[AKactivemom]

Hi, I'm a 37 year old active mother, wife, and occupational therapist. My husband is a physical therapist. We have been researching relentlessly (mainly me and passing on info. to my husband) since my spine surgery (2 level ADR at L3/L4, L4/L5 or hybrid (ADR and fusion) was cancelled on Jan. 15, 2015 when the very final nurse caught that I had a possible nickel allergy (b/c I break out to cheap jewelry and rivets on waist of jeans) to the fact that the ProDisc might have nickel in it (0.03% as an alloy). I was NOT screened for metal allergies at the surgeon's office.

I had formal metal implant patch allergy testing 2 weeks ago and I have confirmed allergies to: Nickel (2+), Pallidium Chloride, Tungsten, & Silvre Nitrate (1+). The ProDisc is automatically out and so is the MobyDisc (all fda approved in the US lumbar ADR's have nickel is my understanding). The only lumbar ADR I have found compatible with my allergies is the M6 made by spinal kinetics which is not fda approved yet in the U.S. & there are not any clinical trials that will be started in the next three years (straight from a rep. at Spinal Kinetics two days ago) in the U.S. for the Lumbar spine. Dr. Bierstedt at the ONZ spine surgical group in Germany has reviewed my case & says I'm an excellent candidate for the 2 level ADR procedure. Dr. Bertagnoli primarily uses the Prodisc as far as I know so I have ruled him out.

Some people may have found this blog early on in their journey but I'm much farther along in this journey and ready to make a decision and been doing extensive research, pouring over approx. 40 research studies (PubMed, etc.). I've been trying conservative treatments for the past 3 years with minimal success and ever since May, 2014 (perhaps an annular tear? while working at my parents farm laboring to scrape the old buildings to prepare to paint them) I have chronic pain with bending, prolonged standing, sitting, and walking and my quality of life has been greatly affected and I have to take daily ibuprofen, e.s. tylenol, tramodyl, & muscle relaxers to manage the pain every day. In the US, the spine surgeon wants to do a 2 level spine fusion since I am not a candidate for the ADR b/c of my nickel allergy.

I am waiting on a 2nd spine surgeon's opinion on March 20th (in my home state, Alaska) and then I'll also be uploading my files and contacting Dr. Clavelle for a 2nd opinion in Europe. If you are wondering about the shape of my facet joints, there is not osteoarthritis noted on the MRI's or CT scans and I'm not a candidate for facet steroid injections b/c there is no noted problems there, they are said to be in good shape and Dr. Bierstedt says my lumbar lordosis curve is intact as well, although the MRI report says it is slightly straightened.

Any feedback/advice for me? Thanks so much, this is an amazing online community to be a part of. I have watched the ADR video.

My pain is considered to be discogenic and mechanical/axial and I have minimal (if any) nerve impingement.

Also, I have heard a couple people say on the discussion boards that 2 level ADR's are not paid for by insurance companies in the U.S. I just wanted to mention that I read that 2 level ADR's were approved starting in the fall of 2013/early 2014 and I was approved in January, 2015 for a 2 level ADR (prodisc) at L3-L5. The first request was denied but it was approved when my Spine surgeon's office requested a "peer review by a Dr. and consulted directly with a Dr." and then it was approved-my surgeon was pretty much shocked it was approved for two levels. WE have ModaHealth insurance & live in Alaska. Having said that, he told me not to count on a 2 level ADR b/c there was a good chance he might decide to do a fusion at L4/L5 depending on how my anatomy was and how much height I had in that disc space (I think he said).

Anyhow, I would like to upload a pix. of my MRI so everyone can see it but I can't figure out how to do that, can someone help me with that?