[jss]

Kerry,

Condolences on the terrible situation in which you've found yourself.

Like you, I've had four levels done; C4/5 fusion 2000, C5/6 fusion 2002, C3/4 and C6/7 ADR 2009. Also like you I am active; I've just finished my fifth marathon and am continuing to train for a full IronMan in 2011 (I'm 47). UNLIKE you, my problems have all been cervical; which tends to have better outcomes and easier recoveries than lumbar. With each surgery a level adjacent to the symptomatic level was showing a problem, but because it was asymptomatic at that moment in time, I deferred treatment.

I have a couple of thoughts... Are you symptomatic from all of those levels? Do all of those levels need to be addressed right now? Or can one or two be addressed now to provide you relief, and then the others addressed later when they become symptomatic? I suggest that for the hope that when the adjacent levels become symptomatic, and they possibly will, there may be better treatments than are available today.

Like you, I am in the DFW metroplex. My double ADR was in Spain, but both of my fusions were in the DFW metroplex and I almost had a single level ADR here in Dallas. Below are the surgeons I have seen and recommend. Two have operated on me twice, I also consulted with the third about my condition before my double ADR; and I trust all three of them implicitly (even though they gave me three different opinions on treatment):

Dr Richard Naftalis (fusions in 2000 and 2002: but he does ONLY fusions; Dallas, TX)
Dr Jack Ziglar (almost did my ADR, but I didn't like the prosthesis he used; Plano, TX)
Dr Pablo Clavel (Spinal Kinetics M6 double ADR, Barcelona Spine Center - Barcelona, Spain)

Naftalis and Clavel are neurosurgeons, and Ziglar is an osteopedic spine surgeon; a world renowned spine surgeon BTW. If you want to continue to pursue other options, while I am unfortunate enough to have had first hand experience with all three of these gentlemen, I do highly recommend all of them.

sigh...

Good luck, Jeff