Success after 3 years of suffering

[Keano16]

Miracle in Croatia... Doctor Robert Saftic, spinal neurosurgeon from neurosurgical clinic Vertebralis returned life to my mother after almost 3 years of suffering.

After traditional discectomy and three minimally-invasive procedures, less invasive version of transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) returned life to woman that spent almost 3 years in bed.

Success looks like this:



Kind regards from Croatia.

p.s.
If you are interested in whole story, you can look my link bellow:
Spine surgery in Croatia - A true patient success story

[mmglobal]

Roberto, thanks for posting. I like to see the fusion successes. Too many patients looking for ADR really need a fusion and don't understand that a fusion may represent their best hope. I hope to hear that your mother continues to do well. Please keep us posted.

Mark

PS. I deleted your duplicate post but will put the larger versions of your pictures here. They really show the fusion and the growing fusion mass. The dots on the a/p (front/back) view are radiographic markers put into the cage because it's made of radiolucent materials.

[Keano16]

Yes, the fusion proces has obviously started. As you can see carbon cage position is not ideal, but this do not influence on the outcome of the surgery.

[Maria]

Keano,
Wishing your Mom the best with continuing recovery and very glad to hear she did so well with her fusion!

My L5S1 has autofused (tho my OSS says there's still enough movement to give me pain at times) and has alleviated a great deal of the pain I used to experience tho I don't know if I can be that hopeful or wait that long for L4 and L3/4 (L5S1 surgery in '89).

So yeah.. it's super great to hear of someone with an excellent fusion result! Long live that success (and of course kudos to the surgical expertise!)!

[mmglobal]

Roberto, how is your mom doing? I hope the news is good!

Mark

[jim77xlh]

I've been told that I need a 3 level cervical fusion and told I need to do it as soon as possible to avoid potential permanent nerve damage, and not regain current lost use of my left arm. I was surprised to see Mark's post about sometimes needing fusion instead of ADR. When is this the case? From what I've read, it seems that ADR is always preferable. My surgeon is "annoyed" that I cancelled the fusion surgery scheduled for September 7th and just gave me a hard sell this morning in his office. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Jim

[Keano16]

Originally Posted by mmglobal

Roberto, how is your mom doing? I hope the news is good!

Mark

Hi, she is doing pretty fine. We made follow-up MRI and X-Ray last month and images look great. Of course, considering how many surgeries and trauma she had, her spine does not look like my own.

She has some strange left leg and left lower-back pain. We believe its caused by left screw and we plan to diagnose that with intraforaminal infiltration in left side at left screw site.

Thanks for asking, all best.

[Keano16]

Just little update.

THIS IS A MIRACLE!!!

Please don't think people with 5 back surgeries and failed back surgery syndrome will ever have pain-free life.

However, my mom's case is true miracle and art made by doctor Robert Saftic (did I said thank you hundred times already?!)... When comparing her pre-fusion state and current state, there is huge difference. Now, she really has her life back. She is out few times a day, we receive a lot of guests, she attends all birthday parties, regularly goes to church, daily routine is here, house work is done.......... Thank you God and dr. Saftic for this miracle!

Regards,
Roberto.

[Hooch]

Wonderful news for your family.

[dshobbies]

Any success story brings hope to so many others. Glad your mother is doing well and thanks for posting.

[Maria]

So glad to hear your Mom is pain free! How incredible/wonderful! Thanks for taking the time to post the update!

[mmglobal]

Keano, thanks for keeping us up to date. Fusion successes often get lost in the patient forums that have such a high degree of focus on motion preservation technologies. Many patients develop an irrational fear of it and will not consider it, even when it is their best option. Like all spine surgeries, there are many successes and failures out there and none should be undertaken lightly.

Stories like you mom's will help others to make an informed choice, understanding that failures are way over-represented on the internet.

I hope to hear of her continued success. As I've said before, you deserve a lot of credit for the way you researched and learned what you needed to know to help her to make the best choice.

All the best to you and your family. I hope we get to meet soon.

Mark

[Maria]

Keano,
I have noticed in the last few years I'm reading more good outcomes for fusions even multi level on the forums that I have frequented.

Not sure if this represents better surgical techniques overall in last few years or just people understanding the importance of returning to forums they once frequented as "back pain" people and returning to post their successful outcomes and not just failures.

Whichever I'm thankful people take the time to let others know of successful outcomes. It's even somewhat more impressive to hear of that in an older person with multiple previous surgeries!

It does sound pretty miraculous though re your Mom's case and most definately just plain wonderful! Hats off to the surgeon re his surgical skills and your Mom re her recovery!

[Keano16]

Hi Maria and others,

I think that the key for fusions success is a STRICT AND PRECISE indication for surgery.

Recently, my friend had PLIF fusion for his big disc extrusion. At first I though "How can surgeon be that crazy and do PLIF for disc extrusion?". And now when I see him completely pain free I must admit that its obvious that PLIF was indicated and performed at high level.

I want to encourage all people who have been recommended a fusion surgery not to reject it immediately. If you have big problem, if you have tried all other minimally-invasive treatment options like laser, endoscopy, interspinous technology (depending on your diagnosis) and if your surgeon suggest fusion don't look at that like on end of the world.

Regards!

[mmglobal]

IMHO, artificial discs forced the medical community to do a better job of correctly diagnosing the pain generators, rather than just treating the levels that looked worse on imaging. The demands of remobilizing the system are greater and do require much more accurate diagnosis. (Read this as embracing discography!)

The increased accuracy of diagnosis for ADR has had benefits in fusion technology as well... better diagnosis means more successful surgeries... or less failures.

Off the soap box now...

Mark

[cherylstewart67]

Originally Posted by jim77xlh

I've been told that I need a 3 level cervical fusion and told I need to do it as soon as possible to avoid potential permanent nerve damage, and not regain current lost use of my left arm. I was surprised to see Mark's post about sometimes needing fusion instead of ADR. When is this the case? From what I've read, it seems that ADR is always preferable. My surgeon is "annoyed" that I cancelled the fusion surgery scheduled for September 7th and just gave me a hard sell this morning in his office. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Jim

i guess it depends on what is the need for the surgery. if you have ddd then fusion will most likely not help. it may lead to more ddd because of the stress. if it is from an injury fusion may be better. not every case is the same as we all know. wolfs law states that the stress from the fusion can lead to other levels going out later. i am having sever issues. i had 2 level fusion with bone plate and screws then peek cage at another level. now my levels above and below thatare shot. i am having sharp stinging pain in my hands and now face pain from the stress on my cranial nerves. my c 2/3 is nto supporting my head very well.

[dshobbies]

Deteriorating facets joints will also cause a contra-indication for ADRs. They will not relieve your pain and will more than likely cause further facet damage.

[Maria]

Jim,
Not everyone is a candidate for ADR and fusion is still an option for some who for whatever reason fall into the category of needing it so there have been a number of threads in the last few years w/people reporting successful fusion surgeries even multi level.

In my own case there was a time I was a candidate for ADR at several lumbar levels but I let that time pass and surrounding structures are no longer what they should be (facets) for an ADR to be performed. Fusion is still an option should I want to go there. If my symptoms warrented this and I would consider it or if it's all that's available to me and thought to be what would correct the problem in the hands of a talented/gifted surgeon coming highly recommended.

I think Mark has acknowledged before (a number of times) that sometimes fusion is the right surgery for the right reasons.

What's your status with recommendations? Are you seeking more opinions to validate what you've been advised to do thus far? Hope whatever you choose to do will work for you. Keep us posted.

[Keano16]

17 month follow up. Pains are stable 2-3/10 which could be related to fusion level (L3-L4) or any other degenerated level. My mom is happy with current situation!

Follow-up X-Ray shows "solid fusion" (quoting dr. Saftic and dr. Zeegers).



Click for full resolution image!

[Keano16]

Important discovery by our team.

Thanks to my research and kind and friendly involvement of dr. Robert Saftic (Vertebris International Spine Hospital Croatia) and dr. Peter Hajek (Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, UK) we are on a breach of important discovery for patients suffering from chronic constipation after spinal fusion surgery.

As you may know, some studies show that smoking is slowing bone healing and obviously fusion process, and because of that some spinal surgeons advise patients to stop smoking just before spinal fusion surgery to increase chances of successful outcome of fusion process.

Under guidance of me and dr. Saftic, my mom stopped smoking in March 2010 (just before fusion surgery) and developed severe and chronic bowel constipation. Only solution to get bowel out was irrigation or enema device.

After tons of tests (and I really mean tons!) with neurosurgeons, neurologists, orthopedists, anesthesiologists, radiologists, internists we came to dead end - NO SOLUTION FOR CHRONIC CONSTIPATION which we though is related to spinal fusion.

Few days ago, I've found two studies (one from French group, one from UK group) which state that in 1 of 11 patients (based on 1000 from that study) can develop sever bowel constipation following stopping smoking. After finding this study, I bought my mom Nicorette gums and box of cigarettes and after 2 days (with just one morning cigarette) she produced bowel movement and first feeling of her intestines in past year and a half.

Maybe this will be helpful to some of you in future!

[Maria]

Hi Keano,
Interesting. Made me recall my coffee and cigarette days pre and post surgeries tho pre use of opioid medicine. I have chronic constipation if I don't take (currently) 4 Senakot-S q.p.m. and Miralax 17gm q day.

Maybe Nicorette would be cheaper and as effective. Wonder if there's any adverse long term effect from use of this (as Senakot S supposedly makes the colon walls darker/black so was recommended by GI doc not to take but it works so I continue!)!!

Glad to hear your Mom is "going" as this seems to be a common natural occurence with many as they age and adding a contributing factor just seems to really clog up the pipes which can be quite distressing and painful!

[dshobbies]

Who ever thought nicotine could actually be good for you

Regardless, I'm glad your mother has found relief. I remember those early days, after my surgery when constipation was a huge problem. I thought I'd never be normal again!

Dale

[Keano16]

Then imagine how she felt after 17 months of constipation.....

[jbcool35]

Nice x-rays. That's exactly what mine looks like only at L5/S1. Glad she is in good shape and it all turned out good for her.