[sgress]

Thanks bwink23
Yeah, sounds very strange. His colleague, an did a clinical study which identified lumbar ADR wear debris as a source of infection and inflammation. He's pretty conservative obviously. But what is interesting is that the ADR doc who was part of an ADR FDA trial said I was not really a candidate for the level on top of my fusion. But as I was finishing up the office visit he said he'd do two more fusions (making 4 in a row) and talk to his Disc doc colleagues to advise on my case for C-4/5. I said, let me see if I have this right, "I have a small chance to still get an ADR at that level and you would check with your disc doc colleagues for their input?" Right? Right. At least my original doc only wants to fuse one more level.

This is really the wild west for spine treatments. Are we getting clinically correct answers? Are they gaming us for business? Do they know? I like my original doc and based upon the current level of clinical evidence (never mind the FDA) at least he is giving me his honest opinion - I believe. I just know though that there are other opinions out there. But I also know I am a paycheck for a second opinion (one doc who has vast experience in ADR's wants between 250-650 just for the second opinion office visit) and for the surgery (we don't take insurance - so check your out of network benefits and call us back). I'm gonna call them back tomorrow when they are open and go from there.

Wow.
Thanks again bwink23 - fusion should be spelled f-USA-n here.