New member who would love advice :)

[Flycolorado]

Hi everyone! How nice to have this forum! Thanks to all who created it and maintain it. It has provided me with a wealth of info!

I have seen my 3rd surgeon and 'm 37, good health, good weight. I'm a flight nurse on a helicopter and dropped a patient 3 years ago and hurt my back. Constant pain since May of last year.

I'm told I'm a perfect canidate for an ADR at the L3-4 level. I'm thinking about getting in on the tail end of the Freedom Disc trial. I need to decide quick.. only 60 spots left in the country.

I would rate my pain a 1-3/ 10 most days if I an sedentary and just rest and work. I cant work out anymore or go on hikes...
My hubby and I love to backpack and canceled 2 trips.. SO my decision to do this is based on improving the quality of life~ I worry I'm doing something drastic on a chance it might not work or make me worse...

Such a scary decision to not know what disc I'm getting.. also not much info on L3-4 level ADR.

Thanks for any help and info!!!

Andrea

[KBear]

Welcome Andrea,
Just curious, what is the control disc being used in the Freedom trial? I had signed up for that, but was disqualified due to spinal litigation. I was in the Active L trial and received the Active L. More than which disc you receive, the surgeon's experience is most important. I personally feel like the surgeons who are in the trials are generally top notch. I mean why would a company that is trying to get their product to market pick someone who was less than the best to do the surgeries? I felt that going into a trial was a very safe bet and that I would get excellent care, which I did. As far as deciding whether to have surgery or not..... that is such a hard one and only you can make that decision. For me, I had no quality of life and thought about suicide on an almost daily basis. My pain was unbearable and I just layed around, it was a no brainer for me. I'm one of the lucky ones and am now 100% pain free (which is awesome considering I'm 9 months preggo right now). They always tell you that surgery will not take all your pain away, and for some it does and others it doesn't. I would suggest doing exactly what you are doing, researching, getting multiple opinions and then making the best decision you can with the information you have. Maybe a list of pros and cons/ best and worst case scenarios and making sure you can be 100% satisfied in your decision, regardless of outcome.
Best of Luck,
Kathy

[Flycolorado]

Hi Kathy, Thanks for the reply and info!

It would be the Freedom or the Pro Disc L. I would go with Dr. Pettine at The Spine Institute in Loveland Colorado.

When did you know what disc you were getting? Wonder if I'm on the operating table if I can jump off and run if I don't get the Freedom

The decision is so hard because my pain is tolerable with a sedentary lifestyle. I have limited mobility but I can still work full time. I imagine it will just get worse though. I would be devistated if it got worse because of surgery. If fusion was my only option, I'm no where in enough pain to consider it.

It seems as if the L4-5 ADR have the best outcomes. Not much info on L3-4.

I also wondered about insurability in the future? There are 2 pages of info about sharing your medical history on the consent form that I worry they are saying in a round about way that you are a risk to insurance companies later... Any thoughts on that?

Congrats on your new little one soon! What a blessing!!

Andrea

[ajj1001]

Wonder if I'm on the operating table if I can jump off and run if I don't get the Freedom

It seems as if the L4-5 ADR have the best outcomes. Not much info on L3-4.

Hi Andrea and welcome. Lots of people have really good outcomes with the active L so you'll need to decide that you want an adr whatever the disc if you proceed with the trial. People also have good outcomes with a fusion, getting the best option for the long term health of you entire spine is the key. What surgical solutions have the doctors suggested?

Many more people have problems with L4/L5 and L5/S1 than L3/L4 so that is why you aren't finding much out on L3/L4. I think one member on here had a fusion at that level quite a few years ago and had a good outcome. I'll go and see if I can find details.

alison x

found it - it was a higher up ALIF at L1/L2, hopefully someone else with L3/L4 problems can give you help from their experience

[KBear]

Andrea,
I'm technically not supposed to know which disc I have. They say they will tell you at the 2 year follow up. However, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see on the x-rays which disc it is, since they look so different. On insurance, since you've been diagnosed with a disc problem and need surgery, that is considered pre-existing, whether you have surgery or not. If you have insurance already and stick with them, then they can't not cover it (the condition... they can still deny a particular treatment as experimental or not for you). Now, if you try to get a new policy, it could be excluded as pre-existing (now getting coverage through a job is different, and I think if you can prove you had credible coverage for the 2 years prior that they can't call it pre-existing.)
Kathy

[Justin]

Hi Andrea,

Welcome to the Spine Patient Society.

Hi everyone! How nice to have this forum! Thanks to all who created it and maintain it. It has provided me with a wealth of info!

I'm glad that you have found the SPS useful.

I would rate my pain a 1-3/ 10 most days if I an sedentary and just rest and work. I cant work out anymore or go on hikes...
My hubby and I love to backpack and canceled 2 trips.. SO my decision to do this is based on improving the quality of life~ I worry I'm doing something drastic on a chance it might not work or make me worse...

Such a scary decision to not know what disc I'm getting.. also not much info on L3-4 level ADR.

In regard to spine surgery in general: you have to factor your quality of life into the equation. Most Spine Patients move forward with surgery when their pain and physical disability drastically changes their life (activities of daily living become difficult to do, can no longer work, all conservative therapy has failed, etc.).

Spine surgery burns bridges to put it bluntly. Is spine surgery capable of helping Spine Patients with pathology of the spine and associate pain? Yes. Does spine surgery inherently carry the risk of not being successful? Yes. Surgery alters the mechanics of one's spine forever--surgeons and spinal devices can only replicate human physiology to a certain degree.

Ultimately, I believe it comes down to a very personal decision--if you can no longer see yourself living in your current situation (pain, physical disability, etc.), then it is time to move forward. However, it behooves you to exhaust all conservative therapy before you even consider surgery.

Many Spine Patients assume that surgery will make them better and they'll be "as good as new." However, they forget to factor in how long they've been injured and, I hate to say, have widely unrealistic expectations of what spine surgery can do.

It would be the Freedom or the Pro Disc L. I would go with Dr. Pettine at The Spine Institute in Loveland Colorado.

Dr. Pettine is a fantastic surgeon. I have spoken with his clinic in the past and I was quite impressed. Plus, Dr. Pettine is widely regarded as a first class guy and a surgeon that is advancing the field of orthopedics.

It seems as if the L4-5 ADR have the best outcomes. Not much info on L3-4.

Alison already commented on ADR surgery at L3/L4 above; L4/L5 & L5/S1 are more commonly injured and, thus, require surgical intervention more frequently.

Once again, welcome and I wish you the very best.

[Flycolorado]

Thanks for all the info everyone! I appreciate your feed back...

I think i talk myself into not being "that bad"

Meanwhile I cant turn over in bed or nearly get out of bed... I sometimes think that walking like I'm 80 is normal for a 37 year old. Or those days I have to crawl on the floor to get to the bathroom is just a "kink"

With L3-4 it's usually a "traumatic injury" that causes problems- which I had. Apparently it only accounts for 10% of the disc injuries as compared to the lower 2.

I'm glad to hear your feed back about Dr. Pettine.. I was impressed! He told me to go home and pray about it.. That made me feel better.. He is on a mission trip in India now which buys me a little time to decide. I have a "pre- op" appt scheduled for April 5th.. If I decide to do it, surgery would be within one month from that.

Andrea

[trkdoc714]

Andrea,

Dr. Pettine has a great staff too. He's a co-inventor of the ADRs I have at L4/5 and L5/S1. His staff were very helpful with information requests prior to surgery and he referred a local surgeon to follow up after the surgery.

My roomate at Stenum was a patient of his. Having fused him several years earlier, he recommended Stenum for the Maverick ADR. Both he and his wife think highly of Dr. Pettine.

Good luck!

Bob

[Flycolorado]

Andrea,

Dr. Pettine has a great staff too. He's a co-inventor of the ADRs I have at L4/5 and L5/S1. His staff were very helpful with information requests prior to surgery and he referred a local surgeon to follow up after the surgery.

My roomate at Stenum was a patient of his. Having fused him several years earlier, he recommended Stenum for the Maverick ADR. Both he and his wife think highly of Dr. Pettine.

Good luck!

Bob

Thanks Bob! Always good to hear the positive!

[Flycolorado]

Hi Andrea,

Welcome to the Spine Patient Society.



I'm glad that you have found the SPS useful.



In regard to spine surgery in general: you have to factor your quality of life into the equation. Most Spine Patients move forward with surgery when their pain and physical disability drastically changes their life (activities of daily living become difficult to do, can no longer work, all conservative therapy has failed, etc.).

Spine surgery burns bridges to put it bluntly. Is spine surgery capable of helping Spine Patients with pathology of the spine and associate pain? Yes. Does spine surgery inherently carry the risk of not being successful? Yes. Surgery alters the mechanics of one's spine forever--surgeons and spinal devices can only replicate human physiology to a certain degree.

Ultimately, I believe it comes down to a very personal decision--if you can no longer see yourself living in your current situation (pain, physical disability, etc.), then it is time to move forward. However, it behooves you to exhaust all conservative therapy before you even consider surgery.

Many Spine Patients assume that surgery will make them better and they'll be "as good as new." However, they forget to factor in how long they've been injured and, I hate to say, have widely unrealistic expectations of what spine surgery can do.



Dr. Pettine is a fantastic surgeon. I have spoken with his clinic in the past and I was quite impressed. Plus, Dr. Pettine is widely regarded as a first class guy and a surgeon that is advancing the field of orthopedics.



Alison already commented on ADR surgery at L3/L4 above; L4/L5 & L5/S1 are more commonly injured and, thus, require surgical intervention more frequently.

Once again, welcome and I wish you the very best.

Thanks Justin! So much to think about! I'm back and forth everyday...