June 13 scheduled about a endoscopic RF

zfontana · #1 (**permalink**) 06-12-2012, 02:08 AM

I am scheduled to have a endoscopic RF at my L4 L5 FACET. That's the level that I have the pro disc replacement. I hope that ablation to those nerves will reduce some of this pain, so I can be more mobile. If this doesn't work I will have to have the disc fused into place. The good thing about the posterior fusion is that my L5-s1 is already fused. I know it's hard to have a fusion over a Pro disc. I think I have a better chance because the posterior end plate is not mobile due to that vertebrae not moving because it's fused. I had a media branch block and the pain was 100% relieved on the left and 50 to 60% on the right. So I'm thinking I might have a good chance with at least a 20% – 30% pain relief. I will post in a week to let everybody know if this is a good treatment for people who are having facet pain post Pro disc surgery.

jsewell · #2 (**permalink**) 06-12-2012, 03:52 PM

ZFontana,
Good luck with that procedure, may it really reduce pain for you.
thanks for keeping us posted.
judy

mmglobal · #3 (**permalink**) 06-12-2012, 05:38 PM

Z, good luck with your procedure. I'm curious... if the level is fused and the facet is immobile... why is it painful?

Mark

zfontana · #4 (**permalink**) 06-12-2012, 09:09 PM

[quote=mmglobal;16901]Z, good luck with your procedure. I'm curious... if the level is fused and the facet is immobile... why is it painful?

Mark[/QUOTE

what I meant was, if I had to have a posterior fusion at L4 – L5 which is the level of the prodisc. Since L5S1 is fused maybe it would be easier to stop that movement at the pro-disc level. The inferior plate does not move because the vertebrae is fused. I had a hybid surgery. For example, if you had a pro-disc at L5 –s1, L4 – L5 and your joints became a problem it would be hard to fuse both segments because of the hypermobility of the pro-disc. But I know it would be hard to fuse posteriorly a prodisc no matter what the circumstances are. I just hope tomorrow that this endoscopic RF helps at least 20 to 50%. I do have moderate facet hypertrophy at L4-l5. I had this pre-surgery which I thought it was mild as I discussed with you. If I would have known that my facets were moderate, I would have went with the fusion instead. I do blame myself for this, because I work in a hospital and I had all the time in the world to ask the radiologist what my facets at L4 – l5look like. The report stated from my MRI that my facet joints had presence of arthrosis and did not give any degree. MRI from a year pre-surgery stated it was mild. So I assumed that my facets were still mild. So I cannot make a decision based on something that I was not aware of. I'm just one of the hundred thousand people year that are misdiagnosed. So if I have to have a posterior fusion I just hope I can be one of the lucky ones. But I do know posterior fusions due to the muscle being ripped to shreds. That the outcome will not be as good as if I just went ahead with the anterior fusion.
z

zfontana · #5 (**permalink**) 06-20-2012, 05:18 AM

Post RF one week out. Had a RF at the level of the L4 – L5 facets at the pro-disc level. This was endoscopic procedure, pretty painful for last week. I have noticed some improvement when laying down and sleeping at night. Still have pain when walking or bending. Lease for now by sleeping will be better, and that big deal to me. Sometime in the future, I will have to get the pro-disc fused into place since taking it out will be impossible. Seems most people that have it removed don't have a real good outcome. Since my L5 – S-1 is fused, maybe fusing the L4 – L5 in place posteriorly might have a better chance having a complete fusion in a year. As we all know fusing a pro-disc and placed posterior has a poor success rate. The reason why this success rate is so low, is probably because the pro-disc hypermobility. My facet joints were moderate at L4 – L5 and I can't see living with this kind of pain without giving it a try at the fusion. I still think I have a good chance and pain reduction from the posterior fusion. From my point of view since my L5 – S-1 is fused and the inferior end plate of the pro-disc is not mobile just need to get the superior end plate fused and not moving. Well I'll have to put my faith in the Lord, I realize in this day and age most people don't believe in a God. Seems to me that the New World order, as I called Satanists are winning over our society of the world's. Lately I'm not too worried about too much due to the fall of humanity and the way people treat each other. I've been a medical professional for 17 years and as I develop DDD I noticed people turned their back to me when I need help the most. I always thought the medical field was a place of compassion but all it is is a place for people to make a living. Us chronic pain patients I looked down to in the medical field and people just think where a bunch of pill heads and complainers. It's amazing to me the arrogance of these orthopedic and neurosurgeons. Just because they make lots of money they think they're part of the elites of the world. But they're wrong and they are not at the top of the pyramid. Not now but in the future at some point people will get ill or get old and they will be treated the way I was by these physicians nurses and medical staff. So what comes around goes around it always has and always will. At some point we all lose our dignity due to the disrespect of the younger generation and by people that supposedly have wealth. It's too bad for myself, I sit in my house day in and day out. When I could be out performing my career as a cardiac sonographer which I did so well.

mmglobal · #6 (**permalink**) 06-21-2012, 11:37 PM

zFontana, thanks for the update. I hope the soreness you feel now is just from the procedure and that it will fade in the days/weeks to come.

BTW, a client of mine with a 3-level ProDisc 7.5 years ago also had an ablation. This was his 2nd round of them. The first was successful, but improvement faded after more than a year. His recovery from the ablations was trivial... his were not performed endoscopically. As he has already seen that the results are temporary, hence the 2nd round.

I hope that your improvement will be permanent. As I understand it, the reason to do it surgically instead of just with a needle procedure is because they can remove a secton of the nerve instead of just 'slicing' it. With that approach, they should not grow back.

Please keep us posted. Especially in just a few days... I really hope that your pain is just from the procedure now!!!

All the best,

Mark