Are you a candidate for ADR if you have stenosis?
 

If I have cervical and lumbar stenosis am I a candidate for ADR surgery?
My current doctor says I am. However, the UCSF website says your NOT a candidate if you have stenosis. Can anyone confirm this for me? Thanks.

I have spinal stenosis and I will be getting at least a three level ADR. Of course, I will be doing so overseas. UCSF can't do what you need done, unless you only want to do one level. Also bear in mind that UCSF is a teaching hospital, so you probably don't want the newly graduated med students operating on you, which very well may be why they do not accept patients with spinal stenosis. If you need docs in the Bay Area who do ADR for spinal stenosis, I can give you two docs I trust, but neither of them will be able to take care of more than one level unless you pay out of pocket. No insurance in the US will pay for more than one level, which is why most of us leave the US and fly to Europe for the procedure.

Which levels are injured? Also, it will help those of us answering questions if you create a spinal signature. Here is how you do it: http://www.adrsupport.org/forums/f58...-health-11053/

Let me know if you need any help, especially in the Bay Area as that is where I am located.

Hi,
I updated my profile. I hope I did it right! I saw Dr. Kenneth Light and I am looking for another opinion because my neck is on the line! Have to joke. I cried Most of the day .
This pain is awful. I have nerve pain in my face, back of my head, neck and rt foot. Moving my bowels increases pain in my rt limbs .
I have BC/BSof GA because the company my hubby works for is based in Ohio. Dr. Light said it'd be a miracle if my insurance covered a C4-5 C 5-6 disk replacement which he highly reccommends or a fusion of C4-C6(which he doesn't recommend ).

I would so appreciate another opinion in the Bay area. I never felt so alone. I am very thankful for this web site Thanks:)

So sorry, just found your intro in the FAQ section, so I moved it to the right forum. Hope you are doing OK, any news lately? Are you getting good information to guide your research? Check out the closest college or hospital library, call in advance -- you may get some good help from the librarians...

Dr. James Reynolds in Daly City and Dr. Coe in Campbell both do 2 level ADR's, though Dr. Coe has done more of them. You will not be able to get any insurance company to pay for what you need. Is going overseas an option?

Also, since I live in the Bay Area, we could get together for coffee or something if you want to talk. Sometimes just being face to face with someone in the same shoes can make a difference.

Harrison and Lilly,

I went to an associate of above recommended doctor and he is saying because of the curvature (kyphosis) that ADR is not stable enough and I am not a good candidate. He recommended a bi-level fusion. What are your thoughts?

Lilly,

My case is not a worker comp case. In another thread you stated it won't be covered...is this still true? I must've woken up ten times last night with complete numbness in my arms. I don't think I can live with numbness in all 4 of my limbs until I can pay for it myself. Thoughts?

That was Dr. Reynold's associate, yes? Get a second opinion from Dr. Coe. He does more surgeries AND he participates in AIMIS, so he flies to Cyprus to do multi-levels, so he may be able to do things the fine folks in Dr. Reynolds's office cannot.

Insurance will not pay for it. Period. It's all about profits for them. The FDA has not cleared multi-levels yet, so insurance companies won't pay for them because they don't have to do to it being "experimental". How did you sustain the injury? Perhaps there is a way to pay for it there? Like filing a lawsuit or something?

Also, DO try Dr. Coe for the trial of the new disc, too. He might be able to do that on your lumbar spine, then you would only have two limbs to deal with. I wouldn't do anything else until I saw him. In our area, he will be your best bet for help.

In agreement with Lillyth on this! Go and see Dr. Coe for yourself! He is a great surgeon and travels to Cyprus to perform surgeries with AIMIS. AIMIS has partnerships with several insurance carriers. You might be able to see if you qualify for a lower cost surgery. I would be happy to share my experience with going overseas as well. Feel free to PM me.