View Single Post
  #11  
Old 09-05-2017, 11:10 PM
RedLava RedLava is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 12
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by annapurna View Post
Basically, do you roll the dice hoping for a really good outcome with an ADR or accept a less good outcome with a potentially lower chance for a really bad outcome?
AnnaPurna, this is EXACTLY what I have been trying to contemplate for the past few weeks. I get the feeling that ADR is generally better and statistically superior, at least in the short term (5-10 years), but my worry is that in the much lower chance of it going south some day, I'd probably end up with a really lousy fusion and all kinds of problems and would be wishing I had just gotten an uncomplicated fusion with mediocre to good results. Yet, looking at the overall statistical data, that complication rate is just as high if not higher with even uncomplicated fusions, so it seems like that roll of the dice for ADR with the odds clearly in your favor are worth it. Of course I've also contemplated minimally invasive cervical foraminotomy as a possibly low risk but mediocre outcome. Two of the three surgeons I've seen said they thought I would not be a good candidate for that surgery since my flare-ups involve actual neck pain and I also worry it would be like a band-aid fix that could make my spine unstable in the long-term and ultimately result in fusion or ADR anyway. The 3rd guy said he wasn't sure if that would be an option but that since he wasn't an expert on foraminotomies he would give me a referral to a guy that is to take a look at my MRI and see what he thought....should I need it. I guess all of this is a moot point right now. My symptoms coming off the Prednisone cycle are back to almost nothing other than micro-stingers in my left arm and still that very minor tricep weakness, so I'm not going to opt for surgery until the symptoms at least return in force and possibly after trying one more epidural injection. I just want to make sure I have an absolute back-up plan on what I want to do assuming it all comes back in another few weeks or months again, which sadly seems likely. Sorry if I sound a little flakey, but it's been a rough year and this whole thing is driving me crazy
__________________
- 10/16 C6-C7 ruptured disc and C5-C6 moderately bulging disc confirmed on MRI in 12/16.
- Cancelled C5-C7 fusion surgery 02/17 due to near complete symptom improvement.
- Flare-ups of C6-C7 began again in 07/17.
- Considering C6-C7 Mobi-C replacement.
Reply With Quote