Re: V

[Guest guest]

This is my personal experience and I know other doctors have other

opinions about repeated surgery. Every person should make the

decision about surgery based on their own feelings. Don't let this

scare anyone who has chosen surgery.....

> it, but what are your reasons for avoiding surgery #2 despite

worstening

> symptoms?

>

For a variety of reasons:

My nsg is seeing repeated problems with all his adult patients years

after surgery. (he likes releasing children better, I think) He

doesn't know if it's a combination of the scar tether and aging or

what. But each surgery makes a little more scar tissue, because they

have to go in a little higher or lower to get in there. He's read

several articles lately that back that up (but was unable to give me

the cites)

I'm 57 years old, six years older than at surgery #1. I would heal

even less quickly.

From surgery #1 - I had runs of v-tach going under anesthesia and

had to be shocked back into a stable rhythm (and cancelling surgery

that time), second attempt was with methods to avoid that problem.

Then I got repeated infections in the surgical incision (gangrene

was mentioned, yuck!) and had an open wound in my back for nine

months - which did not fill in when it healed. I avoided menigitis

by the skin of my teeth.

Seeing a new pain doc last week - who seemed to know something about

TCS (!!) and one of his first words, was in his opinion that TC

release is just as bad as the original tether. It always makes scar

tissue ( and in my case after looking at my MRIs he agreed my back

is a mess). He's willing to help me with the pain sx for the rest

of my life (I'll have to check what TennCare companies he takes for

future reference)

I've talked to spinal cord specialists of various types, who said

that once you have trouble with scar tissue, a 2nd surgery is not

usually recommended.

And last, but not least, I'm chosing to manage my symptoms as best I

can, even tho they may be more severe than most on this list and I

continue to decline.

V

PS- I don't feel up to arguing with my insurance company to let me

go to someone out of town for a second opinion, or possible

treatment. CIGNA HMO is the pits.