Prodisc L4/L5 TDR HELP!!!

[kajari]

I do not know if you recall but several months ago (about 6 months) I posted about the horrible experience I had with the implantation of my spinal cord stimulator. See original post above for more detailed information. In a nutshell, I was left with a partially flattened spinal cord, horrible banding pain around my chest, loss of feeling on the left side of my abdomen and groin area along with intermittent bowel and bladder issues....much more but those are the major issues. These problems still continue today. About 2 months ago the stimulator stopped working in my legs and started a horrible shocking sensation in my tailbone. The Boston Scientific reps have tried numberous times to adjust the unit without any success. To say the least, they have shut off the stimulator because it has stopped working as expected. X-Rays show normal lead placement. I am writing because I am left with a huge dilema. Since the stimulator is turned off I have had two surgeons state that I should have it removed. Has anyone else experienced failure of a spinal cord stimulator? Has anyone had it removed after 6 months being implanted. What would your opinion be, considering the horrible complications I had with the original surgery? Would there be a problem with scar tissue having it removed. I am really concerned with the complications I am still experiencing and am afraid if it is removed that further nerve damage may occur. I would love to hear what the group thinks about this situation. Additionally the surgeon who performed this surgery will not say a word about what went wrong with the original surgery that resulted in a T7 to T10 laminectomy days after the SCS implantation. No where in the medical records does it state there was swelling or hematoma etc... I have sent a letter to him requesting that he provide this information but I have not received a response. Reluctantly we have spoke with a few lawyers who have reviewed my records and each of them want to file a malpractice suit against him and some sort of negligent case as well. Also, to date the surgeon has not charged insurance for his surgical services or the cost of the stimulator or laminectomies performed. I am told that if the surgeon knows he did something wrong and then charges for his services it could be some sort of fraudulent wrongdoing on his part. Either way, I would like to get advice from some of you who have gone through a similar experience or have had to have an SCS removed for whatever reason
Thanks So Much In Advance for you responses,
Greg

[Hooch]

Hi Greg,

I don't know much about the complications of SCS removal.

Take the bastard to court I reckon..

So sorry to hear of your situation.. you are one brave and courageous guy.. my best tyou and your family.

Chris.

[kajari]

Chris, Taking the surgeon to court has always been in the back of our minds but it is something that we will do as a last resort. If the physician does not respond to the numerous questions I asked him in the letter I sent recently then suing him may be our only option. Right now all I want is answers because the surgeons here are reluctant to do any type of surgery because of the complexity of this issue and the absence of information and conflicting information in the surgical report. They are even saying that removing the SCS might be a very risky surgery since my spinal cord was partially flattened and the complications that I am still having (pain banding around my chest and all the loss of feeling as well as the bladder and bowel issues). I am pretty sure the surgeon is not going to answer my questions but it was a last ditch effort to try and find out what happened during the surgery which also caused me to have a T7 thru T10 laminectomy just days after the trial period....he even installed the permanent SCS during this procedure which I was unaware he was doing. I guess I signed the permission for these surgeries but I was on such a high does of dilaudid that I do not recall ever signing any papers. He did not even call my wife to let her know what was going on or what he planned to do. It is a very sad situation.
Take Care,
Greg

[dshobbies]

Greg,

I can't comment on the removal of the SCS. But, and I realize California is thought to have a sue mentality - you have a right to be compensated for the pain your have endured and that will be in your future. You have a right to answers though I can see if the doctor thinks he did something wrong, he doesn't want to answer and incriminate himself.

Legal action might be necessary to get him talking but you might want to consider it for your pain - and future patients that he might consider without complete patient understanding.

And I don't consider myself sue happy, just very righteous.

Good luck, Dale

[kajari]

Thank you so much for all of the encouragement. I just got off the phone with my Boston Scientific rep. They are no disagreeing with the remove of the SCS as they have done everthing possible to adjust the device without any success. I think I am at the point to where I need to put all of my fears, which were generated from the SCS surgery that caused these horrible complications, and go ahead with the removal of the device. The hard part is going to be finding a Surgeon who will take it out. Since we fired the surgeon who did this to me it will be even more difficult for any surgeon to speak with him and get the real truth about what happened or what mistakes were made.

Take Care,
Greg

[Maria]

I don't know if you can get the surgeon to admit to doing anything wrong unless he's sure that it can proved that he did in some way such as with films or someone present at the time of the surgery that's willing to add their input re what they saw (unusual but happens).

If you're trying to get someone else to work with on removal of the SCS what you might want to just work on getting that done because if you mention anything about litigation to any other surgeon or make reference to that I cannot see another surgeon wanting to take over where someone left off where there may be a strong possibility of being involved in a lawsuit. Even if you would have no intention of suing the next surgeon he or she might rather not get mixed up in it.

good luck with all of this!

[kajari]

This is the main reason we have not started any litigation even though we know the surgeon did something horribly wrong. He knows we are extremely angry as my wife and I tried to talk with him on one of my last days in the hospital. We asked him why he had turned his back on us and would not tell us what is going on....at that moment he turned his back and walked out of my hospital room closing the door. He even put a statement in the hospital medical report that I was quite upset with him. Only recently did I send him a letter pleading with him to give us answers to the questions I listed. We will see what happens when I speak with the neuro surgeon here in KY. Hopefully everything will be fine and I am praying that he can maybe remove the SCS and rid me of some of this horrible banding pain and thoracic pain.