Hello All (Fighting w/ Works Comp to Explore Artificial Disc Replacement)

[whitetiger522000]

Hello all,

My name is Theresa, I've done a ton of research on the artifical disc replacement. I am a police officer and I before this I was Boxing on a national level looking to go Pro, I've been on Light duty working a desk for 14 months. My question is even with a 1 or 2 level lumbar ADR what are the chances of actually getting back to either one? Realisticly? I'm not looking for if you can manage the pain... I'm 5'4 and 140 with a thin athletic build, if I get attacked on the street by a 200 Lbs Suspect what's the likelihood that it would cause more damage after ADR? I would love to hear from Police Officers that have gone through this either way it's gone. Every thing I've been through is below. Thanks a bunch!

Christmas morning of 2007 I was answering a lound noise call and had the great luck to fall down frozen metal stairs. I was treated for a lower back strain for a month. Being the hard charger that I am I hurried back to full duty. Six months later while sitting in my squad car my back started to hurt so bad I didn't think I could move. this on set was gradual as it started with an ache at the start of the week and countinued to get worse.

Workers Comp sent me to see a a Doc for Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. An MRI showed a slight protursion at L5-S1. The doctor still said it was my facet joints causeing the pain. in November 08 he completeed a facet joint injection that helped the pain. It was still aching and two months later I went to see another doctor because my mucels on both sides of my lower back were so knoted I couldn't walk. That doctor gave my muscle relaxers. I used those on really bad days for 6 months until the pain again got to be unbearable and I lost feeling in my left leg with tingling in my foot and calf.

Workers comp took a month to schedule a doctors appointment and another month to actually see him. Due to a cardic problem that arised after I fell I could no longer have steroid injections and no MRI because of a heart monitor that was placed in my chest. A new CT scan was ordered it showed the protrusion of L5-S1 & now L4-L5. The doctor said the pain and numbness I was experiancing could not be caused by the Protrusions because they were not hitting the spinal cord. He ordered me to see an ObGyn to rule out any thing there. That doctor finally gave up and said he didn't know what was wrong after conducting an EMG, that was Negitive.

Works comp than sent me to an Orthopedic Surgeon in this Doctors Office... I voiced my concern about getting an unbiased opinion and of couse was not heard on it. The Doctor saw me and a Resident examined me. they went to look at the MRI and CT scan the resident comes into the room and teels me your disc do not look good. The Doctor comes in 5 mins later and says it's my facet joints. He offers a Nerve Ablation or a spinal fusion after another bout of physical thereapy. On a follow up visit I floored him telling him I wanted the Spinal Fusion, as he had previously explianed whether it was the facet joints or the disc the Fusion would fix it. My nurse case manager requested yet another second opinion.

This doctor looked at the origianl MRI and said I had DDD and said if that was the case I could be elgible for an artificial disc replacement. He said a Discogram would confirm it was the disc causing the pain.

I go back to the second doctor who refers me to get a discogram done and on the way out the door garantees me it's not my disc. Because of his opinion he didn't order a CT scan after this very painful procedure. The Doctor that does the Discogram finds 2 torn disc. I go back to the doctor who had just garenteed me my disc were fine and he says my only options are Artificial disc replacement which he's never had sucess with so he assumed that that was the national average, a spinal fusion which no Doctor here would perform on a healthy active 29 y/o or do nothing and wait 5 years for another procedure to come out.

Since this I now have a great lawyer! After 6 months of Worker Comp refusing to let me see a doctor of my choice I finally get to have a consult for surgery! The Appointment is not Scheduled yet though.

[jss]

Theresa,

What an up and down story; I was getting motion sick! But, at least it ended on a kind-of high note.

When I had my double cervical ADR, I was told by one of the surgeons that I was considering that he had performed a double ADR on two individuals that were into competitive marshal arts; and that they both returned to that sport and were still competing. However, lumbar is a much more difficult animal than cervical.

I know a police officer that has had a cervical ADR and has resumed daily patrols. I've PM'd him to see if he might chime in here or otherwise contact you.

Be careful out there. And good luck.

Jeff

[Cindylou]

Well, welcome Theresa now get that appointment scheduled, can you? Or, are you at the mercy of waiting on them again, to make it? I sure hope not. I hope you can get relief soon from all this, as you have really been through the ringer. Good luck! Cindylou

[New-disc]

This is a great web-site with lots of info...

Hang in!!

.

[Justin]

Hi Theresa,

Welcome to the Spine Patient Society.

My gosh, you have been through a lot at such a young age.

Hello all,

My name is Theresa, I've done a ton of research on the artifical disc replacement. I am a police officer and I before this I was Boxing on a national level looking to go Pro, I've been on Light duty working a desk for 14 months. My question is even with a 1 or 2 level lumbar ADR what are the chances of actually getting back to either one? Realisticly? I'm not looking for if you can manage the pain... I'm 5'4 and 140 with a thin athletic build, if I get attacked on the street by a 200 Lbs Suspect what's the likelihood that it would cause more damage after ADR? I would love to hear from Police Officers that have gone through this either way it's gone. Every thing I've been through is below. Thanks a bunch!

I know a police officer that received a 3-level lumbar artificial disc replacement (ProDisc) and she was back on the streets chasing down criminals a year later. Do I think it is possible to go back to street duty? Yes, I do. Would I personally risk being severely injured doing so? Most definitely, no.

I think you have to weigh the pros and cons of going back to full duty after an artificial disc replacement (or even a spinal fusion). With your build, a big suspect could really hurt you.

I will try and get a hold of my police officer friend, so that she can connect with you.

Good luck!

[ajj1001]

Hi, I'm not a cervical patient (I had a 2 level lumber adr) but on the work front I'm a Probation Officer. I went back to work 2 years post op. I couldn't work in the same way as other officers but it was possible to find work arounds to most of the issues. I used safer working areas with monitored facilities in case of attack and was excused from partaking in physical restraint situations. The law in the UK covers people with disabilities from discrimination and employers have to make "reasonable adjustments" to their role to enable them to carry it out and remain in the workplace.

[KBear]

Do I think it is possible to go back to street duty? Yes, I do. Would I personally risk being severely injured doing so? Most definitely, no.

I think you have to weigh the pros and cons of going back to full duty after an artificial disc replacement (or even a spinal fusion). With your build, a big suspect could really hurt you.

I couldn't agree more with the above.

The one thing that struck me reading above was the facet joint issue. Most of us have facet arthritis, to varying degrees. ADR is not indicated for people with severe facet problems, which may or may not apply to you. This would be something I would definitely discuss with my surgeon, as they read an MRI differently than a radiologist does. For instance, my MRI said moderate facet degenerative changes, whereas all 3 surgeons felt it was mild. They also told me that since I had never received relief from facet injections, that they were obviously not my pain generator (I also had a positive discogram for pain at L4/5). My best advice is get several opinions from surgeons, research (which you are obviously doing) and make the best decision with the information you have. Best of Luck and Welcome to the forum!
Kathy

[JPJH]

whitetiger522000

JSS alerted me to your post and question. I sent you a private message with more detail. But basically I am a 28 year veteran police officer who just had a 2 level C-spine ADR using the M-6. I had my surgery on Oct. 13th. and returned to my patrol duties with no restrictions on Nov. 7th..

JPP

[whitetiger522000]

Thank you all for the replies! Let me clarify on the facet joints... none of the images have shown any facet joint problems. the first two doctors said it was the facet joint because of the exam. since the discogram there has been nothing said about facet joints.

Justin trust me I've been weighing the pro's and con's of going back to the line for 14 months .

[trkdoc714]

Theresa,

I had a 2 level ADR at L4/5 & L5/S1 in March of 2009. I went back to work full time after 12 weeks. After 2 failed back surgeries, I was very cautious in my activities. Once I hit the 6 month mark, I didn't have a doubt in my mind I was 100%. Although I'm not as active as a Police Officer, I'm climbing in and around semi tractors (lorries for Alison and Ruth) most days.

I don't know about boxing as it's very hard on the spine, but that would be your surgeon's call. I've been in touch with an officer in Tennessee that had a 2 level lumbar and was back on patrol after 4 months.

Although I'm a believer in ADR surgery, fusion has had great outcomes as well.

Good luck in your search for answers. This is a great place to research.

Bob