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Old 11-26-2016, 04:41 PM
Nestletea Nestletea is offline
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Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 33
Default Lumbar ADR - Clavel vs. Bierstedt

I have been completing a ton of research on ADR in both Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands. I contacted and received evaluations back from Ritter-Lang, Bertagnoli, Bierstedt, and Clavel. I spoke to Dr. Zeegers on the phone. His consult costs approximately $1000. I have been able to rule out several doctors based on my research.Dr. Bertagnoli in Germany only offers the Activ-L ADR, and I am much more interested in receiving the M6. I have read numerous negative outcomes regarding Ritter-Lang and have ruled out utilizing him. Finally, I have read that Dr. Zeegers takes months to respond to his evaluation, once all paperwork is submitted, although he is a brilliant surgeon. That leaves me with Bierstedt and Clavel. I am honestly leaning towards Clavel, but would love to hear from other members who have experience with either surgeon. This decision is life altering and I want to make the most educated decision possible.

On August 13, 2015 I was rear-ended at 45 mph while stopped several cars back behind a school bus. This rear-end collision caused a herniated C5/C6 and L5/S1. I began my long journey of conservative therapy and underwent several MRI's and NCV/EMG's. I lost strength in my right leg and had foot drop and began experiencing intermittent saddle area numbness. I experienced constant sciatic pain down both legs, although worse on the right side. I also lost strength in my right arm - bicep and wrist ex-tensor. I had numbness into my fingers and into my right foot. I should mention that in the middle of all of this I learned from trigger point injections that I am severely allergic to medrol and suffer from anaphylaxis. This allergy ruled out epidural steroid injections.

The first neurosurgeon I met with immediately wanted to complete a fusion on both levels at the same time. I then went for a second opinion and was blessed to meet Dr. Cannestra with Lyerly Neurosurgery. He took me in for a stat Microdiscectomy on 1/8/2016 (the very next day after I met him). I had immediate relief and was able to regain strength in my right leg/foot. On 3/17/2016, I had a cervical disc replacement utilizing the Mobi-C. All of my neurological issues have dissipated in my right arm. However, I still suffer from severe muscle spasms and occipital neuralgia. Dr. Cannestra studied at UCLA and ran the initial Mobi-C trials. His success rate is over 90%.

This summer my husband and I enjoyed a trip to Niagara Falls for our anniversary. It was at this time that I re-herniated my L5/S1. My neurosurgeon felt as though I did too much walking and put too much stress on the disc. He then recommended a new pain management doctor. I began seeing Dr. Christopher Roberts at Jacksonville Spine Center. He tried a procedure called a Dekompressor Wand. This did help relieve the sciatic pain on my left side and I finally regained the urge to urinate after nearly a year of the inability to feel that sensitivity. However, I have seen very little improvement with my right leg/foot and am still suffering from sciatic pain. I have once again been sent for physical therapy (I have well over 40 visits this year alone). I have also been diagnosed with DDD.

Dr. Roberts is also working on the continued headache and muscle spasms that I suffer from in my cervical area. On 11/23/2016 I went through my first round of facet block injections at C2-C5, without steroids, due to my allergy. I did have immediate relief of the spasms and headache. I will again return on 11/30/2016 for another round of facet block injections. If the second round works, then I will most likely undergo radio-frequency lesioning at these levels.
Dr. Zeegers did discuss RFA during my phone consult and said it was worth a try, but would also want to examine what is causing the continued pain in my cervical region.

During my visit on November 23rd, after Dr. Roberts said he was going to send me back to the neurosurgeon, I opened the conversation regarding traveling out of country to Germany/Spain for my lumbar issues. I was pleasantly surprised by Dr. Roberts response, as he has had several patients that have traveled to Germany with successful outcomes with ADR on the lumbar spine. He even offered to have a patient of his contact me regarding his surgery in Germany.

Thank you in advance for all of your valuable input! I truly want to travel to the neurosurgeon who has the best surgical outcomes.
__________________
1/8/2016 - Microdiscectomy L5/S1
3/17/2016 - Cervical Disc Replacement C5/C6 (Mobi-C)
10/19/2016 - DeKompressor Wand L5/S1
1/16/2017 - Cervical Radiofrequency Lesioning
3/15/2017 - Dr. Pablo Clavel: Cervical Disc Revision C5/C6 (M6-C) and Lumbar Disc Replacement (M6-L)
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