[Deemzee]

Surprised-- I am very interested to hear about your situation. I can tell you that I have gotten opinions from many doctors in Europe and the US. It may be that my condition is more complicated -- I have opinions ranging from two-level ADR to multi-ADR/Fusion hybrids to four-level fusion-- but I've found that kyphosis has a tendency to contra-indicate ADRs in many of them. In particular, just this week I was told by Zigler and Blumenthal at Texas Back that I was not a candidate for ADR "due to my kyphosis". Id be curious to hear what they tell you. Mind you that I never spoke directly to either doctor so it may be that the peculiarities and state of my condition may be the primary reason, but that's not how it was related. I've been told by every US doctor (except Cappuccino) that I can't get ADR because of the deformity and theyve been adamant that to do so in my case is extremely unwise. That said, almost every European doctor has come up with some sort of hybrid approach using fusion and ADRs in combination...but no two opinions are identical which is why I've spent over two years researching, questioning, and fearing this. Meantime, the clock is ticking. It may be that im too degraded for the safe application of ADR and so it may not be applicable to your situation but im just sayin'. still terribly confused on which way to go. I do not want to fuse. Period. But i'm terrified of a failed ADR and fearful i might be a guinea pig because of the uniqueness of my case. I'm very interested to talk to dr Beirstedt about kyphosis and the secure-c, so thanks for that.
As for AIMIS, thanks to all for the good advice. I came to it by way of Cappaccino first and my dealings with him have been nothing but highly professional and supportive. I suspect that in a good doctors control it becomes a useful tool for facilitating surgeries and devices that are otherwise unavailable in the US (but it's still unsettling to hear of its shortcomings). And Tpatti-- as for cappuccino's reputation, I do get the sense that he bucks the establishment-- especially in an area like Buffalo-- but my concern involved comments on a few Doctor Rating websites that related bad outcomes, revisions by other doctors fixing his work, terribly long wait times and callbacks, and callous treatment by staff. It certainly makes it harder for me to go to him with total confidence but some of the negative posts were hard to fathom and very suspicious. And happy satisfied people tend not to post. Not sure.