New to ADR support, looking for doc in CA
 

Hi there,
Another newbie and I have been told I need anywhere from a single level fusion to three. I want to get the ADR for the C6/7 level and maybe the level above.

Is there anyone that has good results with doctors in Northern California? I went to see a specialist in Daly City, but when I got there I saw the PA. She was the one suggesting three levels. I said I was there for ADR and she was surprised and said the surgeon does do them. He had done one 4 months ago. :insane: That is not the doctor I want touching me.

Any help. So Cal would be the next option. Then the rest of the US.

Thanks,
dw

Calvin,

Check this link out: Carl Lauryssen M.D. | spinal Neurosurgeon in Los Angeles | Beverly Hills

This doctor is in Beverly Hills but he has the most experience of any U.S. surgeon I know of who use the M6 disc. This disc, from what I've read on these posts, most mimics the real thing. It has a "shock absorber" quality in the middle, unlike many of the others. Ironically the M6 is produced in Sunnyvale, CA but has not been approved by the FDA, yet has been used in Europe for over a decade with great success.

From reading these posts and personal research, the best ADR physicians in the U.S. seem to be Dr. Lauryssen, Dr Jack Zigler of the Texas Back Institute, and Dr. Rami in Baltimore. It's important to note that Dr. Lauryssen is the only one who will work "off-label" with the M6 disc and this will not be covered by insurance. The other surgeons will work with FDA approved discs which may or may not be covered by insurance. Even though some discs are FDA approved, insurance companies still consider ADR's to be "experimental". It's kind of ironic that there not covering ADR which costs much less than fusions and seems to have better results over the long-term.

If you're willing to do this without the expectation of insurance coverage and can manage to pay $40K, there are some great surgeons in Europe. The three best seem to be Dr. Bierstedt in Germany, Dr. Pablo Clavel in Barcelona, and Mr. Christopher Dare in Southampton, UK.

I hope this helps you a little. Good luck with whatever you decide to do!!

Gene

Thanks for the response. I will look into them. I have been having terrible shoulder and hand pain and really want to get this taken care of.

dw

May I please suggest Dr. Mummaneni, UCSF. He is nice, friendly and busy. I like that he is direct. He wrote about patient safety and health policy elsewhere.

I have not seen him as a patient.


Praveen V. Mummaneni | UCSF Medical Center


You are a cervical patient. Dr. Mummaneni participated in the FDA IDE for Prestige, etc.


Analysis of the three United States Food and Drug Administration investigational device exemption cervical arthroplasty trials.
Upadhyaya CD, Wu JC, Trost G, Haid RW, Traynelis VC, Tay B, Coric D, Mummaneni PV.
J Neurosurg Spine. 2012 Mar;16(3):216-28. doi: 10.3171/2011.6.SPINE10623. Epub 2011 Dec 23.


Cervical artificial disc replacement versus fusion in the cervical spine: a systematic review comparing long-term follow-up results from two FDA trials.
Evid Based Spine Care J. 2012 Feb;3(S1):59-66. doi: 10.1055/s-0031-1298610 Full-Text.LINK Bryan and Prestige TDR

Clinical and radiographic analysis of cervical disc arthroplasty compared with allograft fusion: a randomized controlled clinical trial.
Mummaneni PV, Burkus JK, Haid RW, Traynelis VC, Zdeblick TA.
J Neurosurg Spine. 2007 Mar;6(3):198-209.


Cervical arthroplasty with the PRESTIGE LP cervical disc.
Mummaneni PV, Robinson JC, Haid RW Jr.
Neurosurgery. 2007 Apr;60(4 Suppl 2):310-4; discussion 314-5.


Spinal arthroplasty: differences between the cervical and lumbar spine.
Wu JC, Tu TH, Mummaneni PV.
World Neurosurg. 2012 Sep-Oct;78(3-4):245-6 Maverick

:laugh:

I'll ditto Gene. Dr Lauryssen's name (Southern California) comes across this forum periodically. He comes highly recommended. The only poster on this site that I know that's had surgery with him goes by the handle nornie73.

Good luck, Jeff

I saw dr Lauryssen recently and was very pleased with my visit. I am holding off on surgery for now.

Calvin,

PM me. I got an idea or two.

Kimmers

I am having Dr. Kenneth Light in San Francisco do my ADR on April 23 rd. I am very happy with him so far. He is considered an expert in ADR and prefers them over fusion.

Tammi

Calvin,

I am curious to hear of who this doctor was? I have seen a lot of them in Northern California.

Thanks,
Tammi

I saw Dr. Slosar in Daly City. He didn't come into the appt. but sent his PA. Not sure why a PA was sent to diagnose.

Denise