Back Surgery

How many here have had a back surgery? If so, what kind did you get? I had one back in 2000....I had a disc removed & it has been down hill every since. I am looking at a future surgery (fusion), which I do not want....to many bad things I had read about those. Has anyone had a Artificial Disc Replacement?? If so, where did you go. I am having a hard time finding any doctors in this area that do those types of surgeries. Looks like it very popular overseas though. I have read so many wonderful stories about ADR compared to a fusion....just wonder why this isn't more common in the USA.

Girl......................

I have been diagnosed with DDD. Degeritive-Disc-Disease, in the last 4-weeks. In my neck. My discs are worn out, no bone to bone contact yet, but it's not far in the future. Been going to P/T. Help?? not really IMO.....I'm going to see the "Man" Ortho-Doc, Monday........

I have that also, among the many other probs. I have....I read that they do all levels of ADR on the neck overseas...I think it is Germany....but only do 1 level in the US...so lots of ppl from the USA are flying over there to have it done. I have bone to bone contact in my lower back, & nerve compression.

I've heard they are injecting some kind of foam now days to replace the lost disc-media........dunno...It makes sense to me.
Put some "Gorrila" glue on something. It's a expandable, poly-styrene type stuff.

This is a pic of my fusion, 4 weeks after the operation was done. As you can see, there is a lot of titanium sheet metal, 6 screws holding everything together, and two big chunks of cadaver bone to fill the void where the 2 removed disks used to be.



This film was taken 8 weeks out. It clearly shows that I somehow broke the two top screws in half. They still don't know how I did that.



That operation helped me a lot. I was having headaches that would kill a government mule! Wife would find me laying on the bathroom floor praying I could toss the cookies thinking it might make me feel better. That operation helped me so much I never even had to take a pain pill after for the surgery. That lasted 14 months and then the headaches returned as bad as they ever were and nobody knows why. I've since had to have lumbar surgery also. It made it so I could walk again, at least for short shots at a time. My DDD is bad enough the docs told me the BEST they could hope for is to buy me some time. There is NO FIX. I also have Degenerative Joint Disease. All of this mess is brought on by Arthritis! Were it not for "Arthur", my life would be almost normal. I wish you both the best.

Well at 36 I am facing some tough roads ahead as well. I am nowhere near the laying on the floor puking stage, but I have had serious enough pain to where I could not bend over to put my boots on and also not able to stand up straight for several minutes when I get up out of a chair. The worst bout I had was about 2 months ago. I was so miserable. I went to the doc and they did more X-rays and another MRI. I have an appt with the specialist on Thursday to see if they are gonna do the injections. I really don't want to go that route if I can keep from it. I have been really active my entire life and it really gets me down when I can't do anything.

Sorry Dirt Chic.......not trying to hijack your thread. Best of luck to you. I know back surgery would be very intimidating to me.

My wife had a broken sepht (spelling ?) on a disc 2 years ago. The pain got worse after the surgery, so after a year they had to remove all of the pins, screws and whatever else they did. Found that the screws were to long and were into the vertibra to much. Now, after another year she is feeling better.

I have 2 blown discs and DDD in the neck and have dealt with it for a number of years. I use an Inversion Table from Teeter to decompress them. It has been working for about 5 years now. Best $300 I have ever spent. Also used a Strar Track on the neck once. That hurt, but had no problems for about 6 months.

Good luck to you all.

Woodtick those x-rays scare me....shewww...my luck I would do the same thing. I rather not have that done at all....looks like those screws would be made tougher. I also have ole Arthur working on me...I currently have it in my spine. Seems like there are lots & lots of ppl with spinal injuries, & probs.

Feel for ya...been going to the Chiropractor for a year now. I need a knee replacement, but insurance won't pay for it until I'm over 55....12 more years to go.

Hope everything goes well!

Dirt Chic wrote:

How many here have had a back surgery? If so, what kind did you get? I had one back in 2000....I had a disc removed & it has been down hill every since. I am looking at a future surgery (fusion), which I do not want....to many bad things I had read about those. Has anyone had a Artificial Disc Replacement?? If so, where did you go. I am having a hard time finding any doctors in this area that do those types of surgeries. Looks like it very popular overseas though. I have read so many wonderful stories about ADR compared to a fusion....just wonder why this isn't more common in the USA.

sorry to hear about your dilema Dirt Chic. Fortunately I don't have back problems yet. However I do happen to know one of the premier back surgeons in the country. Look up Dr. Stuart Eidelson online.He put my left arm back together when every other doc at the time wanted to amputate it. I shattered it in a MC accident.Good luck. tell stuart that I sent you.

The Colonel,