Success story for L4-5 ProDisc in USA

Michelle · #1 (**permalink**) 10-22-2006, 06:42 AM

Just wanted to add my 2 cents about the great care I got right here in the USA-Denver, CO. Dr. Michael Janssen did a one level ProDisc at L4-5 on Sept 19, 2006. I am now 4 1\2 weeks out from surgery and consider myself a great success. I struggled with back pain after a herniated disc in 1998. Two Lami's later, all my MRI's would always look slightly abnormal, but nothing to get excited about. Well, I was excited about my leg pain, and wanted it addressed!!!! I was lucky that my GP knew Dr Janssen personally and presented my case to him. A year and a half later of fighting workers comp, I was in his office. Months spent waiting on the FDA, and finally!! I feel great! I still have less stamina than a 27 year old should, but only occasionally feel any pain if I overdo it. ADR technology has given me my life back, and I'm barely a month out. YEAH!!

chasswen · #2 (**permalink**) 10-22-2006, 11:45 AM

GOOD DEAL
remember take it easy and most importantly is listen to your body.
chuck

dshobbies · #3 (**permalink**) 10-22-2006, 05:32 PM

Congratulations on the road traveled and your successful surgery. Be careful not to get ahead of yourself. Healing is a slow process and feeling great can tend to overdoing. Just take it nice and slow and pamper yourself when called for. I'm betting you'll do great.

Best wishes, Dale

Michelle · #4 (**permalink**) 10-22-2006, 07:29 PM

You know what the hardest part is-I've been in pain so long, that I actually have to consiously tell my brain-'hey, relax that muscle, it doesn't hurt there anymore'. I can actually reduce my pain a lot just by doing that, which gives me a lot of hope that all the structural probs are gone! You wouldn't think my brain would be my last obstacle to being pain-free, but I guess it adapts to anything! Muscle relaxants and the occasional pain med when I overdo something gets me down to almost no back pain, except for those occasional catches that only hurt for half a second. The leg pain diminishes every day, and is almost gone with the Neurontin. I'm taking it easy, trying not to run around like I feel like I should be able to do. I keep trying to remind myself that at this point post-op after my lami, I was only awake about 6 hours a day. I will return to work in just over a week, so that ain't bad! Thanks for all the well-wishes!

mmglobal · #5 (**permalink**) 10-22-2006, 07:31 PM

Michelle, it's great to (finally) hear stories about WC patients (finally) getting what they need. For too long, the battle has just been an exercise in tilting at windmills. It's a shame that it took so long... hopefully, those that follow will have access to the care they need without the long battles. Folks like you have led the way and your positive outcome will help so many others.

I also don't have the stamina a 27 year old should have! It'll come back... unless you aren't 27!

Mark

Michelle · #6 (**permalink**) 11-01-2006, 01:00 AM

Well, I just got home from my 6 week post-op appointment with Dr. Janssen. He was so thrilled with my recovery, he wouldn’t stop going on and on to the doctor from the UK that was there with him learning to do ADRs. He hugged me twice, and actually kissed my cheek once! He released me from all restrictions, aside from ‘if it hurts, don’t do it’, including the brace (oh, I can’t go bungee-jumping or skydiving for a year). He said I could ski, have a kid, go back to full days at work as of the 6th, whatever I wanted to do. I’m supposed to start PT with a Pilates or Yoga program, with no restriction on movements I can do. One thing I thought was interesting was something he said to his ‘student’ (and I’m paraphrasing) “The disc implant itself isn’t what restores movement in the area. That’s our job, during the surgery. We have to mobilize all the structures surrounding the disc or it won’t restore movement.” I thought that was quite interesting. He said I’d gained an inch of height. I was down to 4 mm of disc, and came out with 25mm (does that come out to an inch? I can’t remember the conversion). No wonder my legs hurt! He said the sharp pain I have at that level, near the skin, is the facet joints like I’d thought. They now have a lot more movement than they’ve had in 8 years. He said they’ll get used to it and the pain should pass. Oddly, they said there was no problem using my TENS unit, which is something that I’d heard was definitely off-limits, and that no antibiotics were necessary before dental procedures. He did give me a card to carry in my wallet about the implant, the nurse said it was for the airport. I asked if it would set off the metal-detectors, but was told probably not. It was really just for records, and in case of an accident or something. But I had to give it back, as they’d put the wrong level on it. Needless to say, despite the 4 hour drive to get there, I feel great after such a glowing report!! Now to figure out how not to go from 0 to 10 hour days in one shot. 4 hour days anyone??

chasswen · #7 (**permalink**) 11-01-2006, 07:47 PM

good deal michelle
please remember slow and steady.
chuck

Michelle · #8 (**permalink**) 01-09-2007, 04:19 PM

3 1\2 months post op and had my facets injected today. I feel great right now, though the doc warned me that would only last most of today as the local anesthetic is still around. The next week will probably be bad, then hopefully the steroid will help after that. It's a good sign that I have -0- pain right now, isn't it? I'm hoping so. I would love to get rid of this last 2 of 10 pain. Tolerable if they can't, but boy, wouldn't it be great?? I don't expect to have no back pain the rest of my life, but I'd settle for getting off the rest of these meds! The doc did say that it appeared that the facets were 'off' a little bit in relation to each other (don't remember the exact words he used). He said my spinal column is lined up properly, but the facets don't seem to be. I wondered if that was due to having years of very little disc height, now restored to normal. They've been jammed together on each other a while. He did say no wonder they hurt. I still have some upper back pain/spasms, but I've found they immediately decrease when I extend my back to the normal lumbar lordosis. I've found it's less painful when I flex my back a bit (extension often hurts the facets!) so I often flatten the lordosis. Am I getting flexion/extension mixed up? Bending back hurts the facets, and so I flatten the lordosis, causing my upper back to slump forward. I'm hoping that if we can control the facet pain, I'll be able to return to the normal posture more easily. I'm still thrilled with the relief I've gotten so far, and I'm just hoping for a little more!

mmglobal · #9 (**permalink**) 01-09-2007, 06:18 PM

Michelle, thanks for the update.

Flex forward, extend back. For me, right is towards the shoe with the big R on the toe.

It's good news / bad news that your facet injection relieved your pain. The good news is that you have high confidence that you know where the pain generator is. The bad news is that your facets are painful.

Since you are so newly post-op, you may be looking forward to your facets recovering as the disc height has been restored, hopefully re-aligning the facets. I'll be very interested to discover how you do with theraputic facet injections and possibly rhizotomy. (Hopefully you can avoid the rhizo, but if you need one, it may be an option.)

All the best,

Mark

Michelle · #10 (**permalink**) 04-12-2007, 07:29 PM

I'm just past 6 months post-op, and doing pretty well. I had a facet rhizo just under a month ago. It seems to have reduced the sharp pain I had near the surface of my back. The day after the rhizo I was really excited as I didn't have any pain at all. I can't say that now, unfortunately. My husband had a major stroke last month, and I now have to help him with a lot of movements. I gotta say that I'm still happy with my ADR, because I don't think that without it and the rhizo, I would be able to help him like I am. If the cost of doing that is not getting down to no pain, and still being on some pain meds, I guess I can live with that. He's improving, and can almost transfer himself from bed to chair by himself, so I'm hopeful that this is not a permanent pain level for me. I still get some radiating pain in my hips and legs, and some SI pain with all the sitting and bending. The very localized pain around my implant is pretty well gone, so I'm happy about that. If it weren't for all the bending, and awkward positions I have to get into to help hubby, I think I would have very little pain. I got down to about a 2 most days before the stroke, and now only get up to 4-5 when I've done something I really shouldn't have. Thankfully my pain management doc is great, and really working with me. Hubby will come home from rehab hosp. sometime around May 3. Wish us luck!!

Maria · #11 (**permalink**) 04-12-2007, 09:52 PM

Michelle,
You've been so good about keeping us updated, thank you very much for this~

Having worked in nursing for years (injuring my low back w/lifting/moving patients) I really feel for your spine in terms of helping your husband. I know you're doing what is needed and hopefully good body mechanics and a partially new spine will help~ and my thoughts and prayers for your hub's recovery~

take good care and once again much thanks for keeping us udated!

dshobbies · #12 (**permalink**) 04-14-2007, 03:05 AM

Michelle,

I am so sorry for your circumstances. While you must rise to the occasion, I can only hope that new back rises with you. I also wish your husband as speedy a recovery as possible. Our worlds take many turns in life which only serve to make us stronger. My thoughts are with both of you.

Please take care, Dale