Guest guest Posted June 23, 2007 Report Share Posted June 23, 2007 Hi everyone, I had a quick question. I am traveling to see Dr. Mc Lone in Chicago. I have had some changes on EMG's, more urinary incontinence at night, and progressively weaker ankles. I recently got a new MRI so I could take it to him. For the first time since my detethering the radiology report reads " :Low lying cord, closely applied to posterior canal, conus extending to the L3-L4 interspace level, suggesting tethered cord syndrome, as before " (meaning pre-op). My NS in the past has said that all my MRI's in the past show no retether. I have yet to talk to him about this one. I have heard that once you have been tethered you always look tethered. I don't understand why???? Does anyone? What is the point of doing repeat MRI's then? Thanks for you input. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 23, 2007 Report Share Posted June 23, 2007 Hi ..Maybe it is different when the reason for the tethering is different. Our NS said the MRI is no longer useful and my daughter will always look tethered on it...She had a lipoma and fatty fillum terminale. I think they released the tether but couldn't totally untether her without damaging her spinal cord? That is what I think he said. What was your reason for being tethered? randee In a message dated 6/23/2007 1:41:05 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, lindafilipi@... writes: Hi everyone, I had a quick question. I am traveling to see Dr. Mc Lone in Chicago. I have had some changes on EMG's, more urinary incontinence at night, and progressively weaker ankles. I recently got a new MRI so I could take it to him. For the first time since my detethering the radiology report reads " :Low lying cord, closely applied to posterior canal, conus extending to the L3-L4 interspace level, suggesting tethered cord syndrome, as before " (meaning pre-op). My NS in the past has said that all my MRI's in the past show no retether. I have yet to talk to him about this one. I have heard that once you have been tethered you always look tethered. I don't understand why???? Does anyone? What is the point of doing repeat MRI's then? Thanks for you input. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 24, 2007 Report Share Posted June 24, 2007 Hi , As it was explained to me, we always look tethered because of scar tissue...pretty much always the cord gets caught up to some degree in scar tissue that forms when the dura heals. With luck the cord remains fairly loose and there's no more progression of problems. Without luck (form lots of scar tissue, had extensive repair of the dura - which is why lipomyelomeninigocele retethers more that fatty filums - , etc. you have more problems. It's also not unusual for the cord to stay low after detether in adults. Mine didn't move up. To be diagnosed with " retether " is to have new symptoms. THe MRI is to look for anything new, or changed from the last time you had one. V > My NS in the past has said that all my MRI's in the past show no retether. I have yet to talk to him about this one. I have heard that once you have been tethered you always look tethered. I don't understand why???? Does anyone? What is the point of doing repeat MRI's then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 26, 2007 Report Share Posted June 26, 2007 Sorry to interrupt, but I have what is called a flip-flop MRI. They take the MRI while I lay on my back, then take more while I lay on my stomache. Since the cord is supposed be floating in the fluid, if it doesn't move, they can tell it is tethered. I hope I have explained myself clearly.. I'm on my way to bed.. been a long, long day. M. > Hi , > > As it was explained to me, we always look tethered because of scar > tissue...pretty much always the cord gets caught up to some degree in > scar tissue that forms when the dura heals. With luck the cord > remains fairly loose and there's no more progression of problems. > Without luck (form lots of scar tissue, had extensive repair of the > dura - which is why lipomyelomeninigocele retethers more that fatty > filums - , etc. you have more problems. > > It's also not unusual for the cord to stay low after detether in > adults. Mine didn't move up. > > To be diagnosed with " retether " is to have new symptoms. THe MRI is > to look for anything new, or changed from the last time you had one. > > V > > > > > My NS in the past has said that all my MRI's in the past show no > retether. I have yet to talk to him about this one. I have heard > that once you have been tethered you always look tethered. I don't > understand why???? Does anyone? What is the point of doing repeat > MRI's then? > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 2, 2007 Report Share Posted July 2, 2007 Hi , I see Dr. Frim in Chicago and he does what is called a flip/flop MRI in which the MRI is taken on the back and then on the belly. The idea is the spinal cord should float in the spinal column and there should be some movement even if it is stretched out from life-long tethering. Now, how this will work on someone with Arachnoiditis or someone only partially untethered, I'm not sure. But, if you were cleanly untethered it should work quite well. M. > Hi everyone, > > I had a quick question. I am traveling to see Dr. Mc Lone in Chicago. I have had some changes on EMG's, more urinary incontinence at night, and progressively weaker ankles. I recently got a new MRI so I could take it to him. For the first time since my detethering the radiology report reads " :Low lying cord, closely applied to posterior canal, conus extending to the L3-L4 interspace level, suggesting tethered cord syndrome, as before " (meaning pre-op). > > My NS in the past has said that all my MRI's in the past show no retether. I have yet to talk to him about this one. I have heard that once you have been tethered you always look tethered. I don't understand why???? Does anyone? What is the point of doing repeat MRI's then? > > Thanks for you input. > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 17, 2007 Report Share Posted October 17, 2007 The reason why is because that is the nature of this Surgery. Scar Tissue will always form, and produce a Retether, to some extent or another. That doesn't mean that you will be Symptomatic again, and if you do become Symptomatic, when that will happen, nobody can say for sure. The point in doing follow up MRI's is to see if other conditions have arose. However, now there are CINE MRI's that can more clearly deterimine how much of your Cord has adhered to the Scar Tissue. Hopefully that made sense. Brande mymocha@... I have heard that once you have been tethered you always look tethered. I don't understand why???? Does anyone? What is the point of doing repeat MRI's then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 17, 2007 Report Share Posted October 17, 2007 This made sense. Glad to know this. Beth ________________________________________________________________________________\ ____ Don't let your dream ride pass you by. Make it a reality with Yahoo! Autos. http://autos.yahoo.com/index.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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