The Stem Cell guy looking for an ADR!

[mike86]

Greetings my fellow back painers. So the stem cell treatment (didn't work. Neither did spinal decompression or chiropractors. My sciatica is back and now my testicles are hurting a bit. I can't go out without having to lay in bed all day the next day.

So anyways I moved to dallas recently. I realized the Texas Back Institute was here. So I made an appointment with Dr. Zigler for this wednesday September 15th. I want to discuss the freedom lumbar disc with him, see how his patients are doing, and possibly discuss surgery in Europe and what doctors he would recommend (if surgery were to be the next choice). I will also mention the M6 and see what his opinion is on that!

I will tell him what my goals in life are (doing sports again) and ask him what his recommendation is on the following step.

Check back on wednesday !

[KBear]

Mike, I would ask about clinical trials, as you may be a candidate and most (if not all) the discs in trials here have been being used in Germany for years (so it's not like you are a guinea pig). I'm happy I was in a trial and all I had to pay was travel. I would have been in the Freedom Trial and had surgery at TBI, but I was disqualified due to litigation regarding my spine.

[Justin]

Mike, good luck on Wednesday! Dr. Zigler is a fantastic spine surgeon. I'm sure you will be impressed with the Texas Back Institute.

[Cindylou]

Mike, honestly,you will find no reason to go to Europe for spine surgery after you meet with Dr. Zigler at TBI. Good Luck! Cindylou

[mike86]

Mike, I would ask about clinical trials, as you may be a candidate and most (if not all) the discs in trials here have been being used in Germany for years (so it's not like you are a guinea pig). I'm happy I was in a trial and all I had to pay was travel. I would have been in the Freedom Trial and had surgery at TBI, but I was disqualified due to litigation regarding my spine.

I can't risk getting a prodisc or a fusion, so a trial is out of the picture. Thanks though!

I'm heading over right now i'll let you know what he says when I get back. Cheers!

[Metalneck07]

I can't risk getting a prodisc or a fusion, so a trial is out of the picture. Thanks though!

I'm heading over right now i'll let you know what he says when I get back. Cheers!

Mike I'm curious as to why your completely against Prodisc ADR? I go TBI as well ,if you don't try a trial the only alternatives they can offer is Prodisc or the Charite.TBI is still about a year away from other devices which would be a all metal ADR.But still at least a year.Any way just curious on your thoughts.
Caitlin aka Metalneck07

[mike86]

Hello everybody! I met with Dr. Zigler yesterday. Just to let you know how fast we got working on something, I had an Epidural Steroid Injection today!

But first things first, the Texas Back Institute is absolutely beautiful. Very modern, clean, professional, and FAST. I was attended rather quickly, my insurance was taken care of, and I had a couple of x-rays all in a matter of minutes. After that Dr. Zigler arrived with a huge smile in his face... he's a VERY NICE GUY. Very understanding of your situation and he likes to know about you as well. So anyways, we started talking and I went ahead and told him that what I've been trying to do to cure myself, and he completely understood where I'm coming from. He said he doesn't want to do surgery just yet because he's still testing new discs. But he basically told me that my disc is dead and it'll probably never recover. He said 'we have to take it out and put in a new one' (that's how the ADR conversation started). I got a lot of info out of him regarding ADR's:
-He Said The Freedom Lumbar Disc is NO GOOD. He says that he's had almost every patient come back with problems. Without even asking him, he also told me that it's way too stiff.. there is no axial compression at all!
-He said ProDisc has given him excellent results... no problems at all.
-I told him that I want a disc with Axial Compression and so I mentioned the M6. He said he hasn't worked on it yet, and that just because it was approved in Europe doesn't mean it's been tested. It only means it's manufactured to high standards. But regardless he said he has a lot of doctor friends in Europe working with it and that he is going to do his homework and see if he recommends the disc or not.. at the same time he would recommend a surgeon.
-He said he's worked on 6 different discs and only the prodisc has proven effective so far. He has not worked with the M6 yet.

But before anything, he said that we can probably wait a little while.. to see more results from clinical trials. So he told me to get Epidural Steroid Injections today, which I did and was absolutely painless.. they put me to sleep and now I only have generalized pain which is normal and should fade in 2 days. I'm meeting him next week to see results on the ESI and with this take the appropriate course of action (go to surgery or not). So basically, if ESI's can calm down my symptoms, then I can wait patiently for the next generation of discs after prodisc. If not, then I'm getting a prodisc or i'm going to europe (depending on what he hears from his peers on the m6). I told him i'd rather get the m6 because i'm so young and i don't want adjacent discs failing.. he agreed.

I also asked him about permanent nerve damage if I waited too long. He said the bulge is too small to be causing any damage, so I shouldn't worry about that.

Anyways, great doctor and I hope to get a clear picture of my next step by next week!

Cheers everybody!

[Hooch]

Mike,

Thanks for posting the thoughts of Dr Zigler. Please keep us updated.

I'm interested to hear his take on the M6 at this early stage.

Cheers,
Chris.

[helmut]

removed, meaning revision surgeries? From the information I have so far only one M6 had to be removed.
Do you have more info on that?

[trkdoc714]

Define "several". Like Helmut, I'm only aware of one removed (cervical). The recipient decided to dive into the pool at the hotel he was recovering in less than a week after surgery. I'd guess it wasn't the result of device failure or improper placement.

Bob