Originally Posted by Originally posted Sept. 21, 2003

SURGERY DATE: 9/9/03
SURGEON:- DR BERTAGNOLI

SURGERY LOCATION/CLINIC: - ST ELISABETH STRAUBING

DEVICE(s), LEVEL(s): PRO DISC-CERVICAL @ C5/6

COST =
AMOUNT BILLED:£18,000 APPROX
INSURANCE ALLOWED: N/A
OUT OF POCKET:
TRAVEL:- TOTAL £20,000 INCL FAMILY ACCOM & TRAVEL.

EXPLANATIONS? ONSET OF CERVICAL PROBLEMS, DATE OF INJURY, CAUSE, ETC...:
- 1980 CAR ACCIDENT, C7 FRACTURE.

PRIOR SPINE SURGERIES AND PROCEDURES (IDET, ESI, etc...):
- PHYSIO, STEROID INJ, DISCOGRAPHY, PERCUTANEOUS NUCLEOTOMY, TRACTION.

PRE-OP MEDICATIONS:
- TRAMADOL HYDROCHLORIDE, LODINE, IBUPROFEN, MANY MORE PREVIOUSLY.

PRI-OP DIAGNOSTICS (discogram, nerve root blocks, etc...):
- DISCOGRAPHY IN AND OUT OF ANAESTHETIC. CT SCAN, MRI WITH CONTRAST, X-RAY.

PRE-OP NEUROPATHIES (what, where, & degree of pain, numbness, tingling, sexual/bladder/bowel symptoms, etc.):
- INTERMITTENT NECK PAIN RANGING FROM 2-9.
- CONSTANT RIGHT AND LEFT ARM PAIN (tooth ache like) WHICH INCREASED WITH ACTIVITY.
- ALMOST CONSTANT VAGUE NUMBNESS, TINGLING IN BOTH ARMS & FINGERS.
PRE-OP CONDITION (Please include %leg pain/% back pain, pain levels, ability to work and function, disability status, etc.... be direct, but be as verbose as you need to):
- PAIN LEVELS FLUCTUATED, GREATELY BUT THERE WERE ALSO SOME PRETTY HORRIBLE, STANGE, SENSATIONS.
- LIFE WAS JUST ONE LONG STRUGGLE, JUST ABOUT ABLE TO WORK MOST DAYS, NOT MY USUAL JOB THOUGH.

TIME POST-OP AT ORIGINAL POST HERE: - 12 DAYS

(In the following sections, rate your surgical success and comments as described in the first post of this thread.

DESCRIBE YOUR SURGICAL EXPERIENCE:
- AT THE PRE- OP MEETING WITH DR BERTAGNOLI HE INFORMED ME HE WAS NOW CONSIDERING DOING JUST A ONE LEVEL PROCEDURE, INSTEAD OF THE PLANNED TWO LEVEL WITH POSSIBLE RE- MOBILISATION OF AN AUTO - FUSED LEVEL.
- BUT, HE INFORMED ME, HE WOULD EXPLORE ALL LEVELS DURING SURGERY, MAKING THE NECESSARY DECISIONS BASED ON HIS FINDINGS. I AGREED TO THIS.
- SO IN ESSENCE, I WOULD'NT KNOW WHAT I’D HAD DONE TILL I AWOKE AFTER SURGERY.
- MY FIRST RECOLLECTIONS AFTER SURGERY WERE WAKING UP IN THE RECOVERY ROOM TO THE CALLS OF AN AMERICAN LADY, WE’D MET EARLIER.
- THE NEXT THING I NEW I WAS SHAKING VIOLENTLY, CONVULSING AND JUMPING ABOUT A FOOT OFF THE BED, THEY MUST HAVE SORTED ME OUT PRETTY QUICKLY THOUGH BECAUSE I WOKE UP IN MY ROOM, SOME SORT OF SHOCK I GUESS.
- I WIGGLED MY FINGERS THEN MY TOES, EVERYTHING SEEMED TO WORK, R/H ARM PAIN GONE COMPLETELY BUT L/H ARM PAIN STILL THERE. NECK PAIN MINIMAL BUT HORRENDOUS MUSCLE SPASMS IN MY UPPER BACK WHICH I’D EXPERIENCED BEFORE.
- ONE LEVEL PRO DISC-C @C5/6 AND A FULL DE COMPRESSION’S WHAT HE DID MY BROTHER TOLD ME.
- I USED MY PAIN CLICKER ABOUT FOUR TIMES, JUST FOR THE MUSCLE SPASMS THOUGH, NOT FOR CERVICAL PAIN.
- WOKE FOLLOWING DAY NO REAL PAIN EXCEPT L/H ARM BUT THE DOC SAID “THIS SHOULD FADE WITH TIME”.
- TWELVE DAYS POST OP NOW AND IT’S STILL THERE, IT SEEMS TO GET WORSE WITH ACTIVITY (WALKING) THOUGH. I’M JUST KEEPING MY FINGERS CROSSED.
- GOT HOME ON 9/16/03, WOKE THE FOLLOWING DAY WITH A BIT MORE PAIN THAN I’D BEEN HAVING, WHEN I LOOKED AT MY DISCHARGE LETTER I REALISED WHY, THEY’D BEEN SLIPPING ME A FEW PAIN KILLERS UNKNOWN TO ME.

-


RATE SUCCESS / MEDICATIONS / NEUROPATHIES / DESCRIBE CONDITION 6 WKS POST-OP (discuss surgery induced symptoms [arm pain?]):

SURGERY SUCCESS - 4
MEDICATION - DICLOFENAC 25mg AS REQ, NORMALLY TOWARDS END OF THE DAY.
ARM PAIN R/H & L/H - 4 NOT THE SAME INTENSITY AS PRE OP BUT STILL COMES AND GOES.

MY NECK FEELS A LOT STRONGER AND MORE STABLE (with daily excercise),STILL EXPERIENCING SOME HEAVY NECK PAIN ON AND OFF.

STILL GETTING THORACIC MUSCLE SPASMS/PAIN BUT Dr.B DIDNT EXPECT THE SURGERY TO ADDRESS THIS.

NO SWALLOWING OR VOICE PROBLEMS, SOMETIMES GET A LITTLE SWELLING AROUND WOUND AND DISCOMFORT IN THROAT.
EXCERCISING AS MUCH AS POSS, FEEL BETTER WHEN MOVING.


RATE SUCCESS / MEDICATION / NEUROPATHIES / DESCRIBE CONDITION 3 MONTHS POST-OP.
RATE SUCCESS -5
MEDICATIONS - NORMALLY DICLOFENAC, OCCASIONALLY TRAMADOL HYDROCHLORIDE WHEN NECESSARY.

NEUROPATHIES - STILL GET ARM PAIN, NUMBNESS/TINGLING, NOT AS BAD AS PRE-OP THOUGH.

DESCRIBE CONDITION 3 MONTHS POST-OP.
NO SURGICALLY INDUCED SYMTOMS EXCEPT A LITTLE SCAR PAIN.
I FIND THAT KEEPING AS FIT AND MOBILE AS POSSIBLE HELPS MY SYMPTOMS.
ALTHOUGH I STILL HAVE QUITE BAD THORACIC PAIN OCCASIONALLY.
ALL IN ALL, I FEEL MY NECK IS A LOT STRONGER AND MORE STABLE.
I REGARD MY SURGERY AS A SUCCESS.


RATE SUCCESS / MEDICATIONS / NEUROPATHIES / DESCRIBE CONDITION 6 MONTHS POST-OP (discuss surgery induced symptoms [leg pain?]):

RATE SUCCESS / MEDICATIONS / NEUROPATHIES / DESCRIBE CONDITION 1 YEAR POST-OP (discuss surgery induced symptoms [leg pain?]):

RATE SUCCESS / MEDICATIONS / NEUROPATHIES / DESCRIBE CONDITION 2 YEARS POST-OP (discuss surgery induced symptoms [leg pain?]):