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  #11  
Old 10-31-2008, 12:34 AM
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KBear KBear is offline
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Default Same surgeon :)

Hey Molly,
I was just reading your post, I am so sorry you are going through all of this. It makes my stomach swirl, just thinking about ADR failing or not working. I also have some arthritis in my facet joints; but I have had facet injections, that only made the pain worse for a couple of weeks, then back to normal. I also see Dr. Zigler of TBI, he has yet to operate on me; but from everything I have read, he is one of the best! I also love how down to earth he is, I came to both of my appointments with my 2 year old, my friend (for an extra set of ears) and her toddler. He was so unfazed by this, even interacting with the kids. The first surgeon I saw, was an arrogant a-hole with little ADR experience, that I had never heard of and could not find anything on (and I didn't even have kids on that appointment); not to mention he was all about fusion. Dr. Zigler, agreed that fusion would be a bad option for me and that I would be best suited for ADR. Hopefully, I will be having surgery in the next couple of months. Best of Luck, Kathy
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  #12  
Old 10-31-2008, 10:27 AM
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Terry Terry is offline
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KBear:

Lovely little rugasaurus's you have.

They are cute and, probably the light of your life.

Hang in there and go with God. It sounds like you have a great surgeon lined up and it is in God's hands now (and a great surgeon working under his direction).

I also had some facet arthritis before my 4 level ADR. If the surgeons followed the exclusionary criteria to the letter probably most of us would have been excluded.

Terry Newton
__________________
1980 ruptured L4-L5
1988 ruptured SI-L5
1990 ruptured C5-C6
1994 ruptured C6-C7
1995 Hemi-Laminectomy C5-C6, C6-C7 Mayo Clinic
Bicycle Accident 2004
MRI, EMG, Facet Injections, Epidural Blocks, Lumbar Discogram.
Stenum Hospital Surgery November 4, 2006
Prestige Disc C5-C6, C6-C7
Maverick Disc S1-L5, L4-L5
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  #13  
Old 10-31-2008, 01:54 PM
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KBear KBear is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Terry View Post
KBear:

Lovely little rugasaurus's you have.

They are cute and, probably the light of your life.

Hang in there and go with God. It sounds like you have a great surgeon lined up and it is in God's hands now (and a great surgeon working under his direction).

I also had some facet arthritis before my 4 level ADR. If the surgeons followed the exclusionary criteria to the letter probably most of us would have been excluded.

Terry Newton
Thanks Terry. I'm already praying for God's guidance for my surgeon during my surgery! God has definitely been working on me with my control issues, throughout this ordeal. I have learned (the hard way) that I am not in control and will never be. I definitely have learned to smell the roses (or stinky kids feet in my case I wouldn't trade the stinky feet for the world, you are right, they are the light of my life. During many a depressing day, they are the reason I can go on, to keep fighting.) I'm glad to know that others had facet arthritis too, and were ok. Both surgeons I saw, did not think that it was too bad for ADR; although the radiologist who read the MRI did report it to be worse than what the surgeon says it is. Dr. Zigler also says that if that was my pain generator, that the facet injections would have provided me relief, and they didn't.
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  #14  
Old 11-01-2008, 12:00 AM
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Eddie_G Eddie_G is offline
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Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 238
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Hi Molly, It sucks feelin crummy I know. I have a Prodisc at L4-L5. When I had the original discogram 3 years ago, it confirmed the degeneration at L4-L5 and an annular tear at L5-S1. The tear in the annulus was supposedly asymptomatic because it didn't react twice, only once during the discogram. The Prodisc was put in 2 years ago and I continued to have the same horrible back pain. After 2 more years of continuous severe pain, physical therapy, deep tissue massage, epidurals, facet joint injections, trigger point injections, medial branch blocks, 300mg of Oxycontin daily, 2400mg Neurontin daily and asking for another discogram for months, I finally had another discogram this week and L5-S1 reacted. I sure hope I didn't get the Prodisc for nothing. The L4-L5 supposedly needed the Prodisc because it was black on the films, but apparantly the L5-S1 needs some work on the annulus too. I am going to talk to the surgeon about my options but I'm sure I will be cut again. If I need a fusion at L5-S1 it won't be the worst thing in the world because that level doesn't rotate all that much anyway.

Just be sure that a fusion is what you need. It would seem such a waste if you were to fuse your Charite only to find your pain generator is another level. Just a thought. The discogram isn't perfect so I would have the other levels checked thoroughly first.
__________________
12/16/03 Work Accident
Herniation and DDD at L4-L5
4/1/05 Discectomy
Epidurals and facet injections
5/15/06 Discogram confirmed L4-L5 DDD also an asymptomatic L5-S1 tear
10/24/06 L4-L5 Prodisc surgery with Dr. Goldstein
CAT scans & X-Rays show ossification
Trigger Point Injections, Medial Branch Blocks, Acupuncture, Weekly Deep Tissue Massage
10/27/08 Discogram (positive L5-S1 tear)
11/25/08 L5-S1 fusion with Dr. Goldstein
FAILED BACK SYNDROME
Liberty Mutual WC

Last edited by Eddie_G; 11-01-2008 at 12:03 AM.
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  #15  
Old 12-16-2008, 12:56 PM
Molly Molly is offline
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Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 5
Post 3 Weeks Post-op

It's now been 3 weeks since my fusion at L5/S1, leaving the Charite disc in place. Dr. Zigler did a fantastic job on the surgery & he thinks this is really going to help. I am keeping an optimistic outlook on this & pray that he's correct. I am so grateful to have found this doctor. He's not only one of the best surgeons, he's also one of the nicest. I highly recommend him to anyone facing back surgery!

I'm still hurting, but hopefully that's just from the trauma of going through another surgery & will calm down soon. The approach was through 2 incisions in the back where he put the rods & screws on both sides of the disc to secure that level. The incisions seem to be healing, but are still a bit tender. I'm still having to take strong pain pills on top of the oxycontnin, but hopefully it will let up soon & I can back off some of it.

Well, my 20 minutes of sitting is up now. I'll update as I progress. Thanks again for all of your support & kind thoughts!

- Molly
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---------------------------------------------------
Nov. 24, 2008, L5-S1 Fusion (leaving Charite in), Frisco
Jan 25, 2005, L5-S1 ADR Charite in Frisco, TX
DDD on L4-5; L5-S1
June 2004, Microdiskectomy/Laminotomy at L5/S1
April 2004, 1st visit to Orthopedic Surgeon
Jan 2004, 1st visit to chiropractor
Nov 2003, Pain started gradually (no accident or fall)
MRI, Epidural Blocks, Facet Injections, Rhizotomy, Lumbar Discogram & Myelogram
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  #16  
Old 12-16-2008, 09:44 PM
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CindyLou CindyLou is offline
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Molly,

So Dr. Zigler did your Charite' before, and now the fusion at same level, L5-S1? Interesting. I hope this works out well for you. Please keep us posted on your recovery. Good or bad. It helps us all to track these different procedures, especially one as unique as yours. I hope you can still enjoy your holiday with some low pain levels (thanks to drugs!) and have a blessed New Year!

Cindy
__________________
CindyLou
bicycle accident 6/19/01
2 compression fractures, T12, L1;
vertibroplasty @ above levels, 9/15/01
4/06 hip labral tear repair
4/07 Lumbar ProDisc replacement by Dr. B., 3 levels; L3-6
7/2/08 ALIF of L6-S1
7/30/08 Removed bone cement.
8/7/08 Diagnosed with pulmonary embolism, double pneumonia, collapsed left lung, pleurisy, pleural effusion.
3/10/09 right SI Joint Fusion; seeing light at end of tunnel, for first time in 8 years!!
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  #17  
Old 12-18-2008, 07:55 PM
trucklt trucklt is offline
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Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 37
Default From ADR to Fusion

I ran across this thread while looking at the possibility of enrolling in the Active-L trial where the control group would be Charite disc. I consulted a local surgeon who was really negative about Charite in terms of design, subsidence, wear, migration, and early degeneration of facets and adjacent discs.

I came across an interesting article on pubmedcentral.nih.gov. from the European Spine Journal about revision of failed Charites. According to the article, conversion to a fusion is possible both with removal and non-removal of the Charite. Slightly better results were achieved with the removal of the Charite. The full text of the article can be seen at
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/art...?artid=2226059

I hope this article helps anyone facing a revision of a failed ADR.
__________________
Diagnosed with L4/L5 DDD 1998 after lifting injury.
10 years of failed P.T., Chiropractic, Acupuncture, injections.
Turned down for ADR in 2005 by United Healthcare
Living on Ultracet and Vicodin ES and only working part-time
Disqualified from Active-L trial due to low bone density in spine
ALIF 02/10/09

Last edited by trucklt; 12-18-2008 at 08:02 PM.
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  #18  
Old 12-18-2008, 08:10 PM
berry berry is offline
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Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 280
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Hi there Molly

Thanks for sharing your story, but sorry youv'e needed to go through all this. I'm sure there will be many watching your progress. I hope your pain reduces and the fusion does the trick and no further intervention is needed at L4/5 in the future.

You take care and heal quickly.

Best wishes

Lynda
__________________
Cervical Activ C, C5/6 & C6/7, Feb 2008
Craniotomy and excision frontal lobe brain tumour, May 2006
Lumbar ProDiscs, L4/5 & L5/S1, Feb 2004


Last edited by berry; 12-18-2008 at 08:12 PM.
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