One year Hell ADR in Germany (L4/5).Revision to fusion.

[B13s]

Welcome Job13, good to hear that you are getting better!
It would be also interesting to know which hospital/doctor did the last operation (the one that helped) ?

[Maria]

I do hope this post finds you doing better even if minimally so. If you're not doing better than that's ok to talk about too. I have so many ins and outs with low back pain and now cervial pain that I feel I'm on a roller coaster sometimes and the bed is of course my safe haven (uggh).

Anyway, know that I'm wishing you both the best in health and all around. Want to say Happy Holidays tho I remember when my spine was really bad post op and I found it difficult to feel this way. Not sure where you're at Job13 in terms of how you're doing so again, wishing you my best at this time~

[ans]

I'm glad that finally there seems to be a light at the end of this long tunnel. I hope your progress proceeds; you've been through hell.

Btw, who was your surgeon if I may ask? He/she sounds good.

Happy New Year ~ ans

[Jim M2]

Job13,

Thank you for the excellent information about your ADR and revision. There is very little experience in this area. I'm not aware of anyone else posting their revision experience on the forums except for you and Blairsara.

I've never heard the root cause of post-ADR facet pain attributed to hyperextension and hyperlordosis in the way you describe it. It makes good sense and it seems to fit my situation. In fact I experience most all of the painful symptoms you mentioned in Post #2. I questioned three US ADR surgeons about how alarmingly tall my L5S1 Charite seemed compared to the other levels. They didn't think there was anything remarkable about it. One even described it as a restored natural disk space just as you were told.

One big difference was how I was treated by Dr. Zeegers who performed the L5S1 ADR surgery in 2003. He was very concerned about my post-op pain levels. I wrote to him in the months following surgery. He always responded. Then I saw Dr. Z at a GPN patient seminar and bar-b-que at Mark's 13 months after surgery. He asked me to have a new CT/Myelo and send him updated x-rays. Later he emailed to ask some specific questions about my symptoms. After reviewing the diagnostics he emailed me a report of his findings and next steps I should consider. As with the US ADR surgeons he never mentioned hyperextension and associated phenonema as a possible root cause of facet pain. All of these doctors were looking for problems at L45, or stenosis, or they were expecting the facets to eventually calm down.

Now I'm 4 years+ post-adr with some improvement over the first couple of years. I have pain much like you described (but at a lower level) or gnawing discomfort all the time. I don't do much anymore. At this time I have no enthusiasm for investigating further. I see nothing out there that's worth the risk of invasion.

I get a kick out of your avatar--a screaming cat with automatic weapon blazing and a mushroom cloud in the background. If you're expressing frustration, it works.

I hope your recovery continues to go well. Please let us know the doctors and hospitals you're dealing with for your facet diagnosis and revision.

Jim

1981 L5S1 diskectomy
2003 L5S1 Charite

[Job13]

RIP Freedom of Speech

[mmglobal]

Dear Anastasia and Matt.... I'm glad to hear that you continue to make progress. It sounds like it's been tough, but still getting better and better. To me, seeing things like "able to sit through a 20 minute dinner" brings tears to my eyes... As little as that sounds, for someone who could not do that for so long... it's huge!

Keep it up... I hope to hear of more and more improvement. Sorry I missed you last month... maybe next time.

All the best,

Mark

[fuzzy]

I really hope that you continue to improve and like many of us you know too well that patience is key. You have the disadvantage that due to your long down time you are out of fitness and need to train a lot harder then some of us. But it can be done, keep working on it and you will get just a teeny bit better every day.

[Job13]

RIP Freedom of Speech

[ellecincos1]

I'm so sorry to hear about your devastating circumstance, you are very young you still have a life ahead of you to recover it may take many, many more months or years but you can do it one step at a time don't ever give up!
When your able, try water therapy it could help you.
Regards,
Myriam

[dshobbies]

Job13,

I'm sure everything you've said is very valid but not all share your experience. I found Dr. B great and Dr. Reagan uncaring and insensitive. Though I will have nerve problems for the rest of my life which I partially blame on Dr. Reagan, I'm grateful to Dr. B for giving me my life back.

I understand that you had much the reverse and I'm sorry you had to go through all you did but am glad that you're finally on the mend. Hopefully this path will lead you to pain free days and that you will have no further problems.

Dale

[fuzzy]

Thank you for sharing the continuation of your story. I am glad to hear you are on the road to recovery and I am 100% sure you will make steady improvement. Those stationary bikes are good exercise.

It seems you indicate Dr. Regan did your revision. If so this is very good news for those of us who think we need to go to the more experienced surgeons of Europe to have these treatments but it sounds like you got on an airplane to come to US to have this revision, a much more complicated procedure then a single level ADR? That flight must have been a torture trip! Are you now back in Europe or still in the US?

[Gktm300]

I'm not sure but I'm pretty sure she had a bad disc which was not her problem and a cracked sacrum. Bertagnoli told her the disc replacement probably wouldn't lessen her pain! She said to him I'm sure a dr as handsome as you will succeed. While the surgery was warranted it was unlikely to resolve her complaint. Thanks the story I was told. Also she isn't poor her dad owns a company. She went in to say she was in no pain before but was after. That sounds fishy right there. Who would go get Adr if they weren't in pain? Long story just wanted to post this as it was a fly in the ointment for me while deciding on Bertagnoli. I inky found two people complain about him and that's it out of over 10000