Surgical decision: Cervical Spine

Re: Surgical decision: Cervical Spine

feeds@yuku.com (ponolops) — Thu, 03 May 2007 08:31:46 GMT

What a great topic! I am especially interested as my doctor and I have been searching for almost four years to find a surgeon in England that would perform a double fusion in my lower lumbar region.
We have exhausted all the spinal specialist hospitals and surgeons now and not one of them would do it, as they all said it would 'probably' make my spine worse. All admitted that fusion, using donor or patients own hip for bone, or the new 'folding' discs that some...

Re: Surgical decision: Cervical Spine

feeds@yuku.com (MsAbsynthe) — Tue, 09 May 2006 14:57:53 GMT

Well, cloning your own discs sounds like the best situation - IF you don't have degenerative disc disease?

I mean, if it's hereditary, won't the new batch go bad, too?

Just curious.

- Julie

Re: Surgical decision: Cervical Spine

feeds@yuku.com (kanutta) — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 22:37:21 GMT

it is a difficult question - when to go under the knife or not. Holding out until there is a better solution would be the best option, but the spine will continue to denegerate, and facet joints will have to take greater and greater loads, they again will deteriorate..vicious cycle.

I see on othe boards that there are discussions on this subject....to wait or not. And there are no simple answers.

...

Re: Surgical decision: Cervical Spine

feeds@yuku.com (MsAbsynthe) — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 16:12:21 GMT

I'm holding out as long as I can, until they have a better solution.

- Julie

Re: Surgical decision: Cervical Spine

feeds@yuku.com (sue in ohio) — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 10:43:52 GMT

I sure wish they had used donor bone for mine! That area where they took that tiny sliver of bone from aches more than the fusion area, especially when the barometric pressure goes nuts!

sue in ohio

Re: Surgical decision: Cervical Spine

feeds@yuku.com (ozieme) — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 08:59:15 GMT

Mosken ,I have the titanium cage in there .The one Sue is talking about

Sue they used Donor bone from the bone bank for me so ,I did not have to have it taken from my hip ....My Doc said it was a better idea as it helps with the recovery ,as you did not have to deal with that as well

Re: Surgical decision: Cervical Spine

feeds@yuku.com (sue in ohio) — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 03:27:16 GMT

I had a spinal fusion in 1998 of the L4-L5 discs. They used a compressed bone cage between the discs and I have a metal plate and two screws holding my back together. I do not regret having it done and would do it again in a minute if I had the awful pain I had then. The L4 disc has disintegrated into pieces, collapsed onto the disc below and into the sciatic nerve. They took it out in pieces plus scraped some arthritis...

Re: Surgical decision: Cervical Spine

feeds@yuku.com (Miss Marleigh) — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 02:12:52 GMT

I've had my neck fused and am starting to have all kinds of problems with it.
I have had a360 degree lumbar lameinectomy with a cage but don't rightly know what kind. I guess I never paid attention to it.

I'm having a lot of problems with my neck all the way down, I guess you could say my entire spine. I'll be going to the pain clinic on the 1st of March and will see what my next options are. The pain in...

Re: Surgical decision: Cervical Spine

feeds@yuku.com (Sunshine56) — Mon, 20 Feb 2006 22:34:27 GMT

Julie/Ozieme, did you get a cage also, and if so, what kind?

Re: Surgical decision: Cervical Spine

feeds@yuku.com (ozieme) — Mon, 20 Feb 2006 21:21:20 GMT

I Have to say I agree with this

(Once you start Fusing ...the shock goes to the disc's next to the fusion ....)

This is what has happened to my neck ,had C4,C5,C6 done back the first week of March last year ....

And By October of last year the C7 has deterated so bady ,they were talking of fusing that ........But have done a Nerve root block into the C7 ....so far its holding ...but my fingers are all numb...

Re: Surgical decision: Cervical Spine

feeds@yuku.com (MsAbsynthe) — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 15:56:55 GMT

I'll agree with going abroad for disc replacement!

China: $5,000 for the first disc, unknown for the 2nd.

Germany: $20,000 for the first disc, $5,000 for the 2nd.

For China, my friend's friend is the doctor, trained here in the USA, so I trust him. He does about 20 surgeries a week or so.

Because I have 5 herniated and degenerating discs alone in my cervical (C3-T1), I REFUSE fusion! Once...

Re: Surgical decision: Cervical Spine

feeds@yuku.com (kanutta) — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 15:24:58 GMT

Quote:
Because multiple treatment options with reported success exist for the treatment of many degenerative conditions of the cervical spine,[3-10] there may be uncertainty regarding the optimal treatment method for a specific clinical condition. Such uncertainty forces surgeons to rely on personal clinical experience and training when choosing a...

Surgical decision: Cervical Spine

feeds@yuku.com (Sunshine56) — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 14:31:28 GMT

Variation in Surgical Decision Making For Degenerative Spinal Disorders. Part II: Cervical Spine
Posted 11/01/2005

Zareth N. Irwin, MD; Alan Hilibrand, MD; Michael Gustavel, MD; Robert McLain, MD; William Shaffer, MD; Mark Myers, MD; John Glaser, MD; Robert A. Hart, MD

Abstract and Introduction

Quote:
Study Design: Survey-based descriptive study.
Objective: To study relationships between surgeon-specific...