View Poll Results: How much did you spend on your spine in 2009?

Voters
18. You may not vote on this poll
  • Less than $1000

    4 22.22%
  • $1000 - $5000

    3 16.67%
  • $5000 - $10,000

    3 16.67%
  • $10,000 - $20,000

    1 5.56%
  • $20,000 - $30,000

    3 16.67%
  • $30,000 - $50,000

    2 11.11%
  • Greater than $50,000

    2 11.11%
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How much did you spend on your spine in 2009?

This is a discussion on How much did you spend on your spine in 2009? within the Spine Patient Support: Body, Mind & Spirit forums, part of the Social and Support Forums category; How much did you spend on your spine in 2009 *** ? For those of you outside the United States, ...

  1. #1
    Founder / Administrator Justin's Avatar
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    Default How much did you spend on your spine in 2009?

    How much did you spend on your spine in 2009***? For those of you outside the United States, I guess you will have to roughly convert to USD.

    ***I meant to specify "out of pocket" -- feel free to include co-pays & money applied to deductibles, medications, "alternative" therapies (chiropractic, massage, etc.), diagnostics, spine-friendly furniture, etc. etc. Thanks!

    Justin Averna
    Founder & President, Spine Patient Society™
    www.SpinePatientSociety.org
    A 501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt Nonprofit & Charitable Organization


    • 1994: Football Injury, Severe Hyperextension
    • 1997: Snow Skiing Injury
    • 3/7/1997: Laminotomy L4/L5
    • 1999 & 2003: Motor Vehicle Accidents (not at fault both times) --> Grade V Annular Tears L4/L5 & L5/L6
    • 11/15/2003: 2-Level ProDisc® L4/L5 & L5/L6*, *lumbosacral transitional vertebra --> Dr. Rudolf Bertagnoli
    • 4/2008: 4.5 years pain-free before "new" leg pain
    • 5/14/2009: Dynamic Stabilization System L4/L5, Dr. Rudolf Bertagnoli
    I'm here to help.
    Questions? Suggestions? Need help with registering, creating a signature, etc.?
    justin (at) spinepatientsociety.org


    Disclosure: I have no financial relationships with any surgeons, spine clinics, device manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, etc. -- the SPS Board of Directors serve without compensation.

  2. #2
    Moderator Cindylou's Avatar
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    Default

    Out of pocket Justin?
    • January 2000 MVA passenger, used jaws of life to retrieve me, neck injury and months of PT
    • June 2001 Bicycle accident, 2 compression fractures at T12/L1, Vertebroplasty Sept. 2001
    • April 2006 right hip, labral tear and repair
    • April 2007 3 level ProDisc @ L3/4, L4/5 & L5/6✷ ✷Lumbosacral transitional vertebra; Dr. Rudolph Bertagnoli
    • July 2, 2008 ALIF & Laminectomy @ L6/S1
    • July 30, 2008 re-opened 28 days later to remove bone cement that had leaked onto S1 nerve root
    • August 2008 Pulmonary embolism, double pneumonia, collapsed left lung, re-hospitalized 1 week
    • March 10, 2009 Right SI Joint Fusion
    • April 27, 2010 2nd right hip arthroscopy to remove adhesions and release psoas muscle
    • September 30, 2010 lumbar facet rhizotomy
    • December 9, 2010 12 bilateral lumbar trigger point and steroid injections
    • December 23, 2010 12 more bilateral trigger point injections w/o steroid
    • February 15, 2011 ESI bilaterally in lower lumbar...relief only for few days. Considering 1 more.
    Did Spinal Cord Stimulator trial from 5/11/11-5/17/11 with excellent results; Spinal Cord Stimulator surgery is Monday,
    July 18, 2011

  3. #3
    Founder / Administrator Justin's Avatar
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    Default

    Yes, I meant to specify "out of pocket" -- feel free to include co-pays & money applied to deductibles, medications, "alternative" therapies (chiropractic, massage, etc.), diagnostics, spine-friendly furniture, etc. etc. Thanks!

    Justin Averna
    Founder & President, Spine Patient Society™
    www.SpinePatientSociety.org
    A 501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt Nonprofit & Charitable Organization


    • 1994: Football Injury, Severe Hyperextension
    • 1997: Snow Skiing Injury
    • 3/7/1997: Laminotomy L4/L5
    • 1999 & 2003: Motor Vehicle Accidents (not at fault both times) --> Grade V Annular Tears L4/L5 & L5/L6
    • 11/15/2003: 2-Level ProDisc® L4/L5 & L5/L6*, *lumbosacral transitional vertebra --> Dr. Rudolf Bertagnoli
    • 4/2008: 4.5 years pain-free before "new" leg pain
    • 5/14/2009: Dynamic Stabilization System L4/L5, Dr. Rudolf Bertagnoli
    I'm here to help.
    Questions? Suggestions? Need help with registering, creating a signature, etc.?
    justin (at) spinepatientsociety.org


    Disclosure: I have no financial relationships with any surgeons, spine clinics, device manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, etc. -- the SPS Board of Directors serve without compensation.

  4. #4
    Moderator KBear's Avatar
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    Default

    $5,300 in co-pays, rx's, imaging, etc.
    $5,000 in travel and lodging for surgery
    $9,663 in health insurance premiums (family of 4)
    31 years old- 1/06- In wreck with 18 wheeler at 25 years old; 6/06- Head on collision on Interstate, both wrecks other drivers fault. Numerous MRI's, PT, chiropractic, acupuncture, TENS therapy, massage therapy, facet injections, epidural injections, Nerve study, Discogram, confirms pain in L4/5, IDET, decompression, Bi-lateral neurotomy L3/4/5, denied by insurance twice, in Active L clinical trial, had surgery March 17, 2009 in Miami, FL- received Active L disc at 29 years old. Pain and medication free as of October 2010!Mommy to Emma- 8 years, Ava- 6 years & had baby Eli after ADR, via c-section on March 25, 2011 , completely pain free still!

  5. #5
    Senior Member Dave's Avatar
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    Default

    I guess I'm lucky since my insurance is covering everything. Out of pocket for 2009, minus my co-pay for injections next monday is roughly $500.00.
    Dave

    Diagnosed with DDD in Nov, 2007. MRI, EMG
    C3/4 C4/5 C5/6 C6/7
    Surgery 06.04.08--C5/6 and C6/7 w/Prodisc
    C4/5 deterioration progressing quickly
    MRI on lumbar shows disc herniation at L5/S1, stenosis at L3/4, L4/5, spondylosis and DDD at L2 through S1 in July, 2009
    Nerve Root, Facet Injections and Epidural every 3 months. Ongoing treatment for continued degeneration.


  6. #6
    Moderator Terry Newton's Avatar
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    I think it is less than $1,000. I have great insurance and this is just the co-pays for the medications and spinal injections. Surgery was done in 2006 so that was a costly year until my lawsuit went through and my BC/BS reimbursed me for the surgery.

    It's still more that I would like to be paying as I would prefer that, after the surgery, my spine would not have needed any more interventions. The cost of getting old.
    Terry Newton; Moderator

    1980 ruptured L4-L5
    1988 ruptured SI-L5
    1990 ruptured C5-C6
    1994 ruptured C6-C7
    1995 Hemi-Laminectomy surgery C5-C6, C6-C7 Mayo Clinic
    Bicycle Accident with a large dog in 2004
    Shoulder reconstruction surgery
    MRI, EMG, Facet Injections, Epidural Blocks, Lumbar Discogram.
    Stenum Hospital Surgery November 4, 2006
    Prestige Disc C5-C6, C6-C7
    Maverick Disc S1-L5, L4-L5

    I'm busy living my life after a successful 4-level ADR surgery with Dr. Ritter-Lang at Stenum Hospital in Germany. If you would like to contact me, please click the email icon under my SPS Member Profile, as I'm not on SPS daily.

  7. #7
    Senior Member ajj1001's Avatar
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    Default amount depends on what the conversion rate was at the time!

    £1100 ish

    Adjustable bed was my main spend (which has no sales tax in the UK (vat) as it is a medical need), special shoes, foam supports, walking/living aids.
    Alison 46 year old female
    2012 Doing Rehab
    2011 Sept 3rd Op Removal of old instrumentation and PLIF L4/L5 - L5/S1 both adr in situ
    2010 May Discogram on L2/L3 & L3/L4
    2009 May 2nd Op Failed revision fusion on L5/S1 with Charite ADR in situ
    2008 Caudal epidural exacerbated nerve symptoms. Prolapse L2/L3
    2007 L5/S1 Facet deterioration
    2002 March 1st Op ADR Charite - L4/5, L5/S1
    2000 Disc prolapses L4/5, L5/S1

  8. #8
    Moderator KBear's Avatar
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    Wow- And this was really an average year for me, since my surgery was covered by the trial, I just paid the travel. In past years, I have spent in the 10k range with all the injections, MRI's, and procedures.
    31 years old- 1/06- In wreck with 18 wheeler at 25 years old; 6/06- Head on collision on Interstate, both wrecks other drivers fault. Numerous MRI's, PT, chiropractic, acupuncture, TENS therapy, massage therapy, facet injections, epidural injections, Nerve study, Discogram, confirms pain in L4/5, IDET, decompression, Bi-lateral neurotomy L3/4/5, denied by insurance twice, in Active L clinical trial, had surgery March 17, 2009 in Miami, FL- received Active L disc at 29 years old. Pain and medication free as of October 2010!Mommy to Emma- 8 years, Ava- 6 years & had baby Eli after ADR, via c-section on March 25, 2011 , completely pain free still!

  9. #9
    Senior Member Gilbert P's Avatar
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    Hi All

    All my spine issues was covered be WC so now they own my spine ?

    Gil
    L5-S1 lam 1994
    L2 to L5 DDD
    L3 -L4 hern Dec 2007.
    L4-L5 Annular fissure with mild central stenosis and moderate facet hypertrophy.
    L5-S1 bilaterial neural foraminal narrowing with inferior effacement.
    L2-L3 Right-sided neural foraminal narrowing
    L3-L4 related to posterolateral hypertrophic spurs and facet hypertrophy.
    C3-C4 limited DDD
    15 injections Depo. P.T. 18 months 9 dose packs,
    Nerve Block Injections.4 ESI S1
    L5-S1 Foraminotomy 09
    L4-L5 Microdiscectomy 09 ReHerniation 4-2010
    Surgery 6-29-11 L4-L5-S1 Decompression Fusion L5-S1 and Coflex F implants


  10. #10
    Senior Member Carmen's Avatar
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    Default Re: How much did you spend on your spine in 2009?

    I would like to take my vote back since I did not include my massages. I go every week and then twice a week to the chiropractor. I think 2010 will be different. Is there anyone that did not go to Dr. B.?

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