Prodisc

Gil Denis · #1 (**permalink**) 05-15-2012, 01:21 PM

Dam if you do damed if you dont only time will tell technology is getting better, and that is what they said about knees???

Gil

jsewell · #2 (**permalink**) 05-15-2012, 03:44 PM

As far as technology goes, my knees aren't too bad, but let me tell you my hip replacement was awesome. Best surgery going , just as long as you get a hip surgeon to do it.
judy

Maria · #3 (**permalink**) 05-20-2012, 07:38 PM

I don't know what to think re more surgery for anything tho I do think the spine is the hardest predicable surgerical endeavor I've been thru re knee, foot, spine, and other body parts. It's like maybe it will work and maybe it won't. That'd be Ok tho getting worse is really tough to deal with. That's what happened w/my 2nd spine surgery and kept me for going for a 3rd UNLESS I absolutely couldn't stand it anymore.

Good luck to anyone about to undergo any level of spine surgery or any surgery for that matter (even plastic surgery)!

nomorepain · #4 (**permalink**) 05-23-2012, 12:31 PM

Pipe dream? some are success stories some are not, just like fusion some never take & some fail, there are no guarantees, surgery is risky business. I'm having my 10th year anniversary post op, i was in the trials, i'm doing pretty darn good so it is possible. The surgery was rough, i will admit this, my recovery was long, but I had my problem for a very long time. I'm still 75%better than I was before the prodiscs, i have some other medical issues now, but my prodisc surgery is still holding strong. I have spoken to others where the situation isn't good and the ADR surgery made things worse, this can happen with any surgery, as far as a pipe dream, not really, it just gives us spineys another choice, besides fusion

zfontana · #5 (**permalink**) 05-23-2012, 10:28 PM

[quote=nomorepain;16785]Pipe dream? some are success stories some are not, just like fusion some never take & some fail, there are no guarantees, surgery is risky business. I'm having my 10th year anniversary post op, i was in the trials, i'm doing pretty darn good so it is possible. The surgery was rough, i will admit this, my recovery was long, but I had my problem for a very long time. I'm still 75%better than I was before the prodiscs, i have some other medical issues now, but my prodisc surgery is still holding strong. I have spoken to others where the situation isn't good and the ADR surgery made things worse, this can happen with any surgery, as far as a pipe dream, not really, it just gives us spineys another choice, besides fusion[/QUOTNNNNNNN

mmglobal · #6 (**permalink**) 05-26-2012, 09:30 PM

I am also 10 years post-op this year. The ADR surgery was the best thing I have ever done. I have been saying since I was 6 months out.... "If I go bad tomorrow, it was worth it!!!"

I know literally hundreds of ADR patients. Yes... there are horrible failures as there are for all spine surgeries, but for the most part; the stories are good.

Mark

zfontana · #7 (**permalink**) 01-24-2013, 09:18 AM

It's been eight months and 10 days since my fusion over the pro-disc. As of lately I've been making some progress. I've been bed ridden for a year and a half since my pro-disc surgery. I found I can sit and eat dinner without to much pain. I couldn't walk a half mile after the prodisc but after the fusion over the pro-disc surgery I can walk about a mile a day. I still have pain when sleeping but I can tolerate sleeping good 6 to 8 hours a night. Prior to surgery I would be up for days from the pain until I was so exhausted I passed out and most mornings I wake up crying in pain. I feel stable once again, presurgery I would lose my balance quite often which was very scary. My surgeon could not promise me a number on the pain reduction but his goal was to make me stable without removing the pro-disc but he will if im still not stable. So far my progress has been fair. It's nice to walk without agony. It's amazing that I can finally sit up what seems like no big deal was almost impossible. I know I'll never be the same as if I just would've had a fusion off the get go. But so far I regained back some of the things I took for granted. I had my x-ray images and Dr. seems to be happy with his work. I hope I still keep improving within the next year. I'm hoping that I fuse and if I do fuse properly or as well as can be expected with this type of procedure. I would imagine I'll even get better after joints stop moving. I'm just hoping there's no complications like bone growing over a nerves. My orthopedic surgeon was highly recommended and very creative. He also on our first meeting was stunned that a doctor would put a pro-disc in with the level of facet joint disease that I had. Prior to my pro-disc surgery I was never informed that I had moderate facet joint disease, not by my orthopedic surgeon or the MRI report. The sad part is I never would've risked getting a pro-disc with moderate facet joint disease. Regardless if my joints were not the culprit, I just would not chance it. I would imagine I'll have back pain the rest my life but going from a 10 hopefully after it's fused to a five or six I could live with. For now I will just have to enjoy the little improvements that have been made.