Firey,
I was able to locate a zimmer surgical manual online and have it saved on my computer. I can forward it to you if you send me a PM with your email. The bottom line is that the dynesys is primitive like the model T of cars. The evidence supporting the dynesys is scant and not enough to justify using for many surgeons. Another surgeon told me there is "no proof that it works." Other surgeons see it as an extra product to sell. Its no secret that zimmer spine paid the DOJ as a result of someone on the inside blowing the whistle on them for paying doctors kickbacks. I mean, the FDA hasn't even approved the dynesys as a stand alone becuase there is not enought proof that it works. If you still have paperwork, you will probably see that it was billed as a posterior fusion. That was so the surgeon could get paid for putting it in. Insurance companies don't cover it. I'm not even sure there are CPT codes established for it yet. That's great that it can be taken out but there isn't proof that it works and much less of the effect what happens after it is installed, left in for a year, then taken out. So when surgeons say that it can be taken as a "selling point" and yes, we are being sold this stuff in the same manor a used car salesman sometimes operates, they don't tell you that there aren't studies on what happens after it is removed so that selling point is flawed when you dig into the details.
This article written by a Aaron Filler references the dynesys. The study by Grob is on the dynesys though the dynesys isn't mentioned by name.
Is There An Ethical Crisis in Spinal Surgery? : OUPblog
Yes, I've had more pain and discomfort with taking out the screws than with putting them in. However, every spine and corresponding symptom is individual to the patient. I'm just glad to have that crap taken out of back to be honest and don't have to worry about screw loosening and failure of an unproven medical device that squeezing my nerves to begin with.
My dynesys installation was good. I've seen the scans, had them reviewed by other surgeons, and the placement was good. My surgeon is very experienced and recognized in my region to have a very high level of surgical skill. All this hardware on the market isn't worth much if it can't be put in correctly by a skilled surgeon. Surgical skill does vary between surgeons. My prediction is the dynesys will go the way of the dinosaur as better stabalization devices are developed. Having a cord that is stiff and allows no flexion and spacers that get soft after being implanted and do not resist extension is garbage. As no reason was given to why I developed the nerve problems after the dynesys I was left to do my own research and it turns out I was right. Once those spacers soften up, they do not resist compression and the dynesys cord is stiff so you can't use flexion to open up the disc space. When you lose disc height, you have to use some spinal flexion to keep the disc space open. You can't restore lordosis or put the spine into too much extension if you don't restore disc space by restoring disc height or hollow out the foramen a bit via decompression. However, remove to much bone and you have instability. Its a tough balance that the surgeon has to follow. My L5/S1 is low but not painful. It has stabalized and was not painful on the discogram despite looking black and crummy on the MRI. My facets have enlarged at that level so I don't have the foramen space I used to but it is still enough for the nerves as long as I'm not locked down into extension.
Good luck Firey, If I had a better support system around me (I'm single and live with my 74 year old mom) I'd maybe considered a fusion but I missed my window when I made the mistake of not being better informed and choosing the dynesys. It would have been irresponsible to have a major fusion surgery and expected my mom to pick up the support duties and god forbid if something had went wrong. MY mom would have had a heart attack.
John