Germany & Dr. Bierstedt for Cervical ADR?

[DrewDotNet]

Cheryl, I would say I felt validated by speaking to Dr. Clavel. What I found was a very gifted human being who is also a surgeon and I think a bit of an artist too. He participated in a conversation with me rather than tell me what I should do. He listened and together we plotted a course without making a final decision on my surgery. But, he reassured me that I'm almost there and that gave me some comfort because it's been a long and painful journey. I really want to have the surgery and hopefully, leave some of this pain behind me! Remember my post about how I think that the really great doctors/surgeons are humble human beings and have great support staff? Yes, he's one of them!

This was also my impression. I would recommend his consultation, even for someone who has no intention of going overseas. I didn't feel like he ever left anything "off the table" and didn't "skirt around" any answers.

[Cynlite]

I'm happy to report that I have been working with Dr. Zeegers the last few days. Yes, he's worth the wait! More questions and more tests are needed unfortunately but, I'm heading in the right direction. He is by far the most thorough surgeon I have ever worked with and I am so incredibly grateful he's helping me because I certainly do need his guidance. I'm one complicated case and the surgeons here in the U.S. have just plain failed me. I'm also very grateful to have Dr. Clavel on my team. I think between the two of them, I'll find the right answer for me. Dr. Zeegers is more conservative and systematic than Dr. Clavel so, I think they are a very good balance.

When my parents were in their last year of their lives and I was navigating through the healthcare system for them, I had some doctors tell me I just needed to accept that they were dying. Seriously, they said that to me!!! I moved their care to the best hospitals in the country and the difference was like night and day. (My Dad lived an extra year and a half beyond what the losers expected! My Mom lived about an extra six months. A really great doctor can make all the difference!) Now, I'm dealing with the same type of crap! I know some of you have heard this too "Well, you should just learn to live with your pain." They can stuff that opinion.

[Dema]

Good news that you have been working with Dr. Zeegers, and he is worth the wait! I look forward to working with him, but looks like I will need a new MRI based on what happened:
Chester man turns self in after alleged hit-and-run | NJ.com

May be the discs slipped back in place when the car rolled!

[Cynlite]

Oh crap Dema! I hope you two didn't sustain too terrible of injuries but, yes, get MRI's of your entire spine. Problems don't always reveal themselves right away. I sure wish I had not been so kind to the insurance company for the man that rear ended me in my last car accident. It caused terrible problems/pain for over a year and then I signed off. All his insurance did was pay for some of my medical bills. Fast forward many years and now I'm footing the bill and still trying to get fixed. Perhaps you can get his insurance company to pay for your surgery in Europe!

I'm so sorry for the accident.

Dr. Zeegers is very good! I'm glad I hired him. Read my comments on my U.S. thread regarding his concerns about one of my discs! Dr. Zeegers is conservative and Dr. Clavel is more aggressive in his diagnosis. I think they are both worth contacting! Of course, no other surgeon can compare to Dr. Zeegers because he looks at the entire medical history and takes his time to arrive at a solution. Dr. Clavel is very good at placing ADRs. All the x-rays I've seen of his work are just beautiful. I haven't seen any x-rays of Dr. Zeegers' work. I'd love to though....anyone want to post some?

Wishing you both wellness and sending blessings.

[NJ Gene]

Wholly cow Dema and Raouf!! Are you okay? What do "moderate" injuries mean? Mr. Andrews should have to buy you a new car, pay your medical bills, and punitive damages. I can recommend a personal injury atty if you need one.

Since I am local, please let me know if there is anything I can do.

Gene

[Dema]

Thanks Cynlite & Gene for your concern & well wishes. I had soft tissue damage in all limbs except right leg, will need MRI to determine extent after inflammation is down. Raouf broke his forearm & requires surgery (metal plate) to fix. My neck has been stiff for past few days, and all the symptoms are flared up. Will need new cervical MRI to see if there was any major changes!
We found a good attorney to help us today, will post updatess after the new MRI. Hope you are doing great Gene, and Cynlite looks like you are getting closer to a decision!

[scoop302]

I am glad to hear that the two of you are ok. However I am sorry to hear about your injuries. I hope that it is just temporary and you both get better soon. One good thing is that you were in an Audi, an incredibly safe car. People ask me why I bought a BMW 5 series before my surgery. Look on YouTube and the BMW's and Audi's getting hit by tractor trailers and slamming into cement barriers, then the driver opens the door and walks away. With the amount of idiots on the road, you can't be too careful. I hope you both get better soon.

[Dema]

Thank you, and could not agree more that the Audi saved our lives, and like BMW and Mercedes, these German cars do provide more safety. May God protect us all from the crazy drivers out there!

[Cynlite]

I have spent the last few days trying to figure out how to get the metal allergy testing done. Below are my notes for anyone else who wants to get tested prior to having an implant. You will need a prescription from your doctor and your insurance may or may not cover it. Most likely not.

I do know I have a metal allergy to some jewelry. I don't think I have one to Titanium but, I would prefer to spend the money and get tested just in case. It is possible that some of my symptoms could be due to the Titanium screws I've had in my knee the last 25 years. I don't think so, but, better to be safe than sorry. Old Codger had a terrible reaction to Titanium. I'll post a link to his thread at the bottom. It's a small percentage of people that have this problem which is why the surgeons in the U.S. don't test for it. When I mentioned my allergy to jewelry to Dr. Clavel, he suggested I get tested...so, there you go, different attitudes in different countries! I've decided to get the Melisa test done by a lab called NeuroScience. They sent me a list of companies to contact where I live. I found one that would order the test kit for me for free. I just have to pick it up and then take it to someone to draw my blood. It was a bit of a puzzle to figure out. The Tax ID and NPI are for insurance purposes as well as the CPT Code.

Here are my Notes:

https://www.aesculapimplantsystems.c...geon_Guide.pdf
Unusual skin cancer linked to chronic allergy from metal orthopedic implant: Unusual skin cancer linked to chronic allergy from metal orthopedic implant | Newsroom | Washington University in St. Louis
Metal Testing:
CPT Code 86353

Metal in M6-C
Titanium alloy composed of 6% aluminum, 4% vanadium and the balance is Titanium (minute impurities: Nitrogen, Carbon, Hydrogen, Iron, Oxygen, Yttrium).

Mobi-C materials
The Mobi-C disc has three parts: two metal plates and a plastic insert in the middle. The plates are made of a mix of metals commonly used in spine surgery (cobalt, chromium, and molybdenum).
The plates have teeth on the top and bottom that help hold the plates to the vertebrae. The teeth are pressed into the bone with no bone cut out, which makes the Mobi-C design and technique bone sparing.
The outside of the metal plates are sprayed with a coating (hydroxyapatite). This coating helps the vertebrae to grow and attach to the metal plates for long term stability.
The plastic insert is made from polyethylene. The insert is flat on the bottom and round on the top. The insert is made to move as you move your neck.

Melisa Test:
NeuroScience Lab aka NeuroRelief - $400 if cash and $540 if insurance billed.

• Aluminum
• Chromium
• Cobalt
• Molybdenum
• Nickel
• Titanium Calcium
• Titanium Dioxide
• Vanadium

Panel 55605 test kit needs to be ordered.

TAX ID 391841640
NPI 1760576755

Melisa® measures the Type-IV delayed hypersensitivity reaction due to exposure to metals. A Type-IV hypersensitivity reaction is mediated by memory T-lymphocytes that have had prior contact with a given antigen. These profiles are suggested for patients with symptoms of metal hypersensitivity and those who have had possible immunological responses to: dental amalgams and implants, orthopedic and electrical implants, cosmetics and jewelry, foods and cookware, and occupational exposure, as well as reaction to thimerosal, a preservative in some vaccines.

MELISA and LTT: MELISA and LTT | MELISA Medica Foundation
The Lymphocyte Transformation Test was originally developed in the 1960s for evaluating histocompatible class II HLA antigens. The method was then modified for class II antigen typing and also applied extensively to detecting type IV allergies to drugs, metabolites, infectious organisms and metals. LTT became a common test for detection of allergy to beryllium, nickel, gold, cobalt, chromium and palladium. LTT to beryllium is now accepted as the “gold standard” for diagnosing berylliosis, a lung disease, in USA.

In 1994, Stejskal and colleagues published a modification of the LTT for detecting metal sensitivity – the MELISA test. The reason for the development of a modern in vitro testing tool was that Astra, a large Swedish pharmaceutical company needed a test for the diagnosis of occupational drug allergy for their workers exposed to dust containing beryllium during drug production.

By optimizing of the methodology of LTT, MELISA has improved both the specificity and the sensitivity of the test. Below are the four major changes that MELISA implements, in contrast with LTT.

• MELISA uses a higher number of lymphocytes per test
• The metal concentrations used have been chosen so that they are non-mitogenic and non-toxic
• The test uses partial depletion of macrophages which restores the lymphocyte-monocyte balance so that it is similar to that in the blood
• In addition to objective determination of lymphocyte proliferation by radio labelled thymidine, morphological examination gives an additional reading directly on the level of stimulated lymphocytes


Orthopedic Analysis
Metal-LTT Test
Orthopedic Panel 2
$573.00 due after kit ordered and blood sent in to them. Fed X included.
Coding | Orthopedic Analysis

• Aluminium
• Cobalt
• Chromium
• Iron
• Molybdenum
• Nickel
• Vanadium
• Zirconium
• Titanium Alloy Particles
• Cobalt Alloy Particles
• Bone Cement Particles
• Bone Cement Liquid

TAX ID 202454193
NPI 1821318601

Why Use Metal-LTT?
Despite the amazing success of orthopedic implants to restore movement and quality of life, reports of metal-sensitivity responses have increased recently, such as unexplained pain, effusions, stiffness and/or cutaneous eruptions following total joint arthroplasty. This is because the number of people getting orthopedic implants has increased and the relatively high levels of metal exposure by some types of implants. By avoiding metals that an individual is sensitive to, or diagnosing sensitivity after surgery, surgeons and patients can work together to optimize implant success.
Alternative methods used to diagnose metal allergy reactions, such as dermal patch testing, are not well accepted in orthopedic practice, and actually run the risk of causing metal sensitivity.
LTT assays have been well established over the past 50 years as a test for drug sensitivities. The allergens available to test at Orthopedic Analysis include: Aluminum, Chromium, Cobalt, Iron, Molybdenum, Nickel, Vanadium, Zirconium, Bone cement, implant alloy Titanium particles implant alloy Cobalt particles, and other metals or drugs which may be available by request.
Metal-specific reactivity (or the Metal-LTT Stimulation Index) is evaluated by comparing treated to non-treated lymphocyte proliferation from the same individual. The degree of reactivity is categorized using the following general criteria:
• 2-4 fold response =mild reactivity
• 5-8 fold =moderate reactivity
• >8= high reactivity

Old Codger's Story: https://www.adrsupport.org/forums/f5...t-metal-13020/

FOREIGN BODY REACTION TO BIOMATERIALS: FOREIGN BODY REACTION TO BIOMATERIALS

Unusual skin cancer linked to chronic allergy from metal orthopedic implant: Unusual skin cancer linked to chronic allergy from metal orthopedic implant | Newsroom | Washington University in St. Louis

Could You Be Allergic to a Joint Implant? Metal Implant Allergies | OA Treatment

[pittpete]

I had a metal allergy test done before my fusion..
Went to an Allergy & Immunology doctor near me in network.
They taped a bunch od things and scratched some stuff on my back.
One included a titanium coin which they begged me not to lose.
My mother was allergic to certain metals so i thought it wise of me to have it done.