Originally Posted by jag on November 09, 2003

SURGERY DATE:

AGE AT SURGERY DATE:42

SURGEON: Jeffrey Goldstein

SURGERY LOCATION/CLINIC: Hospital for Joint Diseases

DEVICE(s), LEVEL(s): Prodisc L5/S1

COST =
AMOUNT BILLED: $20,000
INSURANCE ALLOWED: paid usual rates
OUT OF POCKET: None
TRAVEL: None
EXPLANATIONS?


ONSET OF LUMBAR PROBLEMS, DATE OF INJURY, CAUSE, ETC...: 7 years of terrible back pain

PRIOR SPINE SURGERIES AND PROCEDURES (IDET, ESI, etc...): esi, lumbar diskectomy, facet injections

PRE-OP MEDICATIONS:
Percoset, Vicodin
PRE-OP DIAGNOSTICS (discogram, nerve root blocks, etc...): MRI, CT scan

PRE-OP NEUROPATHIES (what, where, & degree of pain, numbness, tingling, sexual/bladder/bowel symptoms, etc.): 10 + pain.

PRE-OP CONDITION (Please include %leg pain/% back pain, pain levels, type of pain, ability to work and function, disability status, etc.... be direct, but be as verbose as you need to): back and leg pain. I was out of work because of pain.

TIME POST-OP AT ORIGINAL POST HERE: about 1 year

DESCRIBE YOUR SURGICAL EXPERIENCE: Dr. Goldstein is very caring quite skilled. His office and hospital staff were very helpful.

RATE FUNCTIONALITY / SATISFACTION AT INTERVALS BELOW:

FUNCTIONALITY: 6
1. Very poor: much worse... disabled after surgery.
2. Poor: worse after surgery.
3. Neutral: No improvement, or improvements offset by new problems.
4. Fair, some improvment, limitations are still serious.
5. Good, substantial improvement, some limitations.
6. Excellent: no limitations.

SATISFACTION:
1. Very sorry I had the surgery.
2. Somewhat sorry I had the surgery.
3. Too soon to tell, or I'm ambivalent about the surgery.
4. I'm somewhat glad I did my surgery.
5. I'm very glad I did my surgery.

FUNCTIONALITY: __6_ SATISFACTION: _5__ [6 WEEKS POST-OP]

FUNCTIONALITY: __6_ SATISFACTION: _5__ [3 MONTHS POST-OP]

FUNCTIONALITY: __6_ SATISFACTION: _5__ [6 MONTHS POST-OP]

FUNCTIONALITY: __6_ SATISFACTION: _5__ [1 YEAR POST-OP]

FUNCTIONALITY: ___ SATISFACTION: ___ [2 YEARS POST-OP]

6 WEEKS POST-OP - DESCRIBE LIFESTYLE / PAIN / MEDICATIONS / NEUROPATHIES / ECT... (discuss surgery induced symptoms [leg pain?]): by this time my pain totally resolved

3 MONTHS POST-OP - DESCRIBE LIFESTYLE / PAIN / MEDICATIONS / NEUROPATHIES / ETC... (discuss surgery induced symptoms [leg pain?]): no problems. I was swimming.

6 MONTHS POST-OP - DESCRIBE LIFESTYLE / PAIN / MEDICATIONS / NEUROPATHIES / ETC... (discuss surgery induced symptoms [leg pain?]):
No back or leg pain. I was actually running.
1 YEAR POST-OP - DESCRIBE LIFESTYLE / PAIN / MEDICATIONS / NEUROPATHIES / ETC... (discuss surgery induced symptoms [leg pain?]): I'm running several times a week and working full time. No problems!

2 YEARS POST-OP - DESCRIBE LIFESTYLE / PAIN / MEDICATIONS / NEUROPATHIES / ETC... (discuss surgery induced symptoms [leg pain?]):