annular tear

[pixie]

hi everyone.
i sent my reports to dr zeegers and he called me today.he said i have a large annular teat l4/l5.he suggests a artiificial disc replacement using activ l disc.i am so relieved to finally have an option but of course i am also scared.i explained to him that the past week or so i have been having little pain and few nerve symptoms.(i have always had up and down symptoms)he said that sometimes the body does heal itself and he hopes that this is the case but we should have arrangements in place.
anyone else here with large annular tear and what did you do?what can i expect post op?
we also discussed another option idet(i think this is correct) but because of money issues i can only afford the most long term solution.any advise would be appreciated?
pixiei really am excited to see the light at the end of a 17 month battle

[Katie]

Hi pixie! There was a lady on another forum and she had chemical burns from her ruptured discs. The fluid inside caused great pain to the surrounding nerves. I can't remember the full details, but I could put you in touch with her for some first hand information.

Take care of yourself, and I'm up and free to chat pretty much any time now My voice box is a little scratchy, but I'm still able to get my ideas across, I think It's good to hear from you again.

[Keano16]

Hi, I have a lot of experience with annular tears (a lot of patients, a lot of scientific literature, etc).

Annular tear is one of the most difficult spinal conditions to treat, especially if this annular tear causes pains.

Some annular tears can heal themselves, but nobody can guarantee you that. Problem is annular tear that only ultimate surgery treatment methods until few years ago were fusion and ADR. Fortunately, advances of minimally-invasive spine surgery brought some treatments that could probably even help you.

Currently most acceptable treatment for annular tear would be selective endoscopic discectomy (SED) and evocative discography, booth invented and evolved by Dr. Anthony Yeung. This procedure does not treat pain symptoms, it treats pain cause.

Pain generator in case of annular tear are sinu-vertebral nerve endings inside your annulus. Nuclear fragments from nucleus are innervating and irritating this nerve endings which causes sterile inflammation. All other options EXCEPT selective endoscopic discectomy (SED), fusion or ADR are based on treating this nerves. This includes biaculpasty, IDET, sometimes PLDD and nucleoplasty co-ablation.

I respect Dr. Zeegers very much, I am very often in contact with him and he is a wonderful person. Discuss selective endoscopic discectomy (SED) with RF with him, maybe he will also advise first to try that.

IDET cannot be compared to SED. IDET is blind fluroscopically guided procedure.

Can I do anything else for you, any more questions?

Regards

[dalhousie]

Hi Pixie - I just thought you might like to know this as reassurance that you are doing the right thing. I live in the UK & have had 2 major spine surgeries so have researched different options over the years.

In the UK, IDET has been around a few years now, but from the UK perspective seems to have been proven to have poor long term outcomes. The specialist who did my 1st spine surgery contemplated it before recommending a 2nd major surgery. He had stopped doing it a few years ago due to poor outcomes but he made enquiries with someone he knew in London (UK) who had been very interested in it over the years but he too had also abandoned it due to poor results.

Hope things work out well for you whatever you decide.

[KBear]

Pixie,
I had a grade 4 or 5 annular tear, can't remember (pain medication and such causes crap for brains and I got it bad!). Anyhow, it started out smaller, I had an Idet, it did nothing. Personally, if I knew then what I know now, I would never have had Idet. It ended up completely killing the disc, advancing the DDD and the tear grew bigger, instead of healed. I had that done about 9 months into my injury. A year ago, 3 years after the initial injury, I had ADR on that disc and I wish I would have done it sooner. I had the Active L, the one with the smaller spikes, not the large center keel. I feel really good and am so happy I did it. I still have pain, but nothing like before, more like a 0-3/10, and Ibuprofen usually takes care of it. I have weaned off all but the Lyrica and an occasional hydrocodone. I have also not been the poster child for what to do when recovering, I think there are many things I could have/should have done differently, and I would have healed quicker (like done PT, not been carrying my big ole' 4 year old around, etc.). I don't feel like I am done healing and think that in the next 6-12 months that I will be completely pain free. Feel free to pm me if you want to talk, I will message you my number and you can call anytime. I know this is a scary thing to go into, so research, research and research, get multiple decisions and make the best choice you can with the information you have and don't look back.
Best Wishes,
Kathy

[WPKat]

Pixie,

I am in the same boat you are ... what, if anything, have you decided on doing about your annular tears?

K

[pixie]

Ihave been patiently waiting to hear from Dr Zeegers.my symptoms have returned. anyway i am nervous but my gut tells me this is the right decision and i trust Dr Zeegers 100%.he did a 2 level adr on a friend and she speaks extremely high of him.i just need the cost estimate and his assessment so i can try to have my insurance(ohip) provider help pay but ultimately i will go and pay out of pocket if necessary.I am very excited to think i may be able to live with a decreased pain level and am hoping the electricity in my legs and feet will be more manageable.will keep you posted.going to hunt down my doctor.lol
pixie

[WPKat]

Pixie,

I am very happy for you.

Let us know when you have a surgery date set. Do you know where you will be having it done (i.e., country and hospital)?



Kathleen

[Keano16]

Glad you chosen Zeegers.

[pixie]

hi
i am still trying to get in contact with dr zeegers.i hope to have surgery at the betaklinik in bonn germany.i just e mailed a 15 page assessment to dr zeegers.hope to hear from him soon.as a back up plan...i am going to send all my reports to stenum hospitaland see what opinion and solutions they offer?anyone know if they do discography there and if thet use medication.i thank everyone for all their advise and well wishes.i will let you know my dates as soon as i get them.im very nervous but sometimes u need a little faith and thats what i have.will keep u posted
pixie