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Old 10-20-2012, 08:54 PM
sghansen sghansen is offline
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Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 37
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Hi C,

So sorry you are here and that you suffer from the dreaded DDD. This is a great place for lots of information from folks that have already been down the road that you are currently contemplating...

I too didn't want to go overseas but no US doctor would help me, other than for fusion. It seems that US doctors are forbidden from performing ADR on a three level candidate with prior surgeries. Read my signature below for my history.

Considering ADR, I first looked at the devices available today:
Prodisc: seems to degrade the facet joints.
Charite: has had migration issues
Mavrick: too much movement
None of the above offered axial compression. All of the above seem to move too freely.
The Spinal Kinetics M6 is the only one being implanted on a regular basis that is most like a real human disc. There are others under development. The M6 has only been available since 2006, so no long term studies are out yet. There are a lot of folks on this site that have had the M6-L and M6-C implanted.

You still have lots of homework to do I’ll pray to God that you make the right decision that is the right one for you and your condition and that you too can return to a normal life.

Regarding paying for ADR surgery: I had to rob my 401K to pay for the surgery and I'll be paying for it until 2017 (5 years unless I can pay it off earlier). But it's only money, Right? At the rate my back was degrading I had no other alternative but to get this done. So I put off retirement for a few more years. Maybe I’ll be a greeter at Walmart in my twilight years
, but at least I’ll have a good back!

Choosing a doctor is another challenge. You really need to do your research. Write down the Who, What, Where, How of all the doctors that offer ADR and that install the device you feel is the one that will give you the best chance at a normal life again. Interview their patients, if you can. Google them to see if you can find any useful information regarding their surgical procedures and outcomes.

All the best to you over the next several months as you consider, weigh and implement your plan to return to a life without back pain.

You may only have one chance to get this right:
I heard this quote a long time ago:
It's unwise to pay too much, but it worst to pay too little.
When you pay too much, you lose a little money -- that is all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do.

With ADR, or any back surgery, you can still pay a lot and lose everything too. Be careful and all the best to you.


__________________
Back problems since late 1989 but medical technology wasn't ready for me yet.
Then...
July 2003 - LED/IDET at L3-4, L4-5, L5-S1
Sept 2008 - laminectomy/discectomy at L4-5
May 2012 - 3 level M6-L ADR with Dr. Clavel in Barcelona.
Neck problems began Aug 2006 carnival ride ruptured two discs. At the time I
probably didn't notice due to chronic back pain but now losing use of right
arm. MRI shows the problem clearly.
Clavel will replace C5-6, C6-7 on Sept 10 2014.
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