[Dulishun]

SURGERY DATE:5/26/09

AGE AT SURGERY DATE:39

SURGEON:Dr. Artur Pacult

SURGERY LOCATION/CLINIC:Roper Hospital, Charleston South Carolina

DEVICE(s), LEVEL(s): Prodisc-L, L5S1

COST = $59,278 (Still waiting for final bills, but this is what quote was)
AMOUNT BILLED:
INSURANCE ALLOWED: United Healthcare Refused to Cover
OUT OF POCKET:$58,278
TRAVEL: 0
EXPLANATIONS?Refused Coverage by UHC, lucky that I have local Doctor that had my utmost confidence. Going to have a hell of a lot of reward points on my credit cards!


ONSET OF LUMBAR PROBLEMS, DATE OF INJURY, CAUSE, ETC...: Original problem resulted from injuries on a trip to Kenya in 1990, re-aggravated in 1992 and then 1996. This was followed by 9 uneventful , blissful years. In 2005 pain just moved in after 2 year old son jumped and landed with his butt square on my lower back. Non-stop pain ever since (maybe 14 non-consecutive days of no distracting pain in 4 years).

PRIOR SPINE SURGERIES AND PROCEDURES (IDET, ESI, etc...):9 or 10 Epidurals, Chiropractic, Acupuncture, Physical Therapy three separate times running a few months each time, rejected as candidate for IDET by 2 doctors.

PRE-OP MEDICATIONS:Hydrocodone daily, Parafon Forte (best mild muscle relaxant), Tramadol, Percoset, Flexeril

PRE-OP DIAGNOSTICS (discogram, nerve root blocks, etc...):2 Discograms, 9 or 10 epidurals

PRE-OP NEUROPATHIES (what, where, & degree of pain, numbness, tingling, sexual/bladder/bowel symptoms, etc.):Lower back pain out to end of hip bone and down to thigh, numbness and tingling when exercising

PRE-OP CONDITION (Please include %leg pain/% back pain, pain levels, type of pain, ability to work and function, disability status, etc.... be direct, but be as verbose as you need to): 95% back pain, 5% leg pain, pain often like someone's knuckle digging in and constantly pressing, sometimes burning, sometimes shooting down leg under kneecap and ending in toes. Never missed more than one day of work in a month, but was only able to do that by taking pain medication everyday.

TIME POST-OP AT ORIGINAL POST HERE: 10 Days Post-op

DESCRIBE YOUR SURGICAL EXPERIENCE:Got to Hospital at 6:00 AM for 8:00 AM surgery. Waited in surgical prep area for Doctor's and Anesthesiologist, after given initial anesthesia no memory of anything until I woke up although I was told I was "conscious" when they wheeled me into operating room. Woke up in hospital bed and spent the next 2 days in hospital. Incision was glued instead of stapled. Surgeon said procedure went perfectly as did vascular surgeon.

RATE FUNCTIONALITY / SATISFACTION AT INTERVALS BELOW:

FUNCTIONALITY:

6. Excellent: no limitations. If I walk to far though I feel it and have to be very patient.

SATISFACTION:

5. I'm very glad I did my surgery, but still have a realistic wait and see attitude. Some days since have been rough, but usually because I pushed myself to walk further than I should have and paid a dear price with pain in back and front.