CD-Horizon

[fischotter]

Hello,

i am new here in this forum and i want to tell you my story. I live in Germany and had fromm 2003-2006 4 Operations witm implantion von Th3 to L3. The first 3 Metall implants i had in my back, broke. so i had a forth OP with something made by CD-Horizon. The problem i have is, about 4 years ago, one year after the last OP, my backside started to hurt me. the time went on and the pain got worser. At the time i have a fentanyl µ75 plaster on my body and after the last visit i was told to take µ100 fentanyl. i don´t want to do that. has anybody areason why i have got such problems?
I need help ti get away from the drugs.

thanks

peter

[jsewell]

Hi i wanted to welcome you . Glad you posted. I'm afraid my back has been in such bad shape and i do not know why either. I too have had many back surgeries and am fusing (they were recent surgeries) from C4 thru L-2. I am still on narcotics and have been for over 3 years.
Others more qualified may ask you more questions and have some help for you or can lead you in the right direction
judy

[dshobbies]

Welcome to the forum fischotter,

I think it's quite rare that an implant actually breaks and you had all 3 break? Now you have what can be described as sciatica pain.

I'm assuming your 4 surgeries were single implants, 1 level at a time. Your last surgery was to replace the previous 3 implants? Who did your surgeries? Did the same doctor do all of them?

Regardless, it's time to get another opinion. Radiating pain can be caused by something touching your spinal cord. The pain actually comes from the nerve which is in your back. If something irritates this nerve, you'll feel the pain in your buttocks, down your legs, in your feet, etc. Relief can only come when the pressure is taken off that nerve, so your doctor has to find out why this is happening.

Obviously, he hasn't explained this to you and hasn't looked for the cause. Find a doctor who will investigate the cause. Covering your pain with drugs does nothing to find out why you have this pain in the first place and 4 years without a diagnosis is too long.

Let me also add that once the source of this pain is discovered, there may or may not be something that can done to fix it but you should still try to find out what is causing this specific pain.

Good luck and please keep us posted, Dale

[fischotter]

Hello,
my 4 Op`s were in 3 different German Hospitals. The first 3 OP´s were OK, although they broke. There was no one who was able to tell me why the broke. before the forth OP, i was told they would use a new sort or implant. after about one year the problems startet. I have been about 7 times to look up the problems. first the doctors where very happy to to something and after a short time they had no intrest any more. they gave me more drugs and sent me home.

ciao

Peter

[fischotter]

Hello,
after i wrote to the last hospital where i was operated, they wrote back to me taht they used material from medtronic. they wrote also that they didn´t use cd-horizon. i wrote back to them that cd-horizon was a product of medtronic. i haven´t received an answer.
Now, i have got a date in the Muenster uni-hospital.

Ciao

Peter

[jsewell]

Hello Peter,
Is the date at the hospital with a new doctor to evaluate the pain? I wish you good luck with this and make sure you let us know what happens.
My daughter-in-law to be lives in Germany. I need to find out from my son exactly where. I only know it is a small town and she flies to visit from the Frankfurt airport. I hope someday to visit your country if i can stay out of the OR and my back can stay in control!
judy

[fischotter]

Hallo Jsewell,
thank you dor your mail. I have got a date in the Uni-Clinic Münster, here in germany. it is not possible for me to get a date earlyer. But they told me to phone up every friday to check if somebody cancelled his date.

Let me wait and hope that something happens.

Ciao

Peter

[Maria]

Hi Peter,
First of all let me say welcome to this forum and sorry you're experiencing the probs you are.

I'm wondering what diagnostics show in terms of pain generators such as myelograms, discograms, MRIs, CT scans and such.

Then I'm thinking (uneducated opinion here) that anyone with such a degree of surgerized spine may have offset the natural balance of things and have pain that is just mechanical/structural in nature due to surrounding structures having to adjust.

I may be way off there though my own experience has been that my L5S1 was operated on and then L4 was operated on. For a long time after that I had quite a lot of pain and differing types. I was told too much disc was removed at L4 making my spine more unstable but not enough for a fusion (was told I could have a 3 level global fusion 8 years later or two level ADR 11 years later or hybrid surgery 13 years later). Anyway I just think that one surgery often begets another or more problems.

Not with everyone I'm sure and there are of course reasons why people have pain/probs and some can be taken care of successfully and are and some maybe not.

I didn't want to chance the maybe not again so I just stuck with no more surgery to date. I live on low dose pain medication although have stopped taking a med that I took for 12 years (Neurontin) and am doing better.

In the scheme of knowing anything revelent to your particular case however I know nothing so the one person here that could probably help you the most would be Mark. I would speak to him.

GPN Artificial Disc Replacement ADR

Or pose a question to him here or hopefully he'll reply to your thread. There are others that are knowledgable as well that can give you better direction. I'm just "supposing" as they would say in English.

Good luck w/upcoming consults! Please keep us posted.

[jsewell]

Peter,
What is the date you have? I want to be sending good thoughts your way.
judy

[fischotter]

Hello,

10 days ago i sent an email to the german medtronic office. I havn't got an answer from them. I don't know why they are not answering but i think there is someting wrong with their Implants.

ciao
Peter

[jsewell]

I am sorry they have not answered you yet. Maybe they need a little more time, i know how very frustrating this can be.
Hope you hear from them
judy

[fischotter]

Hello,
the german Medtronic answered my email, but there nothing for me and my implant. Next Tuesday i have an apoitment with new skloiose Doctor. I am intrested what he is ging to say about my implant and problems.
I have a date in Münster, a University clinc specialy for skoiose. I have no chanche to miss it, even if somebody tells me to do it.

Thanks

Peter

[jsewell]

Hi I'm glad medtronic did reply to you although it was of no help. Good luck with the other appointments. Let us know what they say . good luck
My German daughter-in-law to be is coming to visit tonight.
judy

[fischotter]

Hello,

today i had a date with a new sskoliose doctor. I was surprised when he said to me that anyting that has been found or done by other doctors did not interesst him. He wanted to find his own on my body. He found out that a screw of my implant was loose. He also asked what type of sports i do. I told him that the other doctors did not allow me to do such things because my implants may break. That did not intrest him. He told me that he had 3 Jobs for me to do.
He wants me to go in a sportsstudio, to use a tensmachine on my back and he wants to do akupunture on me.
i was not very happy as he said that nothing intrests me, what other doctors have found or done.

Ciao

Peter

[dshobbies]

I think he was trying to tell you that he didn't want what other doctor's have said to influence his own diagnosis. He wanted to see you with completely untainted eyes. This is a good thing.

However, your comfort level is important and if you don't like him, you don't like him.

Just to let you know, acupuncture helped me more than I ever thought it would. A lot -

Good luck in whatever you decide is in your own best interest.

Dale

[fischotter]

Hello,
today i had a Termin in the Uni-Klinik in Münster/Germany. The Doctors where very intrested to see my back. the first thing he said, was that there where not enough screws for the length of my implant. Then he said the last part of the spine would proberly not in good condition and a screw my be broken.
Now i have new date on the 29.8. and ihave to get a complete CT and MRT from my complete spine.
I hope i can manege it all.
Then they are going to tell me if i have 5th operation.
ciao

Peter

[dshobbies]

Hopefully these upcoming tests will give you a confirmed diagnosis with which you can then decide what comes next.

Funny how we all seem to manage with what we have and you'll be fine doing whatever you to. You really have no choice!

Please let us know what these tests show.

Dale

[jsewell]

Peter you will manage some how as Dale said. We all do. I just had my 6th spine surgery myself and always hope it is the last.
Good luck to you and let us know what all the results are.
judy

[fischotter]

Hello,
yesterday i had a check in the Uniklinik Muenster. 2 weeks they spoke about an operation. This time they spoke abut everything but not the Op. Last week i had a MRT mad of my complete spine. After the MRT the Doc said to mei had a light disc herniation in L5-S1 and there were some more disc's that where not O.K.. In Muenster The Doc said, everytjing is O.K.. I asked him if he had read the letter from the MRT. He answered nothing. Then a female Doctor came in and asked me when i had my last Op and when the pain started. Also why didn't trust the other Klinik. I answerd to her, 2006 and the pain started one year later. Also i do not trust the other klinik because i do not want to drink Tramal. The only reaction was tht she spoke with to the other doc and said if whe call him for 3 days into hospital. then we can look. Then she spoke about the costs to the health insurance. then she said how they would explain then to them.
i asked them what they wanted to do. she told me something of Infaltration. I know what that is and i asked if they wanted to do that. They said no and want to use somekind of instruments to find the cause of my pain.
I am not amused about them.

ciao

Peter

[dshobbies]

Peter,

I'm not sure I followed this last post completely but the question is, are you satisfied with what your doctors are telling you? The simple answer is no.

You have every right to expect your doctors to be honest with you. When you're not satisfied, you have the right to demand answers. If a doctor avoids answering your question, ask it again and ask why he is avoiding answering? Don't be afraid to put your doctor on the spot - it's your body and you want to know what is happening.

If one doctor tells you everything is OK and another says different, ask why. Ask as many questions and as many times as is necessary for you to understand. You can't make an important decision based on conflicting information so until you know what's going on, sit there and insist on answers. Don't settle for less.

Dale

[fischotter]

Last week i was in a hospital and the doctors used infiltration to localize the beginning of the pain. Thea found it in L5/S1. Now i have the 5. Op in the waiting line. They told me that i will be operated in 6 Months and my implant will be a bit longer, from L3 to the new one- L5/S1.

That is the result of one week in Hospital. My doctor at home said to me he doesn't know wht he wants to wish me. A nice and qick Op or not to do it.

So i have now 6 months to wait and then i hope i can get of the Morphium.

Thanks

Peter

[dshobbies]

Peter,

If I read correctly, your doctor wants to put an ADR at S1/L5. I think what you call infiltration might be what we call discography. Regardless, is this what you want and do you trust in your doctors? Also I wonder why you have to wait 6 months? I can understand a backlog on the doctors part but 6 months does seem just a bit unreasonable.

I guess if you're happy with the diagnosis and doctor, then you can go ahead with this surgery. If not, I suggest still another opinion. This is your choice but you should definitely trust in whoever is operating on you.

Keep us posted, Dale

[fischotter]

Good Morning,

the waiting time in the Uni-Klinik Münster is normally 10 months. i can wait the 6 months because the i have the problems since 5 years and can wait the short time. the Doctors have a big problem to operate my spine. when i was in a MRT the doctor said to me: what have you got a terrible spine!
All the doctors i have been to, wanted to operate. But when they looked deeper into the documents and pictures i gave to them, said to in the next visit: no, we can not operate you.

So i am happy now tht i have a real chanche to have my spine repaired.

ciao

peter

[dshobbies]

In that case, we're happy for you and the 6 month wait will go by fast enough. I do hope you have the proper meds to take care of the pain until then.

So good luck when the time comes and please, let us know what happens.

Dale

[fischotter]

Hello,
My Operation has been cancelled for the second time by the doctore in Münster. the doctor called my up on the phone and said to that they did not want to operate me. This was said to with giving me a reason. Isaid to the doctor that it was the second time that they cancelled the Op. Isaid severate thiongs to him and he said it was in the File. I said told him things what have been told to me and he said to me that wasn't correct and then i said to him where else should i have heard it as here. No answer from him. He made me very angry and after a short time i hang up.
yesterday i wrote a mail to the hospital und wrote that they can close my case. After 30 minutes i got an answer with the text, why i want to to that and what was the reason. I wroze everything that was done wrong by the doctors and i sent it back. then i became an answer that my mail was sent to the complaints department. the action of me to the Hospital in Münster has have been stopped.On Tuesday next week i have a date with my doctor
and to talk how the story is to be continued.
Ciao
Peter

[jsewell]

Peter i am so sorry to hear that your operation has been canceled again. Please do keep in touch because now i want to hear what your doctor says.
judy

[dshobbies]

Peter,

The only positive is that your surgery wasn't scheduled for a long time and you hadn't prepared yourself for surgery yet. My first surgery was cancelled with one week to go and all my pre-op tests completed. It was quite a let down, getting myself mentally prepared and then, nothing (insurance reasons).

We'll wait for your next chapter. Good luck,

Dale

[jsewell]

As Dale mentioned , i also had a surgery cancelled at the last second, it was the day before the surgery, my doc decided he did not want to do the surgery as there was someone better in Los Angeles to do it. I cried a lot and had to wait about 4 more months in pain.
But it did eventually happen. I almost forgot the story, i have so many
judy

[fischotter]

hello,
it is a long time ago that wrote in here, nothing futher has happened. the only thing that has changed ist, that hat to take up 400 drops of tramal for my pain. as it didn`t work any more, the doctor changed my fenanyl stuff to morphium tabletts. i now take targin 40 tabletts twice a day.

next week i am going to call up the berlin charite to get a termin. they told me before that a get a termin in a week, not like other hospitals in 2-4 months.

i can not wait to hear what they say to my problems. i wonder if they know the problem of cd-horizon.

when come back from the talk in berlin. i will let you know about it.

thanks

Peter

[jsewell]

Peter
It is good to hear from you again. I am anxiously waiting to hear of your next meeting . Good luck in getting this pain taken care of.
judy

[fischotter]

Hello,
today i called the Charite in Berlin for a termin there. I got one for 29.3. I hope i do not get 5th No for an OP. I had a MRT made and the doctor said to me that my spine was a wreck. he also told me zat nothing was different to the last MRT made in november last year. I told about the Implant called back in the USA. He said USA and Germany ar different countries. In the USA it ist easier to call back things. In germany is very difficult because there are tomany people who have to decide over such things and i will not have a chance to have the implant changed.
so my last hope is the hospital in berlin. I will report what happend when i am back.
thanks

Peter

[jsewell]

Good Luck when you go to Berlin . I will be thinking about you,
judy

[fischotter]

hello,
have a moderate-band disc problems, which lies at C6/C7. This pushes a prolapsing to the third spinalkanl. I will operate at 15.05 and the two stiffened invertebrates.
This is the latest of my spine.
The doctor has told me the wirbelsüle would operate only disadvantage for me and I should think about the good, but he would not recommend to me ..
ciao

Peter

[jsewell]

Did i understand correctly that you are having surgery on May 15th. But the doctor did not recommend it?
Let us know
If it is the 15th I wish you the very best of luck for your surgery and the very easy recovery.
judy

[fischotter]

Hello,
the op i have on the 15. may is in my neck. the doctor didn´t want to op by back. he told me, if they do it, i would not be able to move easy because i would be stiff from the top to the bottom of the spine.

Ciao

peter

[jsewell]

Peter i am fused from C4 thru L4 and know the stiffness that is for sure. Good luck with your neck surgery. Post as soon as you can after to let us all know how you are feeling
judy

[fischotter]

Hello,
I had pain in the back, I went to Berlin at the Charité hospital for examination. there I was told the move is not operated on because the life for me would otherwise not worth living. Then came the doctor on my neck to talk to. I was at a moderate to C6/C7 intervertebral disc prolapsing of the spinal canal in the half pressed.
was at 22.5. then removed and a cage of medtronic. This was months ago 4 prolapsing not yet visible.
After the op I told the doctor would have a slight incident on C5/C6, and it was not necessary to be operated on.
It is not easy to live with a broken back.

bye

peter

[jsewell]

Peter,
It is good to hear from you. I always am wondering about people who have posted.
I am not sure i understood all of your post. I do know you had surgery on your neck a few months ago. I hope that has taken care of pain in that area. I know my first neck surgery did take care of pain for me.
But you still have back pain. Is it lower back?

I understand how you feel about living with a broken back, i am in the same situation. Mine is almost all fused and now , typical , the next lower level has lots of problems and i have 2 compression fractures too.
I will be having more surgery some time this summer.

Keep in touch and let us know how your neck is feeling and what is wrong with the rest of your back,
thanks,
judy

[fischotter]

Hello,
my doctor said to me, that he was going to send me in tree months to make an MRT. He said that the old one has grown in 4 months and he means that the other one would grow fast as the other one. the picture added is from my neck.

Bye

peter

[fischotter]

What does your Question mean? My neck belongs to my spine and has also the same Problems.
If you mean the image, there you can see how the spinal canal was sqeezed trough the disc. you can also see the next disc which is beginning to sqeeze the spinal canal. This disc is going to checked in 4 months.
Ciao
Peter