North American Spine

cp7959 · #1 (**permalink**) 09-28-2011, 09:41 PM

Thanks for the responses. I wonder how they stay in business or more info. isn't out on them. According to their rep. they do 70 procedures a month. That's a pretty large number if their a "smoke and mirrors" shop, with out more bad press out on them.

Thru anyone's experience is ADR or Fusion the only option for central herniation's?

Is there still hope of a herniation resolving itself without surgery after a year?

Keano16 · #2 (**permalink**) 09-28-2011, 09:42 PM

Endoscopic surgery is possible for all types of herniations, as well as micro-endoscopic (a.k.a. METRx) surgery if herniation is too big.

Some of my patients live with extrusions with NO pain.....

mmglobal · #3 (**permalink**) 10-01-2011, 07:12 PM

I don't know why anyone would suggest that ADR or fusion is the only option for large, central herniations??? If your disc is so severely degenerated that a discectomy is not likely to succeed, that may be closer to the truth.

Time heals many spine problems. After a year, if it's going in the right direction, I'd wait. However, if your life is bad enough to consider surgery and it's not getting better, I'd look long and hard at your options.

I don't think they are 'smoke and mirrors'. In some cases it seems that they are willing to perform surgery on a poor candidate because they believe that they will not make them worse. That does not mean that on prime candidates, their surgery is not likely to be a success.

Mark

cp7959 · #4 (**permalink**) 10-20-2011, 02:31 PM

With a central herniation, how does the surgeon access/approach the protrusion to perform a "microdiscectomy?

It's obvious if it's a lateral, but central?

mmglobal · #5 (**permalink**) 10-20-2011, 05:17 PM

Tony Yeung works from inside the disc, so central herniations are not a problem to reach. Very centrally located herniations are more difficult to get to with more traditional endoscopic techniques. With open microdiscectomies, the can more easily move things around to get there.

How severely degenerated is your disc? If it's too severely degenerated, then discectomy may not be your best option.

Mark

Keano16 · #6 (**permalink**) 10-21-2011, 10:06 PM

For central herniations there is a great alternative to open surgery. Its called micro-endoscopic or somewhere METRx surgery (tubular retractor).

cp7959 · #7 (**permalink**) 10-24-2011, 12:08 PM

Degeneration isn't that bad on MRI views. There is good disk height and the "herniation" is 3-4mm directly in the center. It rears it's head mostly when i sit.
When I stand up or lay down there isn't much discomfort. periodically I only have minimal back pain, usually it's not a problem. Most problem is sciatica.

I'm sure if I become more aggressive with my activity the symptoms will worsen. So I stay as active and "controlled" as I can hoping it will resolve. But this is getting old.

Always looking for advice or opinions.