 |
||
Finally a surgery date
|
||
|
|
|
|||||||
| iSpine Discuss Finally a surgery date in the Main forums forums; Too nosey, or can you say who you decided on and why?... |
 |
|
|
LinkBack | Thread Tools | Display Modes |
|
|
08-10-2009, 11:39 AM
|
|||
|
|||
Too nosey, or can you say who you decided on and why?
 
|
|
08-11-2009, 12:29 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Who I chose
In the end I chose Dr. Baines of Kaiser, Oakland....I can hear everyone screaming!!! Believe it or not he was recommended to me by Dr. Berven (UCSF) who in the end chose not to do the surgery. Also Dr. Reynolds of Seton Medical Center and Dr. Derby recommended him. Some of this is obviously due to the fact I have Kaiser, but I looked for many recommendations.
Interestingly I went to see Dr. Bittan in NYC and he told me that he didn't want the kind of discogram I had if anyone in the future goes to see him. He wants provacative. I also saw Dr. Neuwirth in NYC also as well as some others. I would have probably had Dr. Berven at UCSF do it but he tends to do pretty complicated stuff and UCSF doesn't do too much self pay anymore as a fusion he said starts at over $150,000. Insane, but they can get it apparently.
__________________
Chemically sensitive disc/Annular tears, DDD, mild bulging, facet arthritus Dancing accident in 96. tried PT, acupuncture, pilates, pain mgmt. nothing worked. Epidurals, facet blocks, caudal blocks, discogram. Opiates for ten years, oral prednisone, toradol inj. & more. Two level spinal fusion with BMS, cages, hardware. due to bone density problems from chemotherapy, they had to go in front and back. Surgery Nov. 6, 2010. So far no regrets.
|
|
08-11-2009, 06:09 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Im glad you found someone to help you, is he not too far away? It is very frustrating when you travel a long way and pay a lot of money to see someone just to get told they dont want to operate on you.
It is the worst position ever to be in pain trapesing around the place tryng to find someone compassionate to your concerns,meanwhile symptoms worsening. You have done a good job seeking the varied opinions that you needed. Out of curiosity was thier much variation in the type of fusion they would perform? I have been recommended Alif,Plif and Tlif. I think I will go with a Plif as I realy want lordotic cages for L5/s1. Keep us posted on your progress. Michelle.
|
|
08-14-2009, 06:08 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
type of fusion
Thanks everyone for all your kind words and support.
Michelle, due to the fact I have a chemically sensitive disc, it is very important that they try to remove every last bit of the disc. I am told by five surgeons now that this is best done by going through the front AND then back for the screws and rods. I think I remember (feel free anyone to correct me) that in going through the back there is a huge muscle they have to be careful of and not damage. It is harder to completely get rid of the entire disc from the back. As to what it's called not sure...APLIF?
__________________
Chemically sensitive disc/Annular tears, DDD, mild bulging, facet arthritus Dancing accident in 96. tried PT, acupuncture, pilates, pain mgmt. nothing worked. Epidurals, facet blocks, caudal blocks, discogram. Opiates for ten years, oral prednisone, toradol inj. & more. Two level spinal fusion with BMS, cages, hardware. due to bone density problems from chemotherapy, they had to go in front and back. Surgery Nov. 6, 2010. So far no regrets.
|
|
08-14-2009, 06:10 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
whoops
Forgot to mention...it will be in Oakland about one half hour away.
__________________
Chemically sensitive disc/Annular tears, DDD, mild bulging, facet arthritus Dancing accident in 96. tried PT, acupuncture, pilates, pain mgmt. nothing worked. Epidurals, facet blocks, caudal blocks, discogram. Opiates for ten years, oral prednisone, toradol inj. & more. Two level spinal fusion with BMS, cages, hardware. due to bone density problems from chemotherapy, they had to go in front and back. Surgery Nov. 6, 2010. So far no regrets.
|
|
08-15-2009, 05:41 AM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Just curious, did Dr. Bitan not offer to do the other discogram for you, especially since he did not specify before you went over there? You could have had the other one, couldn't you, if you had only known?
I think I understand the difference between them, but he at least could have explained it to you before you went all the way out there. Sheesh ! Please keep us posted; as I really am curious about the outcomes of this.
__________________
DDD Herniated discs C4/5 & 5/6, L3/4, L4/5, L5/S1 Severe compression of spinal cord in two levels All conventional therapy exhausted, including spinal injections, PT, massage, etc. In appeal with Gov't Insurance for Out-of-country coverage for ADR hybrid surgery of above discs. Recently discovered that I am severely allergic to all common metals used in surgical hardware except for Titanium.
|
|
08-16-2009, 07:05 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
I am happy for you the desision process is over and time to move forward.
Keep us posted  All The Best Good Luck And Happy Healing Gil 
__________________
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
|
|
| Bookmarks |
|
|
Hybrid Mode
