Biff
Thanks for this information. I have seen Dr.Bradford at UCSF in '03 and was a candidate for trials there that shut down before my surgical date. Of course I'm sure they restarted but by then I was in the process of seeing Dr.Bae down the So.CA. way/Santa Monica.
Now I'm having more difficulty getting a referral again for consultation and being told it must come from my PM or PTP. PTP isn't into referring me out, tho I will be asking for 2nd opinion on this procedure should I seriously consider it.
PM would refer me out but he's part of a group in San Diego/Encinitas that does ADRs and he has wanted to refer me there.. (I moved out of SD county several months ago back to LA co.).
Crystal,
You probably know as much as I do re WC in terms of how difficult it's getting to forge on with any type of request these days... they are really tightening the screws in terms of what is being authorized, including consultations. I've had 3 to date regarding ADR and it's felt that 3 is enough I'm told.
I want to find out a bit more about what I'm legally allowed, and also would want a second opinion on surgery which I believe I'm allowed to pick... even tho WC is trying at this point to force their own choice of referral/consultation on me in terms of non ADR performing Neuro/Ortho.
Yep.. weighing options~
Judy,
Thank you for this info re Dr.Yue. The docs I've seen down here all felt my surgery could be easily taken care of with 2 level ADR or 2 or 3 level global fusion... I brought up Dr.B's name in each visit and one surgeon in fact said at the time that Dr.B' was "avant garde" for performing vertebroplasty with ADR... I'm sure eventually it's something that will bear out in terms of studies and eventually be performed here as well, and then it will be standard of practice in the community when "our" surgeons utilize it to help shore up against subsidence...
Anyway, it seemed the surgical opinion verbage I received at mention of his name and the fact he had viewed my films was by Dr.Bradford, reverence/great respect for his opinion, by Dr.Bae, "we can do this surgery for you as well", and from my OSS.. "don't go Europe and WC won't pay!"... and from my PM "we've got just as good surgeons if not better here in the US as in Europe"..
Thanks for all suggestions, I'm plugging away now at building my case, meanwhile considering my options, and hoping Pro disc will be FDA approved by the time I even get another BMD done here and that this test result will be improved vs. worsened!!! In fact, that one test may eventually lead me out of the ADR ballpark at all if it's not improving up or staying the same at the very least!
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