[Katie]

Like most patients, I have conflicting opinions from several surgeons.

My C5/6 level is severely compressing my spinal cord, and the 4/5 is bad but not as severe. Hoffman and hyperreflexion tests are strong and positive on both sides, which confirms compression of the cord. Bladder & bowel problems have been getting worse and I have weakness on the left side, with some clumsiness and dropping things, plus numbness of my left arm and hand when walking.

Three doctors have said this is an emergency situation, and requires urgent surgery to prevent quadriplegia if I fall or am in a slight accident at any time.

The fourth and last one said that the others were over reacting and that it looks like the 5/6 may be starting to self fuse and the best thing would be to leave it alone, at least for a year. That any damage done to the cord is not going to get better, but will not get worse either. He also thinks that the 4/5 level is not bad enough to warrant surgery.

My question is this: If the 5/6 is indeed starting to fuse on its own, even slightly, how difficult and safe is it to break that fusion and do ADR or a man-made fusion, restoring the height to where it should be? He said the vertebrae are almost bone on bone. The discs are most definitely badly herniated and there are also osteophytes impinging on the spinal cord.

A new MRI was done last week and may change his opinion, but it looks like the compression is even worse now. The MRI they all used for their opinions is almost two years old. I have sent out the new MRI and will wait to see what they all say now.

Aren't most bad levels often very close together or almost bone on bone? My lumbar levels look almost as bad and he is happy to do ADR/fusion there, as is everyone else. Here's the kicker....the last surgeon is the only one I have been able to see who is covered by my insurance. Everyone else will require me to win an upcoming insurance appeal as I cannot afford their costs, at least not for five levels.