I dunno
Hey Gil,
Have you talked w/Mark? I saw a great Neurosurgeon in San Diego county as a 2nd surgical opinion and Mark accompanied me there (as w/several other consultations). I thought the guy was excellent and Mark started working w/this doctor and thinks very highly of him I believe. At the time he wasn't doing lumbar ADRs when I saw him and was doing fusions yet as a 2nd surgical opinion he actually did recommend the ADR at L4 and fusion at L5S1.
I'm wondering if truly you're not a candidate at those upper levels for ADR or you're being told that because the surgeons don't do them or can't think of a configuration w/ multi fused levels and one or two ADRs or what. Again since I don't really know anything about your spinal situation what I say doesn't hold any weight except I just wonder if there are better options for you that may not translate into having to fuse so much of the lumbar spine or figuring you'll be back in for L1 or whatsever left that's not fused because of adjacent segment syndrome (if that's what it's called when next level above or below is stressed).
I couldn't see myself getting a 3 level global fusion back when recommended though largely because of the number of failures that seemed to be reported and further complications. Plus pain medication and ESIs made enough of a difference to allow me to hold off on that decision.
Still I read about more recent fusions of the magnitude you're speaking of and that people are having successful results so I'm hoping much has improved w/this magnitude of surgery. Again I think much has to do with right surgeon and right surgical candidate.
Even if you can't afford surgery abroad have you gotten opinions from perhaps Dr.Bertagnoli and/or Dr.Zeegers via email/mail? I'm just wondering what someone who can do or use anything would think vs. what we are limited to here in the states re FDA approval, WC and what surgeons here may only practice or feel comfortable doing.
And I apologize if this is all redundant questioning. I know you've been going thru this awhile now and I don't remember all that you've done/written about doing already.
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