craftymom Cages at L5-S1 March 2004

[iSpine-Admin]

Originally Posted by craftymom on April 18, 2005

SURGERY DATE:03-17-04

AGE AT SURGERY DATE: 33

SURGEON: Micheal Higgins D.O.

SURGERY LOCATION/CLINIC: Fox Hospital (Oneonta NY) But he's moved to Tampa Florida

DEVICE(s), LEVEL(s): Cages at L5-s1

COST =??????
AMOUNT BILLED: I got one bill for $8,000 from assisting surgeon
INSURANCE ALLOWED: yes, covered by nofault
OUT OF POCKET: none
TRAVEL: 20 miles
EXPLANATIONS?

ONSET OF LUMBAR PROBLEMS, DATE OF INJURY, CAUSE, ETC...: date of this particular injury 3-28-03; mva, rear ended at, parked, no seatbelt.

PRIOR SPINE SURGERIES AND PROCEDURES (IDET, ESI, etc...): ESI, and discogram (OUCH!)

PRE-OP MEDICATIONS: ms contin, muscle relaxers, nsaids (vioxx), and otherstuff for other problems.

PRE-OP DIAGNOSTICS (discogram, nerve root blocks, etc...): discogram, emg, mri's (multiple)

PRE-OP NEUROPATHIES (what, where, & degree of pain, numbness, tingling, sexual/bladder/bowel symptoms, etc.): bladder disfunction, tingling, leg weakness, pain HIGH! Ironically my pain was worse on my left leg, most of my nerve damage on my right.

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): Burning pain (dx RSD later), Not able to work in many years due to another disability. Pain levels were crippling. Unable to do more than I could.

TIME POST-OP AT ORIGINAL POST HERE: 1 yr 1 month

DESCRIBE YOUR SURGICAL EXPERIENCE: Immediate improvement. Immediate decrease of pain, and increase in ability to ambulate. Compared to the pain I went in with, the pain of surgery was NOTHING. I did go on to herniate the disc above because of the fusion, recently.

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.

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.

FUNCTIONALITY: ___ SATISFACTION: ___ [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?]):functionally I was good at 6 weeks. I was walking, I was still in a back brace. So that stunk. I had some tingling still in my NOW right foot. Eh.. I can live with it. Pain meds are decreasing. My bladder issues are improving.

3 MONTHS POST-OP - DESCRIBE LIFESTYLE / PAIN / MEDICATIONS / NEUROPATHIES / ETC... (discuss surgery induced symptoms [leg pain?]): I'm a new person. I have the tingling some still, but am on topamax, and that's helping. Even with the burning, which has worsened some. Out of the brace, big increase in the quality of my life. Hating the bone stimulator at this point. I'm much more me than I've been in a year and a half. But have 4 more heniated discs (thoracic and cervical that are problems yet).

6 MONTHS POST-OP - DESCRIBE LIFESTYLE / PAIN / MEDICATIONS / NEUROPATHIES / ETC... (discuss surgery induced symptoms [leg pain?]): I'm aout the same as 3 months. Holding pattern.

1 YEAR POST-OP - DESCRIBE LIFESTYLE / PAIN / MEDICATIONS / NEUROPATHIES / ETC... (discuss surgery induced symptoms [leg pain?]): SOmethings going funky. My back hurts. MRI ordered. Time will tell. Tingling in both feet, and up to my chins. Lots of muscle spasms in my back. No injury. I've twisted a few times this winter... but that's bound to happen. It's NY, we get snow! Um... let's see. Um, I'm back having bladder problems. I'm really not happy. * update* my disc above the fusion has failed . I need either another fusion or IF I can find a surgeon to do it a ADR.

2 YEARS POST-OP - DESCRIBE LIFESTYLE / PAIN / MEDICATIONS / NEUROPATHIES / ETC... (discuss surgery induced symptoms [leg pain?]):
NOT there yet.

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

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

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

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

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

Waiting for an update from craftymom.