[NJ Gene]

Kimmers,

The surgeon I have is one of the best in the country. He did the 2nd fusion on my neck 3 years ago and he did one on my lumbar spine as well. This surgeon happens to be African-American and is considered one of the top 10 surgeons in the country in this category. While he doesn't personally perform ADR yet, he has friends who do. He even said that one of his friends who is in the Baltimore area would come up to NYC to do ADR on me if I was adamant on doing it. Insurance might not cover it, but he could do it for less than what I would spend on my own in Europe. However, my surgeon told me if it was his neck, he would do a foraminotomy. He assured me that it would not rule out ADR in the future if warranted. Honestly, I'm not nearly in as bad shape as others who post on here. While we are behind Europe on ADR, largely because of the FDA, I do believe it will become more commonplace here in the next decade. I also believe insurance will ultimately cover multiple levels. Finally I believe Harrison has a good point, if something goes bad outside of the country accountability is not so easy.

Thanks again for your advice.

Gene