mdwong11 Prodisc, L5S1 September 2003

[iSpine-Admin]

Originally Posted by mdwong11 on October 30, 2003

SURGERY DATE:Sept 9, 2003

AGE AT SURGERY DATE:36 years young

SURGEON: Dr. James Zucherman

SURGERY LOCATION/CLINIC: St Mary's Hospital, San Francisco, CA

DEVICE(s), LEVEL(s): Prodisc, L5S1

COST =
AMOUNT BILLED:$76,000
INSURANCE ALLOWED:PPO insurance fixed amount
OUT OF POCKET: Still receiveing bills, max $6000
TRAVEL:none
EXPLANATIONS?


ONSET OF LUMBAR PROBLEMS, DATE OF INJURY, CAUSE, ETC...: I was in a car accident Oct 3, 1999. I am a dentist that was in full time practice before the accident. Just came back from Officers Training (Air Force) day before the accident.

PRIOR SPINE SURGERIES AND PROCEDURES (IDET, ESI, etc...): 2 epidurals, 1 set of facet injections

PRE-OP MEDICATIONS: Norco, Ultracet, Motrin

PRE-OP DIAGNOSTICS (discogram, nerve root blocks, etc...): Facet injections

PRE-OP NEUROPATHIES (what, where, & degree of pain, numbness, tingling, sexual/bladder/bowel symptoms, etc.): Moderate to severe low back and leg pain/burning.

PRE-OP CONDITION (Please include %leg pain/% back pain, pain levels, type of pain, ability to work and function, disability status, etc.... be direct, but be as verbose as you need to):
70% back pain 30% leg pain. The back pain was the predominant condition until Jan 2003. The back pain was casued me to be unable to practice dentistry. The sitting and or standing were unbearable. Everyday activities caused a lot of pain and my back would "go out" very easily and very frequently. I was unable to sit or stand comfortably for more than 30 minutes and was not able to walk for more than 20 minutes.
Leg pain began to really kick in in Jan 2003. Left leg became severely weaker than the right leg and there was constant pain.
Unable to practice and fighting with my private disability insurance company(they have not paid for over 2.5 years), we have lived off our savings and my wife working. Back pain has severly damaged my career and our lives together.

TIME POST-OP AT ORIGINAL POST HERE:

DESCRIBE YOUR SURGICAL EXPERIENCE:Surgery lasted 4 hours. Took a little longer than expected because visabilty was tough.
Surgeon was great, nurses were poor the first two days. Morphine was spilling on the floor and the nurse did not notice it. No pain meds directly after surgery for 8 hours.
Second day 103 temperature but nurse would not give Tylenol until 5 pm that day. First and second day nurses sucked. Got up for the first time.
Third to six days nurses were better. Began to walk down the hall with the physical therapists and then on my own. Felt fair upon discharge of hospital.

RATE FUNCTIONALITY / SATISFACTION AT INTERVALS BELOW:

FUNCTIONALITY:
SATISFACTION:

FUNCTIONALITY: _2_ SATISFACTION: 4
Seven WEEKS POST-OP]

FUNCTIONALITY: _2__ SATISFACTION: ___ [3 MONTHS POST-OP]

FUNCTIONALITY: ___ SATISFACTION: ___ [6 MONTHS POST-OP]

FUNCTIONALITY: ___ SATISFACTION: ___ [1 YEAR POST-OP]

FUNCTIONALITY: ___ SATISFACTION: ___ [2 YEARS POST-OP]

6 WEEKS POST-OP - DESCRIBE LIFESTYLE / PAIN / MEDICATIONS / NEUROPATHIES / ECT... (discuss surgery induced symptoms [leg pain?]):
Still significant leg and hip pain. Back pain is still present but not as severe. I am restricted to home and cannot drive because of the heavy narcotics. Taking 3 Norco in the morning and 3 Darvocet in the evening. Because of the distraction, legs are aching 24 hours a day. Little activity and no Physical therapy until symptoms are better.

3 MONTHS POST-OP - DESCRIBE LIFESTYLE / PAIN / MEDICATIONS / NEUROPATHIES / ETC... (discuss surgery induced symptoms [leg pain?]):

6 MONTHS POST-OP - DESCRIBE LIFESTYLE / PAIN / MEDICATIONS / NEUROPATHIES / ETC... (discuss surgery induced symptoms [leg pain?]):

1 YEAR POST-OP - DESCRIBE LIFESTYLE / PAIN / MEDICATIONS / NEUROPATHIES / ETC... (discuss surgery induced symptoms [leg pain?]):

2 YEARS POST-OP - DESCRIBE LIFESTYLE / PAIN / MEDICATIONS / NEUROPATHIES / ETC... (discuss surgery induced symptoms [leg pain?]):

Waiting for an update from mdwong11.