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DaveCanada 01-15-2022 06:10 PM

Hi from Vancouver
 
Hi all,

New here and exploring my options for ADR. Background on me and my situation is further below.

Hoping to have this procedure done in the first half of 2022. Very few surgeons here in Canada perform ADR. Wait times for fusion are 1-2 years here. I think I’ve narrowed my primary target list of ADR surgeons to the following:

• Dr. Andreas Schmitz / Germany
• ONZ (Drs. Bierstedt & Illerhaus) / Germany
• Dr. Biren Desai / Germany
• Dr. Alexandre Rasouli / Los Angeles
• Dr. Todd Lanman / Los Angeles

I picked the 3 in Germany because I’m leaning toward the LP-ESP device but realize this is not offered in the US. More important to me is an experienced surgeon who can place the device properly.

I’m in touch with ONZ’s Canada rep and I’ve started the assessment process.

I had a good video chat with Dr. Schmitz in late Nov 2021. He and Jessica answered all my questions and after reviewing my images said I’d be a good candidate for one level ADR. He requested a bone density test, which I promptly had done and email to him and Jessica before Christmas. I didn’t hear back so I emailed again in early January. No word back.

I have sent an initial email to the others and await next steps in terms of sending my images.

I have two initial questions for this group:

1. Is it odd that Dr. Schmitz/ Jessica have gone cold on me? Maybe its just the holiday season and or covid surge in Germany?

2. Any good or bad opinion on Dr. Rasouli or Dr. Lanman in the US? Both have done hundreds of ADRs. Dr. Lanman has 2-3 ADRs of his own. Reason for Los Angeles is because I have a friend I can stay with nearby for a couple of months to rehab if needed. Plus, it’s a direct 3 hour flight from Vancouver.

My background: After returning home from a long car trip and mountain bike ride in March 2018, I leaned over to put a dish in the dishwasher and felt a pain in my lower back that didn’t subside. Current issue: DDD (dehydrated disc, loss of disc height, herniation) at L5/S1 causing S1 nerve root impingement. Current symptoms: Constant and chronic dull pain and discomfort across lumbar/ upper glutes; feeling of instability in lumbar area; sciatic pain back of leg; cramping down leg; some numbness and feeling of loss of strength. Current treatment: all sorts of PT, Osteopath, acupuncture, RMT treatments off and on since March 2018. Some short term pain relief but the route problem persists and isn’t improving.

Thanks!

annapurna 01-16-2022 12:07 PM

When Laura and I were dealing with the German surgeons regularly, we ended up paying for a Skype subscription to call German landlines and just used that, and waking early in the morning, to call when it seemed like email contacts went dead. I can't say why you've not heard from Dr. Schmitz and his office but it was common for the Germans to stop responding to email for days to weeks at a time, even in the early 2000's. COVID might give one more reason for that.

I don't know the Canada to Germany Skype subscription cost but the US to Germany cost was something on the order of $5 a month for 20 minutes of calling time with additional time billed per minute - basically not a whole lot if you're just calling to check in on your requests a few times a month. I know it seems obnoxious that you'd need to call to prompt them but, if you get otherwise good service, it might be worthwhile.

If you do end up going to Germany, feel free to PM me. We're just across the border south of you, NW Washington, and at least prior to COVID, ended up traveling to Germany on business once a year so might be able to suggest some ideas to make the travel easier.

DaveCanada 01-17-2022 01:48 PM

Thank you for the advice and offer! Cheers

Harrison 01-22-2022 05:06 PM

Dave, I had a one-level ADR in Boston in 2004. As you may know, there are many hundreds of spine surgeons in the US that have been doing disc replacement since 2000. Take a look here:

https://www.adrsupport.org/forums/sh...ad.php?t=11140

DaveCanada 02-12-2022 11:23 PM

Apologies for the late reply, thanks Harrison for this link. I have added Dr. Zigler at Texas Back Institute to my roster of possible surgeons and he and I are chatting soon. Seems that my 19 degree scoliosis may be a problem for surgeons in the US (two have said they'd be a bit wary of doing ADR on me) but the Germans don't seem to have an issue at all and even think it may help my scoliosis a bit over time.


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