chemong932 Prodisc L2-3 September 2004

[iSpine-Admin]

Originally Posted by chemong932 on October 26, 2004

SURGERY DATE: Sept. 14, 2004

AGE AT SURGERY DATE: 53

SURGEON: Dr. Bertagnoli

SURGERY LOCATION/CLINIC: Straubing, Germany

DEVICE(s), LEVEL(s):Prodisc, L2-3

COST = 17,985 Euros, plus travel expenses AMOUNT BILLED:
INSURANCE ALLOWED:
OUT OF POCKET: All of the above
TRAVEL:
EXPLANATIONS?


ONSET OF LUMBAR PROBLEMS, DATE OF INJURY, CAUSE, ETC...: Dec. 26, 2001. Woke with new symptoms, severe pain in left hip, behind both knees, above right ankle, constant urgency with incontinence, bowel and bladder. Weakness right leg. There was no apparent cause.

PRIOR SPINE SURGERIES AND PROCEDURES (IDET, ESI, etc...):

Five previous spinal surgeries:
1978: two herniated discs L4-S1, decompression
1985: repeat herniation L4-5, decompression
1985: fusion L4-S1 without instrumentation
1997: herniated disc L3-4, decompression
1998: spondylolithesis L3-4, fusion with pedicle screws

PRE-OP MEDICATIONS: Codeine Contin: 300 mg. per day
Codein Phosphate: 40 tablets per month for breakthrough pain, 30 mg. tablets
Clonazepam: two tablets at bedtime, .5 mg. tablets
Motrin: 400mg., three times daily

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

Three MRI's, two myelograms - artefact from fusion hardware made these less than optimal.
Electomyography.
Dr. Yeung, Phoenix, AZ, March, 2004, epidurography, ESI and discogrammes; he diagnosed IDD, grade 4 annular tears associated with wide lateral protrusion at L2-3 left and a posterior disc bulge.

PRE-OP NEUROPATHIES (what, where, & degree of pain, numbness, tingling, sexual/bladder/bowel symptoms, etc.):

Weakness right leg with foot drop, unable to walk any distance without limp and eventually increased pain.
Episodes of numbness and tingling both legs and above waist on left side, sometimes associated with postion.
Intermittent problems with bowel and bladder incontinence. Some episodes of not being able to pass urine for 12 hours or more. Mostly constant urgency. Last bladder episode, incontinence lasted about 4 hours.

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):

Back pain 40% at time of surgery. At onset of symptoms in 2001, there was no back pain. Leg pain, about 60% at time of surgery, was controlled by meds most of the time if I did nothing. Unable to walk any distance, or travel any distance; vibration of the car caused flare up. Unable to stand for extended periods of time, sitting was unlimited in one chair. Activity aggravated incontinence as well as pain and so I severely restricted activities.

TIME POST-OP AT ORIGINAL POST HERE:

6 weeks

DESCRIBE YOUR SURGICAL EXPERIENCE:
Dr. Bertagnoli and staff were very professional and very caring. The facility was excellent.
My recollection of the recovery is very poor. I think I was up the day after surgery. I was amazed that I had the full use of my right leg back and the leg pain was gone. A few days after surgery my legs and feet were quite swollen and I had one incidence of incontinence. The doctors took every precaution in case it was a blood clot. I went off diuretics for the surgery, perhaps it was some rebound reaction. The constant urgency was totally resolved, as well as the incontinence.
Very soon after surgery I was able to walk throughout the hospital, patient gardens and eventually the town square.

RATE FUNCTIONALITY / SATISFACTION AT INTERVALS BELOW:

FUNCTIONALITY:
1. Very poor: much worse... disabled after surgery.
2. Poor: worse after surgery.
3. Neutral: No improvement, or improvements offset by new problems.
4. Fair, some improvement, limitations are still serious.
5. Good, substantial improvement, some limitations.
6. Excellent: no limitations.

I have good, substantial improvement. I am still tired and have flare ups if I travel for more than a couple of hours in the car. Still need to lay down during the evening. My stamina is poor as far as energy goes, but after doing so very little for almost three years, I expect it will take time. Have been able to cut medication substantially.

SATISFACTION:
1. Very sorry I had the surgery.
2. Somewhat sorry I had the surgery.
3. Too soon to tell, or I'm ambivalent about the surgery.
4. I'm somewhat glad I did my surgery.
5. I'm very glad I did my surgery.

Satisfaction: 5

FUNCTIONALITY: 5___ SATISFACTION: _5__ [6 WEEKS POST-OP]

FUNCTIONALITY: ___ 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?]):

Walking is not a problem now, haven't found this to be limited at all. Foot drop and leg weakness is totally gone, as well as leg pain. There is still some leg symptoms that appear to be post op; my legs occasionally ache at night and sometimes my left hip and both thighs feel bruised. This is subsiding slowly and not present at all, for most of the day. The pre-op back pain is gone, there is a feeling of pressure at times, almost as though I am feeling the presence of the prosthesis - perhaps the bone healing? Back pain in some positions, mostly sitting or laying down associated with activity level. Still easily exhausted; again I would assume poor physical condition because of lack of activity for such an extended period of time.
Medication have been cut substantially, still taking pain meds in the evening and bedtime.

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 chemong932.