Thinking about contacting Dr Bierstedt and a couple other questions
 

Hello fellow spiney's (and former spiney's)

Perhaps one day I can become a former spiney and I think the only chance of that would be through a successful ADR surgery. A little FYI before my questions. My back woes started 5 years ago and I went from feeling like superman at age 28 to my current stiff, board walking spine at age 33. I've spent about 30k on physios, chiros, oseteos, naturapaths and the likes. I have a completely locked up left sacroiliac joint which may have excellerated degeneration.

I have got 2 MRI's (Lumbar and SIJ) and multiple x-rays which show functional scoliosis and annular tears L5-S1 and L5-L4, DDD. I have large numbness patches on frontal thigh and neurological pain in saddle area with calf and feet pain. Walking and sitting aren't fun and this crap only gets worse. I'm ready for surgery and I'm very happy to have found this site. I just pray that this hope I am feeling about ADR isn't dashed like the thousands of previous times.

I want to contact Dr Bierstedt for my first consultation because from what I'm seeing on this site he is among the best.

Questions:

-Should I just contact him through the website, is this the best way to initiate the process? How much for a consult with Dr Bierstedt?

- I have what feels like a leg length discrepancy, is there a chance that ADR will correct this feeling and my functional scoliosis along with it too?

- For any Canadian residents, did the Canadian health care system offer to pay for any of the ADR surgery expenses?

Thanks everyone in advance of any advice you can offer.:beer:

Contact Malte directly thru email. Here is Malte's email, Malte Petersen <M.Petersen@onz-online.de>
If you have any questions about my experience with him or want to talk feel free to contact me.

If you plan on having a consult with Dr. Clavel I would also suggest contacting them directly and not going thru a third party. Here is the email I had for Yolanda, Yolanda Casadevall <Yolanda@bcn-sc.com>

I would get leg length discrepancy from my SI/Pelvis going out of alignment, my left side would rotate posteriorly. It is believed that it was a result of of my body compensating for the nerve compression. Since surgery my pelvis has been staying aligned and the few times it has gone out a massage has taken care of except twice that I went to my chiro(with Dr. Bierstedts permission) for very gentile adjustments involving me laying on wedges and a vibrating pad used to get my muscles to relax and a little down pressure on my buttocks. No twisting, or direct manipulation of the vertebra.

Thanks TPatti,

I'm going to contact Malte today through that email you provided, is he/she the sales person? I'm not going to bother contacting Dr Clavel, I'm sure it will be the same as Bierstedt and I can avoid his high consult fees that I've read about on this site. Maybe I should get a couple consults?

And thanks for keeping us updated on your progress TPatt, I'm following your thread in surgical outcomes, such great info. I really hope your progress continues and that you can return to a level of activity that makes you happy. I hope one day I can return to weight lifting (not aggressive) and activities that keep me strong and I that I at one time used to enjoy.

He is the liaison/coordinator. Even though I choose Dr. Bierstedt I think it ios a good ideal to have multiple opinions and would encourage you to get more than one. The last I knew Dr. Clavel charge was under $300.00 US, a small fraction of what surgery may ultimately end up costing.

Thanks again TPatti,

I thought I seen in another thread Dr Clavel was $1200 for consult but I'm probably wrong. The amount of money this is gonna cost me will hurt me huge financially but I could afford it, as I'm sure it does most people but if it gives us our lives back then it's definitely worth it.

Well I'm off to write Dr Bierstedt about a consult. Who else would you recommend I write for another consult TPatti?

I was looking at your sig TPatti and noticed you had sacroiliac joint dysfunction or twisted pelvis or whatever you wanna call it (there's a million names for it) did you have functional scoliosis? Do you still have an unstable pelvis or did the surgery correct this instability? Also did your knee take a beating from your SIJD? My left knee is getting killed from whatever is going on with my gait.

I agree with TPatti. It is always in your best interest to consult with a few surgeons. You want to look for consistency in their diagnosis and treatment plan. My cervical surgery was with Dr. Bierstedt and I'm having a fantastic recovery (6 weeks post-op), but I feel it is important for my own personal interest to make sure that I did my preliminary homework. Dr. Clavel is a good choice, as is Dr. Dare (UK) - I've heard good things. Dr. Zeegers has had a very good surgical outcome, but I do know his consult fees were somewhat expensive.

From what I have read on this site, Dr. Zeeger's fee was anywhere from $900-1200. Dr. Clavel charged me $300 for his consultation fee.

Hi, I thought I'd join into this consultation fee discussion. I have contacted Zeegers (directly), Clavel (thru Yolanda), Bierstedt (via Kelli).

Zeegers called me at home for approx. 25-30 min and makes it very clear that he does nothing until he receives 630 euro then he looks at films, etc - all part of his 'PERFECT DIAGNOSIS', he also line items all costs, into 3 categories a) diagnosis b) hospital c) his personal surgical fee.
He has also exchanged a few emails w/me, but I sense that he is not interested in ongoing communications until he receives his 630euro

Clavel (Yolanda) has given me estimates for a 1 & 2 level ADR and has not mentioned anything to me about a separate consultation fee.....should I press her on that?

Bierstedt (Kelli) basically the same as Clavel/Yolanda - only difference is the surgical fees seem to be about 3-4K cheaper than Clavel or Zeegers

Up to this point, I was under the impression that Clavel & Bierstedt will take my mri and data sheet and tell me (1) if I qualify and (2) and this is a assumption on my part, a more accurate cost est. and what their preliminary strategy is before actually physically examining me once I commit & arrive.

I believe for the most part this is primarily a Bierstedt thread, but any comments on the consultation fee is welcomed. And of course I assume you all mean a phone or video conference consult

Also this is to tryinghard: we talked in one of my threads about a upright mri (seems very logical) especially with my symptoms and yours. Googled around and found that very few facilities in US. Closest I found was Maryland, I live in Connecticut. I also saw a few people who have had them say the main problem is the inability to stay still as opposed to lying down and if you think about it even without our low back pain when standing and even if medicated - trying to stay perfectly still for 30-45 minutes was like torture to the few who did it and the resulting films don't come out well (due to the movement). I think the standing units are much more common in Germany/Europe OF COURSE., they are afterall 25 years ahead of this country in spine care