Peyton Manning Fusion

phenom34 · #1 (**permalink**) 11-16-2011, 02:09 AM

Im guessing it has to do with strength. They know successful fusions can be quite rigid, they arent sure exactly how rigid ADR's are in NFL collisions.

mmglobal · #2 (**permalink**) 11-16-2011, 03:41 AM

We don't know whether or not he was a candidate for ADR.

Sadly, most American surgeons have been slow to adopt ADR. IMHO, this is primarily because of reimbursement issues.

There are a lot of world famous medical institutions that are beyond state of the art for many illnesses. People go to these clinics, expecting that they will get state of the art care. If you have cancer, the Mayo clinic may be the place to be, but for spine problems, they are just another surgery mill. Still, people flock there because of the name.

All over the country, there are surgeons who's patients think that they are world fameous because the have heads of state and professional athletes come to them. This does not mean that you'll get state of the art care from them, it just means that they have become prominent surgeons.

I have ADR's in my neck and lumbar spine. I don't think I'd want to play pro-football, with or without ADR's. With my Dr. Zeegers lumbar surgery in 2002 I was told, "you have no restrictions except, no contact sports at the professional level."

I don't believe that the decision making process of a professional football player has much of a relationship to the average patient's decision making process.

Mark

cherylstewart67 · #3 (**permalink**) 11-19-2011, 01:26 AM

I was told by a sport medical doctor that these sugeons do what they know. They most likely suggested fusion because that was what they knew and they failed the patient in this case. Manning trusted them; but he will most likely regret it! May be he did not do any research. But I promise you that they told him he'd most likely play again with fusion vs adr because they would be concerned about an adr displacement during an injury and that a fusion would be more solid. I truely believe his playing days are over because of ajacent level DDD that most likely will set in. Sorry, just what I think...Hope I am wrong.

Aaron · #4 (**permalink**) 11-19-2011, 03:20 PM

Well for Peyton Manning he had a minimally invasive procedure prior to 2010 season and played. He had same again this year but not as successful so they had to fuse it. I know the surgeon who did all the surgury was Dr. Richard Fessler and from what I read he does do some ADR surguries. As for the choice to fuse or ADR I am sure Peyton choose the one that gave him the best ability to return to football. He may have had the option of both. For him I am sure the decicsion making process involved many components. The doctor could not force him to choose ADR and give up football, even though that may have been presented with the best chance for pain reduction.
Of all the football, baseball, etc that had back problems and returned to play after surgury all I have read of had a fusion.

cherylstewart67 · #5 (**permalink**) 11-20-2011, 08:41 PM

I was under the impression that if it's a single level it's is usually the best option. But listen! I am so totally jaded. I have had a bad time with fusion so I am not for it. I am also upset that I was not given all my options when I had my surgery. So it's not fair for me to feel that way towards all doctors that do it. But it just makes sence to me to preserve the body's function and motion in the most natural way you can and fusion is not it. I had seen interview with service members that had adr and went back to work for the military and were so glad that they did not have fusion as they were told they would most likely not be able to re-enlist depending on their m.o.s. Single level patients do better than most. I still say that it will cause ajacent level issues for him later. I hope that he is one of the fortunate ones.