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iSpine Discuss My SI Joint Fusion Surgery is coming up fast! in the Main forums forums; Well, my SI Joint Fusion Surgery is coming up fast, March 9th. I cancelled the hip replacement surgery with a ...

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Old 02-28-2009, 02:33 PM
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Default My SI Joint Fusion Surgery is coming up fast!

Well, my SI Joint Fusion Surgery is coming up fast, March 9th. I cancelled the hip replacement surgery with a little trepidation, and can only hope and pray this other surgery will resolve most of my pain issues so I won't need the hip replacement...or at least not for a few years, would be nice. I am so ready to get back to living. So, yes, Dr. Stark has invited Mark to come out and observe my surgery, of course, with my approval first. And backup actually. Mark asked me himself if I would be open to him coming, and I had a resounding yes. One thing I just thought of though is: I see Dr. Stark again on Thursday, March 5th, to go over the latest Cat Scan I had done of my SI Joints. And my surgery is Monday, the 9th. Don't I have to have a complete physical before surgery? And will I have time to make an appt.?? Anyway, I better call their office on Monday and ask them about that, because when I talked to Betty (office manager) yesterday, she said I didn't have to do anything until I saw him on Thursday. (naturally, I didn't think about this, oh so important question, until the middle of the night!) I am looking forward to finally meeting Mark in person. I know so many of us have SI joint issues, and this surgery could be so critical on oh, so many levels, for alot of us. So, I think this is an important surgery for Mark to observe. Please pray it is successful and delivers me from pain.

Cindylou

Edited by mmglobal to shorten title.
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bicycle accident 6/01: 2 compression fractures @ T12-L1; vertibroplasty; 4/06: right hip labral tear & arthroscopic repair; 4/07: lumbar prodiscs @ 3 levels, L3-6 by Dr. Bertagnoli; 7/02/08: ALIF L6-S1; 7/30/08: reopened to remove bone cement, leaked onto S1 nerve root; 8/08: pulmonary embolism, double pneumonia, collapsed left lung, pleurisy, pleural effusion; ALIF fusion complete; 3/10/09: SI Joint Fusion by Dr. Stark; Jury still out.

Last edited by mmglobal; 03-02-2009 at 09:48 PM.
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Old 02-28-2009, 03:12 PM
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Good luck on the 9th. I really hope this surgery removes your pain.

It's amazing how much collateral pain comes from our discs. Although I have multi-level DDD, varying degrees of stenosis and a hemangioma (I always think of a fuzzy coronet player when I use that term) most of the concensous points to the original problematic disc.

Best wishes,

Bob
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04/06 L5/S1 Rupture
05/06 MRI shows DDD @ L2-S1
06/06 Diskectomy/ Laminotomy L5/S1
04/07 Recurrent Disc Surgery L5/S1
3 Ortho and 1 Neuro Surgeon, 3 MRIs, 1 EGM, 1 Myleogram & 11 EDIs later:
03/27/09 Maverick ADR at L4/L5 & L5/S1
03/27/09 The Lord and Dr. Ritter-Lang returned my life to me.
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Old 02-28-2009, 06:41 PM
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I also hope this surgery is a resounding success. Good-luck CindyLou.

Terry Newton
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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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Old 02-28-2009, 11:59 PM
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I wish you the best, Cindy. I also would have no problem with having Mark scub in on the surgery.
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Nov 07: STALIF Fusion L5/S1 ACTIV-L ADR L4/L5
Nov 09: Prodisc-C ADR 2 level C 4/5/6
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Old 03-01-2009, 01:04 AM
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CindyLou,
I will be praying that your SI joint fusion surgery will go well and resolve your pain issues. My best wishes for success and God bless you!
Linda
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Old 03-01-2009, 02:40 AM
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Cindylou,
I wish you the best for this upcoming surgery. I hope this takes care of your pain; you have suffered enough. I also hope you have an easy recovery. Will you be able to walk after? Do you know what the recovery entails? This is happening so fast! I will be here to listen to all your news. Best wishes.
Phylly
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Fall on tailbone causing sciatica and back pain April 05
Conservative Treatment and PM for 2 years
Discogram concordant pain @L4-S1 Aug. 07
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Foraminotomy July 08 for Sciatica
Continued problems and back pain worsened
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Old 03-01-2009, 04:06 AM
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Cindy Lou,
That is such great news! I can't believe it is going so fast! That is so great to get it done and be on the path to recovery. You have suffered so long, I pray this IS the answer for you! I will be praying for you and your surgeon. God Bless, Kathy
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34 years old-
1/06- In wreck with 18 wheeler
Numerous MRI's, PT, chiropractic, accupuncture, TENS therapy, massage therapy, facet injections, epidural injections, Nerve study, Discogram, confirms pain in L4/5, IDET, decompression, Bi-lateral neurotomy L3/4/5, denied by insurance twice, in Active L clinical trial, had surgery March 17, 2009 in Miami, FL- received Active L disc
Had Baby #3 after ADR!
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Old 03-01-2009, 04:27 AM
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Hi Cindy Lou
I wish you the best having Mark with you is wonderful.
Good Luck Be Strong.
Keep Moving Forward
God Bless
Gil
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L5-S1 lam 1994
L2 to L5 DDD
L3 -L4 hern Dec 2007.
L4-L5 Annular fissure with mild central stenosis and moderate facet hypertrophy.
L5-S1DDDDD
L2-L3 Right-sided neural foraminal narrowing at and L3-L4 related to posterolateral hypertrophic spurs and facet hypertrophy.
C3-C4 limited DDD
9 injections Depo. P.T. 13 months 5 dose packs,
Nerve Block Injections.4 ESI S1
L5-S1 foraminotomy 09
L4-L5 Microdiscectomy 09 Reherniate 4-2010
Coflex-L Implants L4 to S1
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Old 03-01-2009, 07:22 AM
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Default SI joint surgery

CindyLou,
Wishing you the best possible surgical outcome/recovery with your upcoming SI joint surgery. Glad Mark will be attending the surgery as well and hopefully you can both tell us about it later from patient/advocate perspectives.
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Old 03-01-2009, 03:15 PM
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Thank-you all for the good wishes. Someone was asking about recovery. It entails 6 weeks on crutches with only toe weight bearing. Then transition to full weight bearing. I'm sure the 6 weeks is plus or minus. (knowing my body, plus) 3-5 days in the hospital, with the surgery lasting 1 to 1 1/2 hours. This amount of hospital time is used to recover from the pain, but also to learn how to walk to protect the operative site from too much movement. During this recovery period I can be active for simple day to day activities, like moving around the house, but I doubt I'll be vacuuming or doing laundry with the crutches! At 12 weeks a CT scan is done to hopefully demonstrate final fusion of the site. Oh, I just pray this surgery delivers me ultimately from pain. I am so beat down by the pain, like so many of us are. I almost hate to hope for the relief, for fear of huge disappointment. (this is where the mind starts to play games) 1 week, 1 day. The countdown begins.
__________________
bicycle accident 6/01: 2 compression fractures @ T12-L1; vertibroplasty; 4/06: right hip labral tear & arthroscopic repair; 4/07: lumbar prodiscs @ 3 levels, L3-6 by Dr. Bertagnoli; 7/02/08: ALIF L6-S1; 7/30/08: reopened to remove bone cement, leaked onto S1 nerve root; 8/08: pulmonary embolism, double pneumonia, collapsed left lung, pleurisy, pleural effusion; ALIF fusion complete; 3/10/09: SI Joint Fusion by Dr. Stark; Jury still out.
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Old 03-01-2009, 05:36 PM
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Cindy, I look forward to meeting you in person and to learning so much about SI issues. I spoke to Dr. Stark for about 2 hours yesterday and the more I learn about him, the more I like. He does not give a 'scar tissue' diagnosis and turf people. He believes that most of us will have a solution if we take the time and are careful and methodical with the diagnosis. We spent a lot of time talking about some very difficult cases and I have to say that the more I learn about him, the more impressed I am.
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1997 MVA
2000 L4-5 Microdiscectomy/laminotomy
2001 L5-S1 Micro-d/lami
2002 L4-S1 Charite' ADR - SUCCESS!
2009 C3-C4, C5-C6-C7, T1-T2 ProDisc-C Nova
Summer 2009, more bad thoracic discs!
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Old 03-02-2009, 02:13 AM
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Cindy-Lou, I will be looking forward to hearing more about how this procedure goes for you. I hope this will be the answer to your pain problems.

Having Mark attend during the surgery sounds like a win-win situation for both of you.
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Cathy

46 years old. 12-15 years of intermittent pain, 2 years with constant pain.

DDD, L4-5 and L5-S1, pain confirmed by discogram.
PT, ESI's, Facet injection and block, Acupuncture - all no help.

2-level (Prodisc-L) ADR surgery with Dr. Bertagnoli, May 26, 2009.

Currently taking Opana-ER (tapering off) and oxycodone
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Old 03-02-2009, 08:18 PM
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CL, this is exciting and I hope this procedure is fruitful in relieving your pain. You've been through hell and your "turn" of feeling well is long overdue.
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-Justin
1994 Football Injury
1997 Snow Skiing Injury
Laminotomy L4/L5 (3.7.97--17 years old)
1999 & 2003 MVA (not at fault both times)
Grade V Tears L4/L5 & L5/L6
2-Level ProDisc® L4/L5 & L5/L6* *lumbosacral transitional vertebra (11.15.03--23 years old)
Dr. Rudolf Bertagnoli -- dr-bertagnoli.com
Pain-free for the last 4.5 yrs.
5.14.09 DSS with Dr. B.
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