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Old 06-15-2019, 03:26 PM
JohnT JohnT is offline
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Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 13
Default Considering L4/S1 ADR

Hello

I am kindly asking for your experience regarding these surgeons - Bertagnoli, Bierstedt, Clavel, Desai

I am middle-aged Canadian struggling with disc issues for 25 years. My L4/L5 disc herniated in 2006 and I had a discectomy. The surgery went well and I was ok for about 10 years.

My back took another turn for the worse around 2 years ago - with bilateral leg pain and numbness and new symptoms I did not have before - numbness/tingling/pain in sacrum and perianal. I went twice to emergency concerned with cauda equina which was ruled out. I have seen a surgeon after a long wait (a Canadian standard) and he told me no need to have surgery.
A relative put me in contact with a spine surgeon in Europe that thought he could help - an interspinous implant to distend the foraminal space and stabilize the spine. I had the surgery in December 2017 but did not do anything other than Epidural fibrosis (scarring in the epidural space).

I am close to desperate and not finding the answers. I cannot sit, stand or walk for long. Mostly bedridden with pain and persisting symptoms.

I started exploring ADR and reached out to a few clinics in Europe - Bertagnoli, Bierstedt, Clavel, Desai for a diagnosis - I heard from Bertagnoli and Bierstedt. Dr. Bertagnoli recommended very quickly a 2 level ADR and removal of implants. Bierstedt took a few weeks and he recommended a fusion and 2 level ADR - then just half a day later changed his mind to a 2 level ADR and removal of implants. The cost difference between the two is substantial This exchange left me with a big question mark. Are these surgeons even looking at the case or just a run ADR tourism surgery, how can you possibly provide a diagnosis so radically different in a span of a few hours? I kindly asked for a chance to speak with the surgeon and not surprisingly was declined, I understand their time is limited and need to function via intermediaries.
The stakes are obviously very high for us, patients - in my case 50k EUR and my life on the line, I don't want a run of the mill operation, a hack job living me short 50k EURO and disabled or worse.

I would kindly appreciate if you could share your surgery experience with these doctors or other positive or negative experiences. They promise outcome is 90% positive but from what I hear from the rate surveys and literature is more like 50% leaving aside the surgery risks. Somebody giving you the run of the mill diagnostic will likely not make you better in my opinion.

Thank you
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[SIZE="1"]Canadian - ADR not available in Canada
L4/S1 DDD since 1994 - right side sciatica
L4/L5 herniation and discectomy in 2006 - success
2017 bilateral and sacral pain and numbness, cannot sit
Dec 2017 L4/S1 (2 levels) Interspinous implant (IntraSpine Cousin Biotech) - no result
permanent pain and numbness
Narrow spinal canal, scarring, L5/S1 started autofusing
Implant must be removed, decompression needed
Decision time - discussed with Dr B, Rischke, Desai
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