Dustin,
When I was considering a ProDisc-C with Dr Zigler in 2008, I quizzed him thoroughly (for a layman) about removing the ProDisc if something went wrong. He explained to me that the patient's situation would have to very bad for him to even consider explanting a ProDisc-L; saying that with lumbar, "we only get one shot". He contrasted the ProDisc-C saying that it comes out relatively easy and that each cervical level can be accessed multiple times. I've since learned that that means that provided that 1)there has not been excessive bone in-growth and that 2)during implantation if the surgeon also implanted a barrier to keep damaged tissue from growing together, that it is easy, relative to lumbar, to remove a ProDisc-C.
All I mean by all of that is that since your fusion wasn't done with BMP, that your disc 'might' not be prohibitively dangerous, or even hard, to remove???
Good luck, Jeff
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C4/5 - ACDF in 2000
C5/6 - ACDF in 2002
C3/4 & C6/7 - M6 ADR, Nov 2009, Barcelona
Conceded defeat to a manifestly disingenuous BCBS-TX in my quest for reimbursement, Jan 2011
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