Artificial cervical discs-Prodisc C X 3 instead of fusion

[Guest guest]

Greetings to everyone and Happy New Year! I have read posts on this

site for some time, but rarely post messages. I'm not much of a

computer person. Anyway, I wanted to share my recent experience with

everyone. After years of suffering from cervical/shoulder/neck/arm

pain I recently had surgery to replace degenerated discs in my neck at

C4-5, C5-6 & C6-7. It was very important to me and my surgeon that

these discs not be fused. Due to scoliosis and a revision surgery, my

spine is already fused from T-2 to my sacrum. It took years of waiting

for FDA approval and then months of negotiating with my insurance

company, but I had the procedure done on Dec. 29 at the University of

Washington Medical Center in Seattle by Dr. Jens Chapman. He did a

great job! I am happy with the results. My constant neck pain is

almost completely gone and most importantly, I still have mobility and

flexibility in my neck. I am recovering quickly and hope to be back

at work in a couple of weeks! If anyone has questions, I am happy to

try to answer them...although, like I said, I'm not very good with

computers.

Melody

[Guest guest]

Melody, Yeah, Im so happy for you!!! I have been waiting & waiting to

hear when the people with previous fusions will be able to get ADR's.

I know they are so much better than fusions. I also have been

thinking of going to Germany & cashing in my IRA. But now my IRA went

way down & I can't afford it. Im in the same boat except my bottom 2

discs are bad. I refuse to have them fused as I alreay am as stiff as

cement!! And I don't want screws into my iliac bones like my doctor

wants to do to me. It's about time to move forward on ADR's!!! Once

again, Im so happy to hear they approved you here in the U.S.

Is there a way to contact other people here in the data base? I see a

Caryoln M, who was 57 when she had surgery and I would so love to

talk to some one who is close to my own experience. Most people have

had the rods put in young. I was 38 years old when I had my operation

for 91 & 78 degrees. It changed my life forever & pretty much

disabled me, even my arms don't work right still. It's depressing for

sure!! I feel only 1/2 of a human being. I'm a bent over hunchbacked

old lady & Im 55 years old. I could never pick up or play with my

grandchildrn even as newborns. Usually when you have an operation you

look forward to feeling better, not in my case. That's why I just

can't imagine being fused to my sacrum.

Still, I'm happy to see the ADRs are gaining & you got them!!!

Sandy

>

> Greetings and Happy New Year!

>

> It has been some time since I have posted or been involved with

this

> group. So long that I had to " re join " .....Anyway.....a year or so

> ago I promised that I would let this group know when I

had

> a 3 level cervical ADR (Artificial Disc Replacement)surgery. IT IS

> DONE....YEAH!!! I am home recovering after a very successful

surgery

> performed by Dr. Jens Chapman at the University of Washington

> Medical Center on December 29th, 2008.

>

> Due to previous scoliosis and revision surgeries, I was already

> fused from T-2 to S-1. When the discs in my neck started

> degenerating, I was determined to avoid further fusion. Life

> without being able to bend or twist from T-2 to S-1 was already

> challenging enough! When I began searching for solutions to my

> chronic and constant neck pain in 2005, I learned about ADR

surgery,

> but at that time it was not approved by the FDA. Patients from the

> U.S. had to go to Germany or other foreign countries to have the

> procedure done. I came close to cashing in our retirement savings

> and flying to Germany....but in the end I was too chicken to have

> such a serious surgery performed by a dr. that (although he had an

> excellent reputation and has performed more ADR surgeries than any

> other dr.) I didn't know, wasn't covered by our insurance, would

not

> be available for my post op care, was so very far from home, etc.

>

> Lucky for me, I found an excellent surgeon closer to home.

Although

> I had to wait for 3 years, eventually the FDA approved ProDisc C

for

> use in the U.S. There were more hoops to jump through....FDA's

> approval was for single level disc replacements and I needed 3

> levels (C4-5, 5-6 & 6-7). My surgeon was willing to perform the

> multi level operation " off label " ....but as you can guess, my

> insurance company balked at the idea of paying for something they

> could call " experimental " . Negotiations with insurance took

several

> more months (Initial denial, appeal, second denial, second appeal

> and then serious negotiations began). The whole issue of payment

> has not been completely resolved, but we came close enough to an

> agreement that the surgery got the green light from the hospital

and

> dr.'s office!

>

> I can't tell you how happy I am that my persistance finally paid

> off! My neck pain is gone! Yes....there is some normal surgical

> pain to contend with....but it is minor and I am ready to begin

> tapering off of the narcotic pain meds that I have been taking for

> the last several years! Best of all, my neck is more flexible now

> than it was before surgery! If anyone has any questions, I will be

> happy to try to answer them. Many scolio patients with Harrington

> Rods will experience degeneration of the discs above and below the

> fused area of the spine. If my experience is typical, I would urge

> anyone with degenerated cervical discs to explore this option with

> their Dr.

>

> Thanks for reading this long post! I hope it helps someone!

>

> Melody

>

[Guest guest]

Melody, thanks for the info on the ADR's. So you are really lucky to

be able to have gotten the them for your neck!! I'm still so happy to

hear that they even considered you because of your prior fusions!!

That means good luck for the people ahead!! The more surgeons do them

the better!! I might be out of luck but I'm glad you let every one

here know about your situation so they might be able to get them too!!

Thanks for posting!

Sandy

> >

> > Greetings and Happy New Year!

> >

> > It has been some time since I have posted or been involved with

> this

> > group. So long that I had to " re join " .....Anyway.....a year or

so

> > ago I promised that I would let this group know when

I

> had

> > a 3 level cervical ADR (Artificial Disc Replacement)surgery. IT

IS

> > DONE....YEAH!!! I am home recovering after a very successful

> surgery

> > performed by Dr. Jens Chapman at the University of Washington

> > Medical Center on December 29th, 2008.

> >

> > Due to previous scoliosis and revision surgeries, I was already

> > fused from T-2 to S-1. When the discs in my neck started

> > degenerating, I was determined to avoid further fusion. Life

> > without being able to bend or twist from T-2 to S-1 was already

> > challenging enough! When I began searching for solutions to my

> > chronic and constant neck pain in 2005, I learned about ADR

> surgery,

> > but at that time it was not approved by the FDA. Patients from

the

> > U.S. had to go to Germany or other foreign countries to have

the

> > procedure done. I came close to cashing in our retirement

savings

> > and flying to Germany....but in the end I was too chicken to

have

> > such a serious surgery performed by a dr. that (although he had

an

> > excellent reputation and has performed more ADR surgeries than

any

> > other dr.) I didn't know, wasn't covered by our insurance,

would

> not

> > be available for my post op care, was so very far from home,

etc.

> >

> > Lucky for me, I found an excellent surgeon closer to home.

> Although

> > I had to wait for 3 years, eventually the FDA approved ProDisc

C

> for

> > use in the U.S. There were more hoops to jump through....FDA's

> > approval was for single level disc replacements and I needed 3

> > levels (C4-5, 5-6 & 6-7). My surgeon was willing to perform the

> > multi level operation " off label " ....but as you can guess, my

> > insurance company balked at the idea of paying for something

they

> > could call " experimental " . Negotiations with insurance took

> several

> > more months (Initial denial, appeal, second denial, second

appeal

> > and then serious negotiations began). The whole issue of

payment

> > has not been completely resolved, but we came close enough to

an

> > agreement that the surgery got the green light from the

hospital

> and

> > dr.'s office!

> >

> > I can't tell you how happy I am that my persistance finally

paid

> > off! My neck pain is gone! Yes....there is some normal surgical

> > pain to contend with....but it is minor and I am ready to begin

> > tapering off of the narcotic pain meds that I have been taking

for

> > the last several years! Best of all, my neck is more flexible

now

> > than it was before surgery! If anyone has any questions, I will

be

> > happy to try to answer them. Many scolio patients with

Harrington

> > Rods will experience degeneration of the discs above and below

the

> > fused area of the spine. If my experience is typical, I would

urge

> > anyone with degenerated cervical discs to explore this option

with

> > their Dr.

> >

> > Thanks for reading this long post! I hope it helps someone!

> >

> > Melody

> >

>