Thanks everyone for the warm welcome. Its really nice to know there are kind and caring people.
Anyway I have searched all though this site and have a couple of questions.
1. Has anyone been told prior to ADR surgery, that due to their DDD there may not be room for Prodisc and fusion could be a possibility
2. This is for women only, has anyone had ADR surgery though a previous incision i.e. C-Section?

I know i will have many more questions, as my surgery is scheduled for mid sept.
Thanks in advance for your time.
Dee

Hi Dee,
I didn't have a previous incision with mine, but I would imagine it would depend on the exact location that would be required to reach the disk level. I was told with mine that they would be taking some xrays or doing some kind of imaging in order for my doctor to properly line up the incision site. When I was comparing my incision location to that of a coworker who had a C-Section with her son, she noted that her C-Section incision was actually a bit lower than my ADR incision. If it's close enough to an old incision they may try to minimize scarring and use it, but I couldn't say for sure.

Hopefully someone here will have a closer experience with it or know someone who has some experience with that type of situation.

Hi Dee!

The Prodisc ?? I asked at my consultation something similar. I wanted to know how they could avoid hyperextending my spine with the insertion of the Prodisc. The answer was that they had different sizes to address those very issues. Now I would guess if the disc space is too small it may create some issues. Good ?? to ask the surgeon performing the procedure. Like how far can they open the space without causing complications to the integrity of surrounding tissues.

The second ?? with regard to incision site that is two-fold for the Approach Surgeon (Vascular Surgeon). I did not notice where they are considering which disc to replace in your post. My ex-wife had a C-sect and the incision was horizontal about 3 inches above the pubic bone centrally along a vertical line drawn from her navel to her privates. My
neighbor had L5/S1 replacement and his incision was horizontal about 3 above the pubic bone but displaced 2 to 3 laterally from the vertical line drawn from the navel to the privates. I had my incision 1 inch below my navel and favoring my left side of center by about 3 inches for a 4 inch horizontal incision.

Sorry so wordy I hope it makes some sense. Harrison might have to edit it for me and fix any axis errors. http://adrsupport.org/groupee_common...icon_smile.gif

Paul

My scar is vertical, 5-6 inches long for a 2 level lumbar ADR, left of the belly button by about an inch and it is so they can move major organs aside to get to your spinal column. I can't answer to the previous C-Sectioning though I am sure this is a quick answer from the surgeon. Best of luck to you.

Terry Newton

Dear Cirobi:

I noticed you were "doing fine" at 4 weeks post op. Congratulations!!

I am 5 wks post op, following a 2 level ADR and single level fusion, and my pain remains identical to the original pain that brought me to surgery. I'd appreciate hearing about how your post-op experience went, and what your pain was like.

I'm feeling as though this familiar pain is never going to leave me. The operative pain (approach was done abdominally) is gone, and all I'm left with is the same original and familiar pain I started out with: pain in both hips and upper thigh, such that weight bearing for any length of time becomes impossible due to pain.

I know everyone is different, and my defects and surgery was different than yours. But anything you or anyone else might have to share regarding post-operative pain, which is exactly like pre-operative pain, at this point in time would be welcomed.

I'm feeling depressed (of course) even though I knew the road to recovery wouldn't be a quick one. The fact that my pain is EXACTLY like the original pain is what is troubling me, as each day goes by and I'm feeling no change.

Many thanks!!

Kind regards,
Mambo

56 y/o female
2002 Microdiscectomy (Unrelenting pain following this surgery.)
6/2008: 2-level ProDiscs @ L3/4, L4/5, and fusion @ L5/S1. Dr. Bertagnoli, Germany.
Pain post-op remains the same as it was pre-op . . . DISCOURAGED . . .

Dee, welcome! Let's catch up again soon!?

Mambo, when you feel like it, pls post in the post-op forum. I want to ask you questions and add comments but don't want to hijack Dee's topic.

Thank you both.