Adrienne,
Wow! that is somthing on the appiontments I emailed my kaiser doctor about getting a new MRI for my surgeons in Malaysia since my last one is about 14 months old, he did answer me the next morning and the Radiology department contacted me a few hours later insted of the usual two weeks i'm used to and they had a cancelation so I got it the same day. Something is going on with Kaiser
hope it keeps getting better.
Dr. Baines is with Kaiser Oakland but they may have several surgeons there with ADR experience. I got the opinion from him that he had only done a few. I'm not sure about the experience thing, from what I understand the surgery is very similar to a Fusion surgery so if your surgeon had done say 500 fusion surgeries and 20 ADR surgeries that might be enough? I think the more the better if they also have a good reputation to go along with it. From what i can tell the most important thing about ADR surgery is getting the alignment correct and getting the correct size implant for your disc. So you would want someone who cares more about doing a good job than someone who wants to get it done fast so he doesn't miss his Tee Time
Malaysia: the hospital, surgery, hotel, airfare, etc... is going to cost me 32,000 US
Titinium: When I was meeting with my local Nuerosurgeon, he showed me an MRI of the Prestige disc (stainless steel)that he put in a local fireman. Basically where the ADR was placed and parts of the upper and lower adjacent disc where so blurred they were worthless. Apparently MRI's cannot read around most metals. Titanium is what they call MRI freindly You can take an MRI and still be able to see the adjacent joints clearly, the actual ADR won't be clear but the surronding area will be or at least that is my understanding. Also it looks like the newer generation Disc are heading in that direction for that reason. Currently there are none available in the US. You can still get CT's, X-rays that will be clear. If I could get a two level done here with a doctor I felt comfortable with here and didn't have to pay what I'm having to I would do the non Titanium rather than wait a couple of years for an FDA approved one.
But since I'm paying for it and they do make em I wanted to get one made with titanium
Hope that's not clear as MUD
Good luck with the appiontments and I hope you get an appiontment with the best Kaiser has and that they are able to fix you up
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Fall from ladder in 05, lots of pain, lots of test
DDD C5,6,7 scheduled for surgery in Malaysia March 09
two level Discover disc