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  #41  
Old 05-11-2015, 07:05 PM
Karger Karger is offline
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Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 44
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cynlite View Post
stoked64, I'm very sorry you are suffering and depressed. Please don't give up hope. Pain and post surgery trauma can cause post traumatic stress and sometimes severe depression. I've been through this as others have on this forum so, we do understand! It's a very tough road to travel. The first step is to get emotionally healthy and if you need drugs to do that then see a specialist. Emotional pain for me leads to physical pain so, I've had to learn to keep myself calm over the years. You can do this too.

While I'm sure Dr. Coric is a fine surgeon, I could not find him on the lists of top ADR doctors in this country. I have analyzed many of the post surgery stories on this board and unfortunately, the people who I believe have had the most trouble with ADR surgery are the ones that went to surgeons in the U.S. who don't have the experience that the top ADR surgeons have here. There truly are only a handful in this country right now that have an excellent track record from what I could find.

It is also not uncommon for patients to see 3 different surgeons or more and get different answers. I think this has to do with the surgeon's experience so, keep looking. I gave up and into the pain for about five years and really wish I had not. My neck degenerated a lot during this time.

I have a complicated medical history so, I retained Dr. Zeegers in the Netherlands this year to look over it and give me his opinion. Hopefully, I will have his opinion next week. He has helped many others on this board so, that would be my recommendation to you. He knows more about ADR surgeries and outcomes than any surgeon in the U.S. in my opinion. He is also the only surgeon I know that will look over a person's entire medical history as it relates to their condition. There is also Dr. Clavel and Dr. Bierstedt who both have significant experience and good track records so, they would be good to reach out to also. I don't have any top ADR surgeons in the state where I live so, I have been working with the surgeons in Europe. If you want to stay in the U.S. then I would take Gene's suggestion and consider contacting Dr. Blumenthal at the Texas Back Institute. Just because you reach out for opinions from surgeons in Europe, does not mean you have to travel there. You could take that information and use it to find a surgeon here. I wouldn't give up until I had a bunch of surgeons that all agreed that there was no hope surgically.

Hang in there and good luck.
Dr zeegers did wonders for my back. He is the pioneer in adr and he leaves no stone unturned.

I would suggest to see him as he is one of the last true spine savers
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  #42  
Old 05-11-2015, 07:49 PM
Jerry5 Jerry5 is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 363
Default Nerves

Hello,
Sorry to hear about this, I have Permanent Nerve Damage to the Lateral Femoral Nerve in the right upper leg, gone, basically, had to wait, for my first surgery, the decompression worked, but the nerve is gone.

Surgery like this, should be done within HOURS of the injury.

This, like a car accident, where the lower back is injured, (really any part) there are several areas of the lumbar that people do not think about.

Like the Pedundal Nerve, that controls bladder function...others.

Cauda Equine, the horse's tail, that begins below the L1, handles all the lower parts.

I too, from surgery have distraction, some loss of sensation in the Genito Femoral on the left side, and a little loss of sensation on the middle two toes, go figure this one.
Plantar on the left ball (foot).
After my second surgery(really the third), they performed some of these Nerve Tests on my right arm, being in the belly position, the arm went numb and they can map the responses and pretty much know how much is being received.
The arm came back, this took about 24 hours.
Mostly the thumb and forefinger.

So you can see, a lot of people deal with a lot of issues.

You can walk?

If you can, get a MRI, and make sure all is well, check the stenosis, and make sure the spine is aligned etc, they can tell a lot from an MRI.

Short of a Fusion or an ADR, after the MRI, I would have therapy, preferably some Pool Therapy.

Nerves are hard to deal with, Hearing is all about nerves, Cilia and so on.

Sorry to read about your outcome, had to return to your previous posts.
A year out, do not want to tell you all is lost, but after a few months, it may not.
Therapy for me after six months did help, movement (after you have an MRI, to be CERTAIN) can have a lot of benefit.
Read another post, there is not a lot of blood in these areas, and movement, of fluids, is how the areas get nutrition.
__________________
Jerry, Somewhere Ohio

L2-3 herniation, two days before Thanksgiving, 2012, Discectomy/Laminectomy, 3/13 Numbness in the right leg, lateral femoral, gone, July 10, 2014 L45 M6 ADR, July 15 PLIF L5-S1, Not able to access L51 Anterior.
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  #43  
Old 05-12-2015, 08:37 AM
stoked64 stoked64 is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 14
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All:

Thank you so much for all of the motivating comments, It provides me some hope. I wanted to provide the board with a little more background with the pain I'm having.

First, let me start with telling you my back pain isn't that bad and mechanically speaking, my back is doing well, considering I have had 3 surgery's.

My leg pain: From day one post-Op, I have been dealing with a heavy dull pain (opposite of sciatic pain). I can not stand for more than a few minutes and sitting for extended periods can also be hard. It feels like I'm wearing heavy ankle weights (like 20 LB's). My pain is a pulling heavy ache, as opposed to the electrical shock feeling. My legs and feet also get cold with pins and needle feel. I have never had issues with cold feet Pre-Op.
__________________
Male Age 50
Location: North East North Carolina
Early 1990's L4/5 acute herniated disc: Lumbar Micro discectomy surgery.
Early 2000's L3/4 lumbar spinal stenosis/bulging disc: Lumbar laminectomy surgery.
2014 July 08 L3/4 L4/5 spinal stenosis: Decompression surgery.
2015 Continued to have leg pain in both legs: Receiving pain Management Treatment.
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  #44  
Old 05-12-2015, 10:54 AM
bwink23 bwink23 is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 263
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by stoked64 View Post
All:

Thank you so much for all of the motivating comments, It provides me some hope. I wanted to provide the board with a little more background with the pain I'm having.

First, let me start with telling you my back pain isn't that bad and mechanically speaking, my back is doing well, considering I have had 3 surgery's.

My leg pain: From day one post-Op, I have been dealing with a heavy dull pain (opposite of sciatic pain). I can not stand for more than a few minutes and sitting for extended periods can also be hard. It feels like I'm wearing heavy ankle weights (like 20 LB's). My pain is a pulling heavy ache, as opposed to the electrical shock feeling. My legs and feet also get cold with pins and needle feel. I have never had issues with cold feet Pre-Op.



You will need a lot of patience and a lot of time to get better. You will have feelings and sensations you have never felt before before. Be sure to take your meds you've been prescribed to keep everything in check. You will be fine.
__________________
2013 - MRI and CT scan....DDD L4-S1
left side (where my pain is) interarticularis pars fracture/defect with Spondylolithesis L5 over S1 with 2MM anterior displacement

Feb. 2014 - Hybrid lumbar fusion(l5/S1), ADR(L4/L5)...2-level cervical ADR (C5/C6, C6/C7). Dr. Pablo Clavel of Quiron Hospital in Barcelona, Spain. All M6 implants (PEEK cage and plate from Medtronic at fusion level in lumbar.) SAME DAY OPERATION for both areas of the spine.
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  #45  
Old 12-10-2015, 03:57 AM
chesasster chesasster is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 10
Default Multilevel ADR and/or fusion?

Dear All:
I have been following this website for few months and have gotten some useful advise from you all . I have been looking for ADR surgeon in my area in Atlanta (GA). I went to the ADR website and found two surgeons name (Dr. Charles Weaver and Dr. El-Shahabi) both in Marietta and Roswell, GA (close enough to my residence). They both recommended C5-C7 ADR with Mobi device.
However, I do not know their reputation.
To make story short, I would ask the forum members including the administrator (Harrison) if they know of any excellent surgeons for ADR in Atlanta or close to Atlanta, GA.
My current MRI shows the following:
a) Broad-based bulging at C3-C4 levels with slight cord compression
b) Assymetric disc bulging at C4-C5 with small disc herniation
c) Broad-based bulging at C5-C6 and broad based herniation with foraminal stenosis
d) Assymetric disc bulging at C6-C7 and cord compression at the same level

In summary, I have multiple disc bulging, multiple disc herniation and multiple disc degenerative disease. At some levels this is more broad based compression at other levels it is more focal.

So far I have the following opinions:
a) Fusion doctor mentioned that I should either get four level fusion or leave it alone
b) ADR surgeons recommend lower two level disc replacement (C5/C6 and C6/C7)and upper two level fusions (C3/C4 and C4/C5).
c) Third surgeon recommends two level replacement at C5-C7
d) Fourth surgeon recommended two level fusions at C5-C7 and do stem cells at the levels where I have bulging and herniations.

I am severe pain and headaches comes every day. I will greatly appreciate the names of some best surgeons in U.S or in Georgia or close by. I cannot afford to pay to go to Europe. Please help.

Thanks
Shawn
__________________
Shawn
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  #46  
Old 12-10-2015, 04:26 AM
chesasster chesasster is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 10
Default Need help with good ADR doctor's name

Dear All:
I have been following this website for few months and have gotten some useful advise from you all . I have been looking for ADR surgeon in my area in Atlanta (GA). I went to the ADR website and found two surgeons name (Dr. Charles Weaver and Dr. El-Shahabi) both in Marietta and Roswell, GA (close enough to my residence). They both recommended C5-C7 ADR with Mobi device.
However, I do not know their reputation.
To make story short, I would ask the forum members including the administrator (Harrison) if they know of any excellent surgeons for ADR in Atlanta or close to Atlanta, GA.
My current MRI shows the following:
a) Broad-based bulging at C3-C4 levels with slight cord compression
b) Assymetric disc bulging at C4-C5 with small disc herniation
c) Broad-based bulging at C5-C6 and broad based herniation with foraminal stenosis
d) Assymetric disc bulging at C6-C7 and cord compression at the same level

In summary, I have multiple disc bulging, multiple disc herniation and multiple disc degenerative disease. At some levels this is more broad based compression at other levels it is more focal.

So far I have the following opinions:
a) Fusion doctor mentioned that I should either get four level fusion or leave it alone
b) ADR surgeons recommend lower two level disc replacement (C5/C6 and C6/C7)and upper two level fusions (C3/C4 and C4/C5).
c) Third surgeon recommends two level replacement at C5-C7
d) Fourth surgeon recommended two level fusions at C5-C7 and do stem cells at the levels where I have bulging and herniations.
e) I approached Dr. Pettine in Colardo (per Colarod Babe advise) and he also recommended multilevel ADR on C5-C7 but only stem cells at other places.
I am severe pain and headaches comes every day. I will greatly appreciate the names of some best surgeons in U.S or in Georgia or close by. I cannot afford to pay to go to Europe. Please help.

Thanks
Shawn
__________________
Shawn
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