M6-L (lumbar) Artificial Disc Replacement

**Justin** · 09-18-2010, 10:08 AM

Yeah!

It's so great to see you posting Helmut. It sounds like you are doing very well after surgery with minimal pain medication.

**jss** · 09-18-2010, 10:33 AM

Originally Posted by helmut

... None of the surgical pain comes even close to what I used to have with sciatica down my left leg, now that was pain, the jumping out the window kind. ...

Congratulations on what sounds like is going to be a life changing outcome! Please keep us posted!

Good luck, Jeff

**Carson** · 09-18-2010, 01:36 PM

Congratulations, Helmut! You have a lot to be proud of; the research, the testing, the travel and completing the procedure! Well done. Congrats and here's to your healing!

**helmut** · 09-18-2010, 05:09 PM

Thanks for keeping me company with all your sympathy, I have a room to myself so there isn't too much going on, actually I take that back, yesterday there was a guy mowing the lawn right outside my window with great determination.

**phillyjoe** · 09-18-2010, 05:21 PM

Helmut, did you meet and discuss with your Dr RL the day before the surgery? did he give you a choice of disc or M6 a given with him?assuming you were already in Germany, how far did you travel? best wishes for continued fast recovery

**tyler** · 09-18-2010, 08:18 PM

Congrats Helmut!

So glad to hear things are going well - and since I got told this many times over the last couple of weeks, I now get to tell you, take it easy... (but best to you!)
I hope you get to enjoy your time there as well. Look forward to hearing.

Tyler

**Hooch** · 09-19-2010, 12:46 AM

Helmut,

Glad to hear your doing well, good luck with the recovery.

Chris,

**helmut** · 09-19-2010, 03:21 AM

Today is Sunday and it's very quiet around here. They take their weekends seriously here. I have been walking up and down the corridor and so far it all feels great. Now I just need to give birth to that gaseous monster inside my intestines and I would be even happier

I wonder when the aches and pains from my back are gonna set in, so far there is nothing.

**runagain** · 09-19-2010, 06:17 AM

Helmut,

Good to see that you are on the other side. Very impressive that you are posting from the hospital.
keep up the good healing,

R

**helmut** · 09-19-2010, 09:40 AM

I am glad you guys are keeping me company, otherwise I would be bugging the nurses nonstop

I have been a good boy so far I think ...... well, I did lock the nurses from my section out of the building once when they were on their break

but only for a second.
The M6 was suggested right away after I had sent my MRI's etc to Mr Petersen. I was also pretty much set on the M6 even though I do realize that I am a bit of a guinea pig with the Lumbar version. The mechanics of the M6 just make the most sense to me. I didn't want a disc with a center of rotation (ball and socket) as a natural disc also doesn't have that and I wanted a disc with shockabsorbing properties in order to protect adjacent levels and I also didn't want one that rotates 360 considering that I am not an owl. Of course I have no experience with any of the designs and different doctors believe in different models. I do like to follow my sense of engineering and everything I heard from Mr Petersen out of several long conversations I had with him reflected my logic. Dr Ritter Lang has installed many other types of discs in the past during his 4800 (about) spine related surgeries but now he has definitely set his focus on the M6 and I do believe that he truly believes in it. When I asked him if we can take out this disc in may be 10 years once something better may be around he said that he even doubts that something better will be around within the next ten years.