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Old 01-26-2014, 02:05 PM
bwink23 bwink23 is offline
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Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 263
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To me any chance of retaining the natural motion of my spine has to be better than fusing it. Yes, there are some bad ADR stories out there, but no more than you'll find for fusion. It makes sense to keep the motion your body was intended to have. When a segment is fused, somewhere your body is gonna make up for that deficit, which is always a negative impact. At least with ADR, there is a chance of revising it if things go wrong. With fusion, there is no turning back at all, with no alternatives. Plus, i'm not fond of the extreme potential of other discs decaying, which would lead to even more fusions, even less flexibility, and more disability.

The 3D-printing thing looks really cool, but we don't have time for that, who knows in 20-30 years?? Even if you get an ADR and for some reason it gives you fits in 15-20 years and the only alternative is fusion...that's 15-20 years of your life you didn't inadvertently destroy your remaining discs, not due to aging. Who knows, in 15-20 years, they may be able to revise these discs by "rebuilding" them while leaving plates intact. Hopefully modern medicine will continue to advance at a good pace. I personally would hope my future ADR's will last my lifetime.

WHY do i want surgery?? I have a small spondy with pars defect fracture, along with DDD disease at another level that keeps me from working and doing what i want to do. I've hobbled along for 3-4 years now as it's gotten progressively more difficult to deal with. I'm at a point where i'm not gonna get better and only getting worse. I feel if i try to wait longer, i could cause further damage to surrounding areas of my spine, maybe even other discs. The sciatic pain flares and hip, leg pain can make it difficult for me to walk sometimes. I've had both my hips scoped(arthritis, torn cartilage and impingements) in hopes i wouldn't have to touch my spine. Unfortunately it did not work out for me. My back has clinical defects present that have been shown to give my type of symptoms. I don't know what or where else i can get treated that will take of the problem. I understand that DDD is not an indicator of pain, that people can have it and not feel the symptoms. I asked Dr. Clavel if he thinks i would need a discogram to be sure, he said NO. So i'm gonna go with that, throw myself into the fire and hopefully come out a new man.
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2013 - MRI and CT scan....DDD L4-S1
left side (where my pain is) interarticularis pars fracture/defect with Spondylolithesis L5 over S1 with 2MM anterior displacement

Feb. 2014 - Hybrid lumbar fusion(l5/S1), ADR(L4/L5)...2-level cervical ADR (C5/C6, C6/C7). Dr. Pablo Clavel of Quiron Hospital in Barcelona, Spain. All M6 implants (PEEK cage and plate from Medtronic at fusion level in lumbar.) SAME DAY OPERATION for both areas of the spine.
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