M6-L (lumbar) Artificial Disc Replacement Available in Europe

[Carson]

Some very interesting and possible ideas there.

Marti, please post to let us know how you're doing as well as your progress with the political mess that is the FDA too often. Thanks!

[KanRunMo]

Let us all know when you start your "ship to Bahamas with back surgery business". I think recovering from back surgery on the warm beach with warm waves lapping at my feet would work miracles.

[I Suffer]

I wonder if there isn't some sort of waiver a patient can sign to get procedures that are not "legal" or deemed experimental here in the greedy US of A .

It's my body and Big Brother allows me to have gastric bypass surgery that kills one in fifty, use tobacco that is addictive and highly carcinogenic, drink alcohol which is a poison, take many deadly prescription drugs, allow me to go to US hospitals that have a 1 in 10 chance of giving me a health care infection but they won't let me take my own money and allow me to pay a surgeon to implant this disk.

It is ridiculous and almost evil that so many of us are destined to suffer because of worthless red tape. Medically Europe is far more advanced than the US. The M6 is proven technology. For most herniations it is the best option and the FDA knows this. This could be fast tracked.

Call me paranoid but like everything else that seems to defy logical explanation you find that elusive explanation when you follow the money.

Pay a surgeon 10k per implant on a reservation and let SK and the Indian hospital keep the rest. At two implants a day that surgeon will have more money than God. If the state board yanks his license he will have enough $$$ to tell the state board of money grubbers to pound salt.

[KanRunMo]

I hear your pain. Things aren't quite as bad as you are making them out. We do have some very good health care here in the U.S. However, the spine care seems to be behind. Part of the problem is insurance companies who don't want to pay for anything. It might be no different if we had government medical insurance or plans. If you've watched the forums on this site you will have seen that citizens of many other countries are having to leave their country to get the surgery they want. Canadians, and citizens of U.K. for example. Just because you have a national medical plan, doesn't mean you can choose which surgery or which back disc you want. Citizens in countries with national medical care are also limited in what options they have. I do think it is time for the U.S. to review medical treatments and medical devices much faster than is happening currently so that citizens can be treated with the best treatment possible. I guess we need a forward thinking spine doctor as president instead of politicians.