Foramen Spacer?????

[JRS11]

Today I was at one of the leading orthopedic doctors in the country. It was a very interesting visit and I have hope that maybe there is a chance to reduce the sciatica/radicular pain I have. Here is the info.

today I visited Yale New Haven Hospita. The doctor suggested (L4/L5 Selectuis (something like this) Nerve Root Block left, and L5/S1 on another day). This is to see if a spacer at either or both levels would be helpful to me instead of the Foraminotomy, as it leaves no scar tissue and can be reversed. I liked the idea and the approach. So what I am wondering about is if anyone knows about this procedure, the spacers, what the procedure is called, etc?

I next went to a different pain center where I had to see a nurse and PA first, could not see a doc on first visit. They wanted to start immediately with Lyrica (which my only concern with is whether it will interfere with the shots that were prescribed for me)....I have emailed the doctor for his opinion on this, he is good about email. I told them my concern at the pain center but the PA said it would not be an issue, but if it does indeed decrease pain it would through off my observations, at least that is my thought process at the moment, and they cannot get me in for shots very quickly. I cannot imagine trying two things at one time, I think it is best to try one thing and that the PA maybe did not understand my concerns.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, as always.

[Hooch]

Is he talking about one of those Wallis, X-Stop type interspinous spacers? Nothing wrong with them.

[JRS11]

Is he talking about one of those Wallis, X-Stop type interspinous spacers? Nothing wrong with them.

Not sure, but maybe, he wants to create space to hopefully take the pressure off of nerves....and he says it is reversible and scarring is a non-issue.

[Justin]

Today I was at one of the leading orthopedic doctors in the country. It was a very interesting visit and I have hope that maybe there is a chance to reduce the sciatica/radicular pain I have. Here is the info.

today I visited Yale New Haven Hospita. The doctor suggested (L4/L5 Selectuis (something like this) Nerve Root Block left, and L5/S1 on another day). This is to see if a spacer at either or both levels would be helpful to me instead of the Foraminotomy, as it leaves no scar tissue and can be reversed. I liked the idea and the approach. So what I am wondering about is if anyone knows about this procedure, the spacers, what the procedure is called, etc?

The spacer your surgeon is most likely talking about is an interspinous spacer (X-Stop, Coflex, DIAM, the Wallis system, etc.). Here's a link to an article about interspinous spacers --> A Review of Available Interspinous Spacers -- eOrthopod.

Also, here's an article from the Spine Patient Society Educational Library about Spinal Stenosis that describes the X-Stop and other treatment options for Spinal Stenosis --> A Patient's Guide to Lumbar Spinal Stenosis.

I next went to a different pain center where I had to see a nurse and PA first, could not see a doc on first visit. They wanted to start immediately with Lyrica (which my only concern with is whether it will interfere with the shots that were prescribed for me)....I have emailed the doctor for his opinion on this, he is good about email. I told them my concern at the pain center but the PA said it would not be an issue, but if it does indeed decrease pain it would through off my observations, at least that is my thought process at the moment, and they cannot get me in for shots very quickly. I cannot imagine trying two things at one time, I think it is best to try one thing and that the PA maybe did not understand my concerns.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, as always.

Lyrica will not interfere with your nerve blocks. Here's a great read, from the Spine Patient Society Educational Library, about Pain Management: A Patient's Guide to Epidural Steroid Injections. The pretty pictures will really help in terms of understanding the procedure and the anatomy of the spine.

I hope this helps.

[JRS11]

The spacer your surgeon is most likely talking about is an interspinous spacer (X-Stop, Coflex, DIAM, the Wallis system, etc.). Here's a link to an article about interspinous spacers --> A Review of Available Interspinous Spacers -- eOrthopod.

Also, here's an article from the Spine Patient Society Educational Library about Spinal Stenosis that describes the X-Stop and other treatment options for Spinal Stenosis --> A Patient's Guide to Lumbar Spinal Stenosis.



Lyrica will not interfere with your nerve blocks. Here's a great read, from the Spine Patient Society Educational Library, about Pain Management: A Patient's Guide to Epidural Steroid Injections. The pretty pictures will really help in terms of understanding the procedure and the anatomy of the spine.

I hope this helps.

Thanks once again Justin