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International Assistance Any topics relating to traveling or communicating with international treatment locations are here.


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  #11  
Old 03-24-2013, 03:24 PM
Icanraceit Icanraceit is offline
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[QUOTE=Running11;98856]I can race it,

Yes, Lily is wonderful ! I met her becuase she leaves nearby me in the Bay area. What do you mean she was your red flag? Does that mean you weren't accepting of your injuries?

I am having so a hard time with my husband. He wants me to get a fusion becuase he is afraid if we somehow come up with the money for ADR , i will have complications. We have been told by one of my spinal doctors that if i go oversees my insurance won't even pay for a painkiller for my neck. He said if we go with ADR oversees we might as well sell our house and that he would never let his wife go oversees for surgery! No wonder why my hubby is so against it. He's afraid its too much of a risk. I think ADR is the only solution.
My husband is encouraging me to get a bi-level fusion in June. Any thoughts ?You said you went through tthe same issues. How did you come to agreement?[/QUOTE

First Run, may I ask your age and how long you have been in pain for?.

I was sold on the pro disc or the fusion myself for the exact same reasons your husband is. I was even singing about it here on this website. Lillyth made one comment that was the red flag I needed. She said she would not put the pro disc in her body because the m6 was a far superior implant. She also had other info that made me stop and really think about what I was about to do.

As far as your husband goes I completely understand, it is like I am reading what I wrote about my wife. I asked my wife to also do some research and come up with her own solution. It took her a very short period of time to realize that the best solution for long term results was to have the spinal kinetics M6 installed. Just a bit of info for you. Most fusions end with adjacent disc disease and according to the stats I read it happens at more than a 3% per year per level fused. So if I read it right, if you had a two level fusion in ten years you have about a 60% chance of another surgery. Plus keep in mind if the fusion doesn't work that's it. If the m6 doesn't work Clavel will take it out and fuse it.

It breaks my heart to hear there is an American doctor out there saying these things to someone who is already scared of the outcome of surgery.. To hear that he is telling you that you might as well sell your house, and you insurance won't cover your meds.. That is just simply BULL SH#T. Also keep in mind once surgery is over Dr. Clavel gives you all the meds you need to get you home.

As for complications.... Anything is possible but there is insurance that Dr. Clavel offers for about $1300 that covers any problems with the installation, the device, or the doctors technique.

I ask you to challenge your husband to look online for as many negative outcomes with Dr. Clavel and the M6 VS. fusions done by American doctors. There are other doctors in Europe that do the ADR surgery with the m6 other than Clavel but he made me feel the best and on this site I could not find one negative thing said about him or his surgery.

As for coming to my final agreement With my wife, it was quite an ordeal. The meds made me very aggressive and emotional at times and I had reached my threshold for the situation/my condition. I have a new little girl and I was not going to sacrifice the life my daughter deserved because of my back pain. Especially when the solution was available.

A few final comments on your doctor that has scared your husband to death.. 1 he makes money operating so he is going to say whatever it takes to keep his $100-150k surgery from turning into a $35-50k ADR in Spain. I would then tell that guy to go pound sand and find me a new doctor. There are doctors everywhere that would not do that to you.

Lastly there has been over 10000 m6's installed with no lawsuits to mention in regards to the implant. (that I can find). Trust me I have looked

I hope I have helped and if you need to talk you can private message me and we can exchange info.

I wish you the best of luck and I know it is a ton of money. Worst case send Yolanda your MRIs and X-rays and let Clavel tell you what he thinks. If you want you can then speak to him via Skype along with your husband to answer any questions you may have.

GOD BLESS YOU, pray hard and do your research and eventually things will work themselves out. I pray you are pain free soon!!
__________________
05 small amounts of numbness in low back
10/06 fall with severe twist and the end of painless life
07-11 PT, Chiro, PT, and more Chiro with some relief
4/11 pain came on and has settled in for good
facet blocks
7 injections
DRX 9000 traction (no help)
Fentanyl patch and 15 mg oxycodon for breakthrough
4 MRI Bulging L5S1 and DDD
3 Dr's suggest ADR
1/13 discogram 7-8/10 pain
2/28/13 ADR scheduled xxxx canceled
3/21/13 L5S1 ADR M6 with Dr. Clavel who else?:-)
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  #12  
Old 03-25-2013, 04:26 PM
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jss jss is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Icanraceit View Post
... The second day as completely different. Very bearable. Most of the pain was created by the obvious... I do have back pain and abdomen pain but I am up walking going to the bathroom with no assistance and pretty much rolling smoothly to,a complete recovery. ...
Congratulations!
__________________
C4/5 - ACDF in 2000
C5/6 - ACDF in 2002
C3/4 & C6/7 - M6 ADR, Nov 2009, Barcelona
Conceded defeat to a manifestly disingenuous BCBS-TX in my quest for reimbursement, Jan 2011
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  #13  
Old 03-25-2013, 04:50 PM
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jss jss is offline
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Running,

I ditto Icanraceit's concerns about cervical fusion and adjacent segment disease. I had a cervical fusion; two years later I needed another at an adjacent segment. Eight years later I was told that I needed THREE more at the adjacent segments.

Dr Alan Hilibrand's 1999 study on cervical adjacent segment disease after fusion is one of the most commonly cited studies in scientific literature on ADR. His findings show that a cervical fusion patient has a 25% chance of surgery at an adjacent segment within 10 years of a fusion. Dr Hilibrand published only the reoperation probability for a single level fusion, stating that the reoperation level for a double fusion was "significantly lower". While there is not yet any data (of which I'm aware) that show the probability of revision surgery 10 years after a double ADR, if you have a double fusion then you'd better be prepared for more surgery a few years down the road.

I do understand your husband's reservations; as it seems that complications from an ADR tend to have very bad outcomes. However, complications from an overseas ADR do seem to occur only very rarely. It can be a difficult call.

Good luck, Jeff
__________________
C4/5 - ACDF in 2000
C5/6 - ACDF in 2002
C3/4 & C6/7 - M6 ADR, Nov 2009, Barcelona
Conceded defeat to a manifestly disingenuous BCBS-TX in my quest for reimbursement, Jan 2011
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  #14  
Old 03-25-2013, 05:46 PM
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TPatti TPatti is offline
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Running11,
It has been mentioned here before, have you looked to see if an AIMIS doctor is close to you? They perform surgeries in Cyprus and then follow up with you in the US. If another AIMIS doctor performs your surgery they have an agreement to follow up with one another. Dr. Pimenta from Brazil is a member of AIMISS and very well regarded.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Running11 View Post
I can race it,

Yes, Lily is wonderful ! I met her becuase she leaves nearby me in the Bay area. What do you mean she was your red flag? Does that mean you weren't accepting of your injuries?

I am having so a hard time with my husband. He wants me to get a fusion becuase he is afraid if we somehow come up with the money for ADR , i will have complications. We have been told by one of my spinal doctors that if i go oversees my insurance won't even pay for a painkiller for my neck. He said if we go with ADR oversees we might as well sell our house and that he would never let his wife go oversees for surgery! No wonder why my hubby is so against it. He's afraid its too much of a risk. I think ADR is the only solution.
My husband is encouraging me to get a bi-level fusion in June. Any thoughts ?You said you went through tthe same issues. How did you come to agreement?
__________________
*9/10: Unstable pelvis & SI joint, sore IT band. Chiro care, I would shift out hours to days after adjust
*12/10: PT & chiro
*4/11 to 11/11: 5 sessions prolo and 3 prolo w/ PRP
*12/28/11 ESI L L4/L5 - 1/13/12 ESI R L4/L5 - 1/24/12 L SI joint capsule - 3/8/12 TPI - 3/23/12 L L5/S1 - 4/11/12 ESI caudal - 5/23/12 TPI - 7/10/12 Facet inj L3/L4, L4/L5, L5/S1
*9/12/12: 30 - DRX9000
*12/21/12 schedule. for L4/L5 fusion-CANCELLED 1/7/13
*7/16/2013: 3 level M6(S1-L3) w/ Dr. Bierstedt
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  #15  
Old 03-25-2013, 11:00 PM
Icanraceit Icanraceit is offline
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Posts: 94
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Running,

You still there? I hope I didn't offend you or say something to upset you?! I just want you to have all the information out there to help convince poppa. (Your hubby) please let me know if there is anything I can do to help. I have few weeks of down time! God Bless and remember he can help too!:-) ><>
__________________
05 small amounts of numbness in low back
10/06 fall with severe twist and the end of painless life
07-11 PT, Chiro, PT, and more Chiro with some relief
4/11 pain came on and has settled in for good
facet blocks
7 injections
DRX 9000 traction (no help)
Fentanyl patch and 15 mg oxycodon for breakthrough
4 MRI Bulging L5S1 and DDD
3 Dr's suggest ADR
1/13 discogram 7-8/10 pain
2/28/13 ADR scheduled xxxx canceled
3/21/13 L5S1 ADR M6 with Dr. Clavel who else?:-)
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  #16  
Old 04-01-2013, 12:48 AM
Running11 Running11 is offline
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Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 187
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I Can Race It,

You didn't say anything to upset me.

I have been down in the dumps. BC/BC
Gave me a determination on my external appeal. They said no for my cervical 2 level ADR. The reasoning was that I don't have spinal stenosis at level C 4-5 even though they had copies of 2 MRIs that clearly stated I did. I am trying to wrap my head around doctors and diagnostic testing that say I need a treatment yet I was clearly denied

It said I could get ADCF or ADR at C5-6 but I'm not even certain of that. I'm clearly confused and speechless with this whole process. It is swallowing me whole.....
__________________
disc bulges C 4-5 and C 5-6
EMG evidence nerve root blockage at C6, C8 and L5
Cogential moderate-severe cervical/lumbar stenosis
Cervical compression with clinical myelopathy with Hoffman's
Tests; MRI's, EMG/NC studies, discogram, CT scan
Pain management; tens unit, ice and heat, physical therapy, chiropratic care, and spinal epidural treatments.
Blue Cross / Blue Shield of Ohio external third party approved Pro-C ADR at C 5-6 on 4/3/13
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  #17  
Old 04-01-2013, 12:49 AM
Running11 Running11 is offline
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Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 187
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I can race it,

I should PM it or email it to you so you can tell me what to make of it?.
__________________
disc bulges C 4-5 and C 5-6
EMG evidence nerve root blockage at C6, C8 and L5
Cogential moderate-severe cervical/lumbar stenosis
Cervical compression with clinical myelopathy with Hoffman's
Tests; MRI's, EMG/NC studies, discogram, CT scan
Pain management; tens unit, ice and heat, physical therapy, chiropratic care, and spinal epidural treatments.
Blue Cross / Blue Shield of Ohio external third party approved Pro-C ADR at C 5-6 on 4/3/13
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