Replacement Spinal Disc Questions...

[bob4432]

W/out going into much detail, my spine is not doing too good and was wondering if anybody had any good/bad results with any type of the different types of synthetic spinal disc replacements? Also, did you have a orthopedic or neurosurgeon do the surgery?

Thanks in advance,
Bob

 

[DrDoug]

I had to have C5-6-7 fused over three operations, no synthetics unless you count the titanium plate and screws used in the second procedure. I had a chunk taken out of my hip for the first fusion but opted for a donor graft in the second. The second also required the plate and screws but I had to have a third operation to replace the screws and plate with thicker ones because I wore out the original ones. The doc couldn't believe it when I told him I was hearing a clicking noise in my neck that sounded like a hinge with loose screws...lol! Although the graft taken off of my hip was painful as hell I think it was the more successful procedure with the bone filling in much more quickly than the donor bone did (thus the use of the plate and screws to stabilize it as it filled). My surgeries were the result of a work injury (slipped/fell backward four feet into the hold of a boat, right on top of a V8 engine) but I have been diagnosed since with spinal degeneration.

If I may ask, why are you requiring surgery and have you got a second opinion on the matter? It's not something you want done unless absolutely necessary, especially if it's your lower back. Whatever it is, good luck and best wishes to you from someone who has been there.

 

[BoomerD]

Thankfully, I never had to have either a fusion or a disk replacement, but my neurosurgeon was talking about it at one time. (later decided there was too many things wrong on too many levels to fix with surgery)

Best of luck. Neither option is great.

 

[Chocu1a]

W/out going into much detail, my spine is not doing too good and was wondering if anybody had any good/bad results with any type of the different types of synthetic spinal disc replacements? Also, did you have a orthopedic or neurosurgeon do the surgery?

Thanks in advance,
Bob

I have been plagued with back problems since my late 20's(I am now 45). Due to lots of extreme sports and the injuries that come with them, I have severe disk degeneration. I have had disk herniation surgery, nerve blocks, took lortabs like candy & saw a chiropractor 3 times a week for almost 10 years. It had gotten to the point where nothing was helping and I was seriously considering fusing the vertebrae.
As a last ditch effort I bought an inversion table, thinking what the hell, it can't hurt. You know what? THAT worked. Now, I am not saying my problems have not gotten magically better, but I no longer take pain medication, only go to the chiropractor once a month now(and he is amazed at how well my back is doing, in fact he barely has to do any adjusting in my lower back), & I am able to go to the gym 3-4 times a week & have lost weight & built a strong core. I have also returned to working full 10-12 hour shifts. It has been over a year now, without any trips to the doctor or pain meds.
I say you can't lose anything in trying out an inversion table. The cost is minimal compared to the risk of surgery.

 

[stargazr]

I had a herniated disc that pinched a nerve. Had a discectomy. Over the next few years the disc smashed down to almost nothing left. I was given the option of either fusion or artificial disc. After some research, it seemed the disc replacement technology was not too good yet. I read many case histories of problems with them working loose etc.

So anyway, I went with the fusion (L5/S1). My back is now way more stable, but I still have issues. I can only work four days a week, and if I over-do it, nerve pain returns. It seems once your back goes, it will never be the same in most cases. Everyone's back problem is unique, and you need to be informed and make the decision of surgery yourself.

The fusion was back in 2008, so I haven't kept up on the technology now on disc replacement. OP, did a surgeon suggest this for you?

 

[Fritzo]

My wife is the poster-child for this surgery. Here's our story:

My wife was a police officer for 16 years. Back in 2003, she was taking a drunk lady to jail, and had to walk her up the steps at the courthouse. The drunk lady passed out, my wife went to catch her, and herniated 6 discs in her lumbar region.

After months of therapy and intense, debilitating pain, she had spinal fusion surgery. Keep in mind in most cases people do not qualify for disc replacement as it is only available for very specific types of conditions.

The spinal surgery limited her movement and appeared to cause some nerve damage. This lead to chronic pain, to which she was perscribed pain meds and steriods. Over long term use, pain meds lose their effectiveness, so you have to keep upping the dose and trying alternatives. At one point she was taking 800mg of oxycodone, percocet, and a couple drugs...pretty much making her sleep 16 hours a day. This and a combination of the steroids caused severe weight gain, which in turn caused swelling and even more pain. She was diagnosed with fibromyalgia (which is doctor speak for "we don't know what's wrong with you"), and she was given even more meds. She was up to 20+ pills a day.

This went on for a good 10 years or so, and we just figured she was going to end up dying from liver failure in her 50s. Then, two years ago, after a ton of research, we met up with a doctor that finally figured it out. He said the pain was initially from the spinal healing process, which can take years, but that subsided, and now she's just dealing with pain from swelling issues and side effects from medications! He prescribed medications they give drug addicts to ween them off of pain meds, and weightloss surgery.

It took a year for the doctor to convince the insurance company that the weightloss surgery wasn't for cosmetic reasons...it was needed to get rid of her chronic pain. If she can't move, she can't exercise, and she needs to exercise to drop body mass and build up muscle.

She had the surgery last year, dropped over 100 lbs, and since then has stopped all medications! She looks and feels great (hell...she looks HAWT!), and this year started working as a teaching assistant full time helping special needs kids. I got my wife back

So, my advice to take out of this experience: do not let doctors overprescribe medications, the surgery will not remove all pain immediately, and force yourself to keep moving to speed the healing process. Good luck!

 

[edro]

...

Wow! Congrats. Very uplifting story.

 

[lxskllr]

Been meaning to ask about the wife Fritzo. Glad to hear everything has been going well :^)

 

[John Connor]

About to have an MRI myself and possible back surgery I think it's just a herniated disc so if they can just shave it off with a laser or something I don't know exactly what they do.

 

[TeeJay1952]

Fusion.
Could not raise arm and push button at work. 2 years neck collar (before) 1 year lost to Soma. (What happened? I dunno, wasn't paying attention.)
Surgery with 4 weeks recovery and 100%.
20 years and one relapse that a single shot of cortisone fixed. Could not be happier.

 

[Fritzo]

Fusion.
Could not raise arm and push button at work. 2 years neck collar (before) 1 year lost to Soma. (What happened? I dunno, wasn't paying attention.)
Surgery with 4 weeks recovery and 100%.
20 years and one relapse that a single shot of cortisone fixed. Could not be happier.

They've really made a lot of progress with spinal fusion surgery in the last few years. It's a lot safer with less side-effects than it was 10 years ago. I think they started using bone cages instead of titanium and that made a huge difference in post-results.

 

[bob4432]

thanks for the info thus far, i will explain more tomorrow - down w/ a migraine today :thumbsdown:

 

[Linux23]

my friend had back surgery. he is in constant pain and abusing pain killers. so sad.

 

[Artdeco]

nevermind

 

[bob4432]

Some migraine meds took the edge off the migraine so I thought I would expound on my first post.

To those who have asked, here is a thread I put up 9yrs ago - http://forums.anandtech.com/showpost.php?p=20442308&postcount=1

Since that time other my back has worsened - disc bulging, tearing, compressed, degenerative disc disease, I believe all my discs show up as black on MRI w/ or w/out contrast which I was told meant they were dead, etc. I have been dealing with sciatica since the surgery 9yrs ago and have recently started having issues a bit lower in the S spine. I just now looked over my last MRI from 2014 and it lists L5/S1 issues. For those that know sciatica, when it hits, I call it getting hits by lightning bolts, down both legs to the bottom of my feet to the point you feel like your feet are going to explode. I interpret this, like I said as Lightning bolts, well lately I have been getting the Thunder, which feels like you get hit in the spine with a heavy sledgehammer in the S spine, just last night I was walking and it hit and literally stopped dead cold in my tracks for a couple of minutes, and this was not the first time, it was medieval.

The reason for my questions is for research. If you read in the link I gave, the 'other neurological issue' I have is Cervical and Thoracic Dystonia (Spasmadic Torticollis). So I have issues in the C, T, L & S spine and they are not getting better. Discs L2, L3 & L4 have either the whole or at least part of the back of the disc removed (laminectomy).

Also, my wife suffers from another condition that we have been told they will not operate on her until she cannot walk because if she becomes paralyzed after the surgery, she did not lose anything at that point.

@Linux23 - I can understand what you are going through, one of my best friends had 5 or 6 discs fused in the lower L spine, committed suicide in 2012, so I definitely understand the gravity that this takes. Hopefully your friend will get set up with a decent team of docs and get the medication abuse under control. I wish him all the best.

Bob

 

[Fritzo]

Been meaning to ask about the wife Fritzo. Glad to hear everything has been going well :^)

Thanks She's better than ever!