04, I had a two level ADR at Stenum. I had to return in Oct. '04 for repair. Stenum put in a Dynesys over my Charites to correct a tilted vertebra. PM me if you want details.
Carmen Montgomery

[Alastair]

Jeff I have left you a PM

The awful thing about the above is that it was avoidable - - - all of them were at the time I think?

Best
Alastair

[jf110]

Thanks for the reply about Stenum Hospital. I really appreciated your comments. Thanks again JF

[bbuchanan]

I just got back from Stenum a couple weeks ago. I had two ADRs on 8 April: C5/C6 and L5/S1. Of the 8 patients in our surgical group, one had unexpected complications. My experience was fantastic and I have seen incredibly positive outcomes in several patients. I don't doubt that all clinics have serious complications on a regular basis if they perform many surgeries.

From my reading of the literature, about 1 out of 10 patients receiving fusion have serious complications or failure. I believe the rate is about the same for ADR. [of course, the positive outcomes of ADR are amazing]. It would be interesting to learn/compare these rates for the different clinics.

While I have some small complaints about Stenum, my praise greatly overwhelms these. I would go back in a heartbeat.

Bryant

[Carmont]

bbuchanan - I am so glad that you had a good experience at Stenum and that you are OK. Whew!