Originally Posted by cavalier on September 29, 2004

SURGERY DATE:

AGE AT SURGERY DATE: Goosh - do I have too ? A young 50

SURGEON: Dr. Bertagnoli

SURGERY LOCATION/CLINIC: Straubing Germany / St. Elisabeths

DEVICE(s), LEVEL(s): Prodisc L4L5

COST = 21,500. American dollars - this is ONLY for the surgery & hosp., routine xray, & anesthisa & pain pump - I had all Pre-op work done here including chest xray bloodwork & discogram & facet blocks & I also had a brace laoned to me so did not require one. travel & hotel & food was extra to this cost.
AMOUNT BILLED: 21,500
INSURANCE ALLOWED:We are in a appeal process so far nothing
OUT OF POCKET: see above
TRAVEL: see above
EXPLANATIONS? " "


ONSET OF LUMBAR PROBLEMS, DATE OF INJURY, CAUSE, ETC...: 04/ 19 /94 - car accident - no litigation or money recieved - fractured my pelvis in 3 places & my low back which turned out to be L4L5 started hurting & never stopped

PRIOR SPINE SURGERIES AND PROCEDURES (IDET, ESI, etc...): Decompression surgery 02/03 - L4L5 discetomey, lamatomey, and facetomey - ESI's about 8 never any lasting once I had a few hours, facet blocks for diagnostics only 3 levels both sides each level & side done spearately from each other. All kinds of PT at 9 centers & drugs & specialists - Physicatrists, nuerologists, Spine NSS & OSS's Due to moving for hubbys work had seen a fair share of doc's over the years. All sorts of food supplements devices etc.

PRE-OP MEDICATIONS:
See above more than I care to try to remember - I would not use the duragesic patch I was given - I found little relief - at best Hydrocodones 10 MG ( Vicadin) would take my pain levels down a level - if any - I had allergic reactions to Bextra, Antifinlammatories & steriods - due to this I was wary & weary of drugs.
PRE-OP DIAGNOSTICS (discogram, nerve root blocks, etc...):# disco's over the 10 yr's - eahc time done a bit differently - facet blk's nerve blocks, flexion & ext Xrays - Myloegram, MRi's including a standing MRI Pyhscioloigcal Pain profile- it confirmed my pain was real - no duh !

PRE-OP NEUROPATHIES (what, where, & degree of pain, numbness, tingling, sexual/bladder/bowel symptoms, etc.): Leg pain severe both legs & feet besides numbness tingling & some groin numbness & bladder & occas. bowel issues when pain was high enuf

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): I had at the end as much leg pain as i had back pain - It was unrelenting & unforgiving best postion was to lay on my back - with legs supported sigth a firm pillow - I tried to keep active but I had to do things & stop & lay down & get back up due to the legs & feet - I coud not do long tasks or stay up for more than a few min's even standing was difficult - ui believed in staying active but was realizing my life wass slipping away - walking had become severly limited

TIME POST-OP AT ORIGINAL POST HERE: 3 months

DESCRIBE YOUR SURGICAL EXPERIENCE:
It was not bad - I knew the suricla discomfort was transitory & would resolve in a few days i had hoped & the worst of it did just that - the tiredness is still something I am surpsied at - & battle
RATE FUNCTIONALITY / SATISFACTION AT INTERVALS BELOW:

FUNCTIONALITY:
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 improvement, 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: ___ SATISFACTION: ___ [6 WEEKS POST-OP]

FUNCTIONALITY: __5_ SATISFACTION: __5_ [3 MONTHS POST-OP]

FUNCTIONALITY: ___ SATISFACTION: ___ [6 MONTHS POST-OP]

FUNCTIONALITY: ___ SATISFACTION: ___ [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?]):

3 MONTHS POST-OP - DESCRIBE LIFESTYLE / PAIN / MEDICATIONS / NEUROPATHIES / ETC... (discuss surgery induced symptoms [leg pain?]): Aches espeically if I sit too long - but getting better & I notice my legs get numb &tingling if I sit too long still - otherwise they are fine - I stand & walk - with little problems other htna a twinge here & there & a ahce - no pain med's - & have not taken any for some time now - almost the whole 3 months - I do take flexerol on my worse achy days still - it is occasional - I try not too - but then I gained a half a inch back i had lost & I feel major changes- I have a bad right knee now - interestingly enuf- that is bothersome this is slowing me down more than my back is now . I cant help but wonder if that 1/2 of a inch has somehting to do with the muscles in that knee - it will give me extrmeme pain in bending that knee like a bad pulled muscle - it is takign time to heal - i ahve nto seen a doc fo rit sorry but am not anxious to see a doc right now have had my share thanks

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

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

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