[Tom B.]

Thanks, mgossel, for the information! I lived in Arizona for fifteen years, in the Phoenix area for most of that time, working as a flight instructor and charter pilot. So, seeing Dr. Yeung ten years ago was kind of a homecoming.

This morning, I've been catching up online on some of the discussion of the newer artificial discs and recently popular surgeons. I have a lot to learn. I'm just going to ramble a bit because I'm not really qualified to do much else -

My TBI surgeon said yesterday that I am analytical, which is true. I know there are many people who don't do much analysis, but just get a "second opinion" then do what seems right intuitively, hoping for the best. I'm fairly analytical and have OCD tendencies, but also like to, at times, make decisions based on other people's opinions. (The real extreme is that we just bought a Jeep Renegade based primarily on its appearance. Isn't that crazy? We did refer to consumer reviews and such, but you get my point.)

Anyway, I'm ready to jump to a surgery based on relatively old information, but also feel myself being drawn into the abyss of analysis and deliberation. In my particular case I'm fortunate to have some retirement savings I can pull out early (I think they'll let me do that), but I'm unfortunate in that I can't work as a pilot with relatively minor symptoms. So, I'm compelled to just take care of my back problem as best I can in a reasonably short period of time with whatever methods and surgeons are relatively proven.

(As I said, I was going to ramble. I apologize, but I'm not on Facebook anymore, so this may be a substitution. Contradictorily, you may notice that I'm not so big on privacy. I don't really care who reads this if it provokes some discussion and helps me get information. I haven't been stung yet by the whole identity theft thing. Maybe that explains it.)

Anyway, back on topic. When I first saw a picture of the M-6 disc, my first reactions were, "wow, that's a lot of parts" and "it looks a little gimmicky." Then today I realized the M-6 is the next big thing that Dr. Bertagnoli was referring to on his Center of Rotation page. When I read that page, it made a whole lot of sense. So, now I'm confused a bit.

Oversimplifying, I know, but is that Prodisc center plastic part going to pop out into my back? Am I going to damage my facets because the Prodisc frees up my spine so much? How old is Dr. Bertagnoli? Is there an age to stop doing surgery? The FAA forces airline pilots to retire at age 65.

Would the M-6 end up like an old shoe (where did that humorous comparison first come from?) that is deformed over time? What would be the downside of having my body weight supported by flexible material at the angle formed by my L5/S1 level? Would the M-6 pull loose from the bone by twisting forces?

OK, there are many more questions, but I'll stop, for now. Again, thanks for the thoughtful responses.