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  #11  
Old 01-23-2017, 11:11 AM
locorebob locorebob is offline
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The pain and numbness has always been on the left ( since 2008 ).
however, the pain and numbness on the right started 2Q16, Since I do exercise regularly with moderate weight bearing routines, I thought the deep pain in the humerous was from tricep push down exercises with moderate/heavy weight...it's a funny thing how you can never under estimate the power of denial. There was no noticable weakness since I lift weights regularly. I've been doing that religously since the initial 2008 diagnosis and at that time yes indeed there was noticable weakness in the right...
which is why I started going to the gym regularly.
It wasn't until 3Q16 that the numbness in right forefinger and thumb began and that's when it ocurred to me it's the herniated C5/6 disc !!!!

Question: Is the neural foramen cleaned up during an anterior discectomy?
Also, I see you've had facet issues in the past yet are the recipient of a 2 level C-ADR. I saw a tired old surgeon in 2008 at the esteemed Barrows Institute in PHX and for me, he said NO to ADR and cited there would be "facet issues"... what ever that meant
Oh and last time I grilled a surgeon in 2008 on his recommendation for fusion, which is the same local Dr. I'm going to see in February ) he said, " people feel as if they need uber information on the procedures and recommendation"... and then he went on to say that "people must make a leap of faith and trust the surgeon". Maybe I'll cancel that appt and find a surgeon in PHX that will implant ADR. I do see Dr. John Ehteshami from Cervical Spine Centers in Phoenix is listed in the top 500 Doctors in Phoenix from 2016... And all that that center deals with is Cervical... I will reach out to his office this week.
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herniated C5/6 w/osteophytes
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  #12  
Old 01-23-2017, 06:05 PM
Gorrito Gorrito is offline
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My surgeon said he would trim osteophytes and widen the neural foramen too during my ADR surgery. This surgeon is different from the one who did my first more minor procedure in 2015. That 1st surgeon did not have much to say when I was in a brutal pain crisis several months ago. So it seems some are more willing to do something than others.

Perhaps you can also do some searching on this forum for the doctor you mentioned and others in your local area. A surgeon who specializes only on the cervical spine makes sense to me.
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Right C6 facetectomy (foraminotomy) 09/24/2015
2 level ADR C5-C7 with Prestige LP 01/09/2017
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  #13  
Old 01-23-2017, 07:59 PM
aeromarkco aeromarkco is offline
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What does "trim" osteophytes mean? I'm wondering how much posterior osteophytes thay can trim?
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History of Degenerative Disk Disease:
1983 Laminectomy L3/4 & L4/5
2015 Diagnosed with Cervical Myelopathy C3-C7
C4/5 & C5/6 are worst
C4/5 & C5/6 Mobi-C Surgery 2/1/17 with Dr. Vikas Patel
Still active, working out and cycling - want to stay that way!
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  #14  
Old 01-23-2017, 10:17 PM
Gorrito Gorrito is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aeromarkco View Post
What does "trim" osteophytes mean? I'm wondering how much posterior osteophytes thay can trim?
I did not ask details. I was comfortable w/ him saying that he saw where there are issues and he was going to try to fix them.
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Right C6 facetectomy (foraminotomy) 09/24/2015
2 level ADR C5-C7 with Prestige LP 01/09/2017
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  #15  
Old 01-24-2017, 12:02 AM
locorebob locorebob is offline
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here is a video showing an abbreviated step of clearing posterior bone spurs...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omgux9nUkC4
fast forward to 1:09 and you'll get the idea. And eccentric posterior bone - s pur like what some people have - is like a precipitous cliff hanger.. and it's pushing on the dura or thecal sack which I've been told is like scraping wet toilet paper to clean up the shavings following the milling step..
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herniated C5/6 w/osteophytes
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  #16  
Old 01-24-2017, 12:28 AM
aeromarkco aeromarkco is offline
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Thanks Bob. I've also read that surgeons also use rongeurs to remove the posterior osteophytes - removing the osteophytes completely is not always possible.
BTW - isn't there a posterior ligament between the disk and the dural sac?
Regards
Mark
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History of Degenerative Disk Disease:
1983 Laminectomy L3/4 & L4/5
2015 Diagnosed with Cervical Myelopathy C3-C7
C4/5 & C5/6 are worst
C4/5 & C5/6 Mobi-C Surgery 2/1/17 with Dr. Vikas Patel
Still active, working out and cycling - want to stay that way!
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  #17  
Old 01-25-2017, 12:13 AM
locorebob locorebob is offline
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Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 13
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Gorrito, This is exactly why I wanted to interact with a peer. You read the report and interpreted it accurately. I never read the 2011 report... and so I went to the center today and picked up a copy of that report... And sure enough the same language is there about the myelomalacia. Perhaps I did read the report in 2011 and blew it off. Or maybe I didn't and the cocky surgeon who ordered it well let's just say I didn't like him and so probably didn't hear anything he was saying... Perhaps it all goes back to that old adage of "don't under estimate the power of denial".
In any case: Thank You
Thank you for reading the report and posting your reply. It forced me to go get the 2011 report and read it myself.
And so now I have this euphoric effect of " omg it's been that way for nearly 6 years and it's been asymptomatic" and so I gotta ask myself you rather ask the same question you asked... and that is... Are you feeling different? And really besides the right sight side numbness and moderate pain... and occasional electric sensation down the right arm to finger tips.... that answer is No.
Makes me think I can wait for the MRI safe PEEK-on-ceramic Simplify disc to finish single level trial. Or perhaps not.. Who knows how long that will take. Yikes, look at the M6-C trial. Will it ever end in success? I seem to recall that one of the sponsoring surgeons relinquished his license...
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  #18  
Old 01-25-2017, 12:30 AM
Gorrito Gorrito is offline
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Bob

The newest symptoms you are reporting might be enough for some to consider treatment. Pain can be horrible, sometimes it goes away with time. There is a theory that the pain is caused by a chemical released by the discs themselves (?). I might not be getting it right, but my surgeon told me that is an explanation on why patients can have a pain crisis but their MRIs don't show much if any progressive changes.

Personally, I did not want to deal w/ the possibility of continued bouts of severe pain mixed in w/ chronic numbness, tingling and some weakness, even though my severe pain resolved.

In any case, each person has to decide options. Glad you understand my questions to you considering what your MRI report stated.

In terms of discs and MRI compatibility, my understanding is that the Prestige LP is MRI compatible. Seems like every surgeon has their favorites.

Gorrito
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Right C6 facetectomy (foraminotomy) 09/24/2015
2 level ADR C5-C7 with Prestige LP 01/09/2017
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  #19  
Old 01-25-2017, 01:02 AM
locorebob locorebob is offline
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Join Date: Jan 2011
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Markco after googling " rongeurs" I realize now why surgery is so expensive. An articulating instrument like a rongeurs is very expensive. In any case, I guess that I had this impression in my mind that they used some sort of percutaneous tube that contained an aspirator, a camera, an irragator and a cutting tool. But maybe not, I really don't know. Seem to recall that a tool description similar to that was on the LSI website a long time ago (in 2008 before their attorneys had that information removed).
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  #20  
Old 01-25-2017, 02:48 AM
Ram_2L-ADR Ram_2L-ADR is offline
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Hi Bob,

I just recently had my surgery, 2-L ADR at C4-C5 & C5-6 (you can have a look at my post). I'm 8 days post op and to be honest, I'm really glad I had this one done. I'm 31, and my mother had a fusion done about a year ago at C4-C5, though the surgery went well, looking at me she really regrets not having the ADR instead.
She spent nearly 2 months with a neck brace, and following this I'm pretty sure she lost all trust in the strength of her neck, though all doctors tell her that the fusion went perfect.

One of the reasons (the only one that made sense to me other than age), that I was told by my doctor was something to look for when choosing Fusion or ADR was the curvature of the neck. The top of the spine is meant to be slightly bent backwards, some people have it straight (like me), and some bent forward. In the case where the cervical spine is bent forward, they may recommend fusion to adjust the curvature of the neck to avoid the high chance of having future muscular pains and discomfort. You have to consider that the artificial disc has a flip side, though it gives you all the mobility you need, it doesn't actually give support and really relies mainly on your muscles.

That's my grain of salt, hope it helped!
Good luck with whichever decision you decide to go with!

Rami
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Ram
Numbness in right arm after house works end Sep 16
MRI showed compressed Spinal Cord in cervical spine in Dec 16
2 Level ADR on C4-C5 & C5-C6 on 17 Jan 17 in Hong Kong
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