[ian]

All he said was that I'm a candidate, no mention of where the pain is being generated from.

Yes, my last MRI shows desiccation at L4/5 and L5/S1. Also there is some stenosis and the disc at L5/S1 is wafer thin A neurosurgeon glanced at my images a few weeks ago and immediately recommended fusion without considering any other options.

I think it's around $400US for a call with Dr. Clavel. Still cheaper than the doc who spent 5 minutes with me and said fusion was my only choice.

Originally Posted by bwink23

That is strange Ian. I know it's costly to call him, but could be worth it. Gather up some questions and quiz him. It seems he believes your pain is not disc related, but biomechanical?? I would ask him what your options are at that level. Does the disc on your films show black, which is a strong indicator for dehydration? Your disc can be collapsed somewhat, but still show hydration. But, that doesn't address the mechanical aspect. I personally have a unilateral pars defect(fracture) on my left side. My chiro said that often, sciatic and pain symptoms are more pronounced in patients with a unilateral as opposed to bilateral due to the imbalance. I would certainly look further into that. The sacralization you got can cause discomfort as well. I guess he figures that the disc can't move, no harm no foul. Frankly, i'm surprised by his diagnosis. It would seem to make sense to at least fuse that segment symmetrically from the anterior approach while getting an ADR to balance things out.