Ace
 

I have ddd at L3-S1 that I have been dealing with for about three years now. I hope this year will be the year of resolution. I am selling some property I own to come up with the money for surgery so I hope I can get enough to pay for it. I would like some help finding surgeons outside of the country. I am interested in the cadisc L but can not get the names of the surgeons involved in the trial from ranier. I have called them for a few weeks now and am unable to get any answers. I am also open to other discs if they prove to be beneficial to my condition. I am starting with the cadisc because from my perspective it resembles are own natural disc.

Ace,

Good luck with your research and eventual surgery.

I am aware of two other lumbar ADRs that attempt to mimic the action of our natural discs. The Spinal Kinetics M6-L, and ... (don't recall the name) another disc Dr Bertagnoli prefers over the M6. Perhaps this is the Cadisc? I don't know which disc is best for what conditions, but know that they are all very new, having been in service for only about a year. So very little is known about how they'll perform long term. I would encourage you to do some considerable research before selecting one.

As you are willing to go outside of the US for surgery (like I did), be aware that additional risks abound.

• No protection by the US legal system in the event you need it
• Additional expense in the event of complications
• You may have trouble getting medical treatment for spine ailments once back in the US

May God forbid that you have any of these issues; but they do warrant consideration for those going abroad.

In all of my research and online conversations with fellow spine sufferers, I've found three international surgeons that I really like.

• Pablo Clavel, Barcelona, Spain. Produces a steady stream of positive ADR outcomes. He did my double cervical ADR in 2009.
• Nick Boeree, Hampton, England. Produces a steady stream of positive ADR outcomes. I've never seen an unkind word written about him.
• Luiz Pimenta, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Handles very bad cases and produces positive outcomes. He is a widely published researcher and is profusely cited by his peers.

I know that there are many outstanding international surgeons out there, but these are the three that to me stand out, for the reasons cited. I do believe that the top tier US surgeons are every bit as good as these gentlemen; but the US surgeons just don't have at their disposal the same arsenal of weapons to combat spinal disease.

Good luck, Jeff