ADR in Ontario Canada

[jss]

Originally Posted by Jstuckey

Appreciate all info! Thanks! Sending info to Munich and Barcelona tomorrow. Will check out Brazil as well!

Joey Sue,

I had a double cervical ADR with Dr Clavel in Barcelona in Nov '09 and will be running my second post-surgical marathon this Sunday. I did EXTENSIVE research for my insurance appeal all summer and the name that seemed to surface more than any other in scientific studies was Dr Pimenta. Dr Zeegers' credentials and abilities are beyond question by any standard.

It looks to me as though you are choosing from the best of the best.

Here's praying for an outstanding outcome. Please keep us posted.

Good luck!

Jeff

[robinj]

Hay Ouch,

You can see my story at:New member with failed Prodisc

Dr DeMeulenaere is from South Africa and has been in Brandon for about 5 yrs. He said he done over 100 1 & 2 level Prodiscs before coming to Canada. At the time I had my discs done he was the only one of 3 Doc's in Western Canada doing ADR's.
OHIP payed, but you have your travel costs which you can claim on your income tax.
If my operations had been successfull I would tell everyone to have ADR done. But being in my current pain, I wish I had not had it done as I was in less pain before my 1st operation.

[Simenad]

Originally Posted by ouch2

Hi I am new to this forum. I need to either have ADR or fusion at the l5/s1 level. I was wondering if anyone knows or has had experience with any surgeons in Ontario Canada that perform both?
thanks

Dr Duggal in London does it as he was going to do mine (same disk) until he found out the L4,L5 was gone as well. He wouldn't do two in a row. So that's where I'm at. I fnally got a call from some place in Ft.Lauderdale that my Ontario GP reffered me to. They asked me a few questions and said they would be discussing the case and get back to me today. Had one of those places call before and just want to do physio again but the last neurosurgeon that I had seen told me not to go to chiros or thereapist because the more I more it the more the nurves were being damaged.

[banhorn]

I'm new around here, but has anyone had any luck in Alberta? I'm about to have my first appointment at our local Spine Clinic and would like to know some names to ask about.

Cheers,

-Brett

[5maybe6]

Hi, My husband currently has 5 damaged discs - L1 through to S1; most are DDD and he also has some protrusion and narrowing of areas that the nerves leave the vertebrae (sorry don't have the MRI infront of me to give you proper Med terms).

In 1991 he had a discectomy performed on L4/5, which was totally successful. Then through physiotherapy they pushed him too far and shattered the above vertebrae. Into surgery again (4 months later) this time a lamenectomy was performed (50/50 chance of being parapalegic).

Since the second surgery was not so successful, as he has been in constant pain ever since, and the injury is just continuing to manifest itself - I finally have convinced him to seek ADR. Even if it was able to remove 1/2 his pain, he would be better off.

We've exhaused all the Ont. Doctors that perform ADR, and they have all replied "don't do this" or "too many patients" - ONLY AFTER REVIEWING HIS MRI. Funny how they were unable to tell us this before hand.

Our family physician is behind us going States side (where his Neurosurgeon is now; and who is also performing ADR) - we are trying him first, but we are also interested in Dr. Bertagnoli in Germany - as he has now performed 4 ADRs at once.

Has anyone even approached OHIP about going overseas? I know that transportation is not covered, but since we have exhausted our resources here (which is what the application requires) and our physician is behind us - has anyone have any info?

We are also very uncomfortable going to a hospital based on a Web Site - it's weird.... it's so un-Canadian medicine.

I guess any re-assurance and detailed accounts of what it's like going overseas would be very appreciated - I'm willing to speak over personal e-mail.

Thanks

5maybe6

[ouch2]

Thank you all so much for all your posts! I ended up having a discectomy/lami 5 months ago...it was unsuccessful. I have gone for another opinion since then, and am going to have ADR L5/S1.

I am very scared, but excited at the same time, as my pain has gotten sooo much worse. I found a surgeon in Montreal (Jarzem)who is going to do the surgery.

Now I am going to dive in to all the posts about ADR, to try to prepare myself.

Thank you all again, hope that everyone is doing well.

Karen

[dooggie]

I have had a fruitless adventure of trying to get my family dr to referal me too a neurosurgeon in ontario.Through my own investigations i discovered about dr bertagnoli in germany and sent all my medical information and he gave me the bad news for a single level ADR .Worse news was the bill $33,000. I got a second referal through placidway to a dr in korea it was less than half at $16,000.But getting finacing when your recently bankrupt is impossible.You can try medicard they will finance up to $17,000.Anyhow scraching my last brain cell, how am i gonna get a refferal to a neurosurgeon in ontario .How do you circumvent your family dr to get a referal.This is what i did!I found a neurosurgeon in london Ontario who does Artificial disc replacement.I went to a london ontario area hospital emergency and complained of certian ailments (Not Pain as pain is subjective and you will just get sent back too your family dr.)Kind of embarrising so i wont say what the ailment was.I was told in emerg that i have no neurological signs and the next dr after a neurologist was a neurosurgeon and if i wanted to see a neurosurgeon they could make the referal for me.Got the letter in the mail 2 days latter but i still have to wait 5 months too see him.So i wait! Sneaky yes!But you have too do what you have to do right!

[ouch2]

Hi and welcome! Glad to hear that you were able to get an appointment with an adr surgeon. I'm not sure about how you went about it, but do understand how frustrating it can be to find a surgeon.

I think I know which surgeon it is, didn't realize they were still doing adr, so great that they are.

I am getting my adr in 6 days in Quebec.

All the best to you

Karen

[cherylstewart67]

what insurance do you have?