Utah Windriders Association

Greetings,

I know some of you have experience with Neuro and Orthopedic surgeons. I consider myself pretty expert
on low back spinal degeneration having lived with it (and 3 surgeries) since I was 20. The doc who did my
L5/S1 fusion (almost 17 years ago) was an excellent sports med doctor, but he's long dead. I've been through
all the current treatments including strengthening and stretching, PT, and injections, and my current doc is
talking more fusion, but having spent the recovery time previously (like 8 Months when I was 36)and
knowing that they are typically about 60% effective (which ain't great odds), I'm looking for an alternative with better odds.
We've looked at Microdiscectomy, Laser , and artificial disk replacement, and none of these appear (to my current doctor) to have good potential for success with my disk degeneration.

So, who's yur favorite neurosurgeon. I've got a fresh MRI and a pocket full of hope.

-Craig

Craig
Dr. Howar Reichman, of Provo, is the best. He worked on Steve Young and a number of my friends. Great guy, he will not bs you or promise the world. But when I have my back cut he is the guy.
Capt. Don

Craig,
(this is my 2nd attempt to reply - the first one disappeared - I think - if not, and this is redundant, sorry)...
My cousin Dr. Charles Rick is a neurosurgeon... I like him a lot. I've gone to him a couple a times, my Mom, my brother, etc. His Dad was a neurosurgeon... he seems to have a pretty good understanding of our "questionable habits" (windsurfing, skiing, etc.), when relating to back problems. If you decide to go to him, let me know beforehand, so I can call him and have him look for you. I'll also need to inform him how important it is to the 300 windriders in the area, that we keep you in good shape, otherwise many of us would wander aimlessly around the state looking for a breeze of some sort.
Take it easy,
John

Dr. Charles Rich
5169 Cottonwood St # 500
Murray, UT 84107-6770
(801) 507-9555

Hi Craig,

Interesting you post this as I sit in the Hospital with my wife after her recent Fusion surgery. After 21 years of back pain, 2 discectomys, increasing sciatic pain, left foot 2 numb toes, degeneration of multiple discs, my wife decided on AxiaLif for L5/S1 fusion L4 discectomy as well. (she is 41 yr old nurse and postponed fusion as long as possible) AxiaLif is one of the least invasive options available. A trans-sacral approach to lumbar surgery. We were all expecting one night stay at hospital, maybe 2 and walking comfortably after surgery. Unfortunately our expectations were not in check. She could not feel her legs immediately after surgery from just above the knees down, bilaterally. The doc was frantic with some immediate MRIs and brain scan for fear of stroke too. He said textbook surgery, all hardware/alignment in place, she did not have the extra screws for added support, just the screw through the middle of S1L5. Thankfully, after 12 hours, the numbness receeded to her ankles, and 24 hours later she can feel the tops of her feet, bilaterally. But very weak legs and no nerve flexion in both ankles still and it is day 6 since surgery. Only thing that showed up on the MRI was a hematoma near the area of surgery but not something that was compressing on nerves so they did not go in her abdomen to relieve any pressure this may have been causing. The doc says he has not seen this with any of his previous surgeries, Axialif or otherwise. So we are taking the approach of wait and see how things settle once swelling/trauma goes down. She has walked with leg/calf braces and walker for only short 2-3x day, 10-20 steps. Very difficult. So we are in PT extension in hospital worried that we made a wrong choice. But at the same time life was becoming too difficult with pain management choices so we knew we had to do something. THankfully she is not complaining of previous pain in sacral area/sciatic leg pain or areas of discectomy, just the super weak legs, no ankle flexion/numb on bottoms/sides of feet have us very concerned obviously.
After combing over websites for months and choosing carefully our Dr. and type of surgery, back surgery will ALWAYS have pros and cons. Some people find relief, for some it trades symptoms, for some it will never change.
I would give my back to my wife if I could! I feel for her and all that have to deal with NERVE/SPINE issues.
I hope you are able to find any relief as I have an idea of the pain/problems you deal with day to day.

Let me know if you want to know more about the surgery, or Dr's, or progress.

Hi Craig,
The above listed replies are certainly good, honest suggestions, but I'm sure you're to a point that you are willing to look at all angles, so you might consider these articles valuable, too. As we all know, because of Past President Bush's limitations on stem cell research, European medicine is way ahead of stem cell research in the USA. Here are a couple of articles that I was sent when I started having back problems...and you can certainly find more via a Google search for "stem cell back treatemets" or something similar. Obviously it isn't local and is very costly, but I have no idea how desperate or able to get treatment you are, so I just thought I'd make sure you were aware of the possibilities. I think many of us were born just a little too soon to take advantage of the advances being made, but the next generation should certainly have "back repair on demand" at reasonable cost.

http://www.xcell-center.com/treatments/ ... agodg3skoQ
http://www.physorg.com/news84113927.html

Please note that the second article talks about "next year..." but it was written in 2006
Best Wishes and Good Luck.
Rick McClain

Craig, I heard a report on NPR a few weeks ago about the usefulness of fusion treatment. I am not sure if that's the same type of treatment you got. But here is the report:
http://www.news-medical.net/news/200908 ... tment.aspx

When I was a kid, I slept on a very unstable bed and developed a really bad back. As luck has it, I got into a car accident (if you could call it luck) and I got a whiplash that sent me to a chiropractor for treatments. He looked at my entire spin and saw not just the whiplash, but the problem at my lower back. I have regular chiropractic care regularly and goes to massage regularly now. I can tell you that my lower back is much better than it was when I was teenager. There are also other non-evasive treatments like acupunture. These type of treatments usually takes a little long to see the effectiveness. But the end result is much more long lasting because it is more than just treating the symptom.

Craig - I feel for you. Nothing worse. I am inches away from fusion myself. I work with neuro's and ortho's professionally and personally and the suggestions so far are essentially spot on. I do disability law and of that specialty I sub-specialize in failed back syndrome patients so I see the worst of the worst for the last 20 yrs (so I can esp. tell you who NOT to go to!!). First, go to a neuro, NOT AN ORTHO. Second, do not do any of the alternative surgeries out there, none of the them are proven... artificial disc, the cage, etc... If you ABSOLUTELY need a fusion then that's what you get. Third, dr's that won't tell you you need a surgery b/c they need a new car are:
1. Mark Reichman or his bro Howard Reichman, both equally good and both rippin skiers/athletes
2. Robert Hood
3. Yes, Charles Rich is good but his partner Mark R. is even better.
This is the short list. If your ins. doesn't cover these guys, let me know. Let me know before you go if you want to know who NOT to go to too... (fortunately, that's a short list too).

Hey Brian, I sent you a PM, maybe you could PM me back if you have time.

thanks,

-Craig

Brian Kelm wrote:Craig - I feel for you. Nothing worse. I am inches away from fusion myself. I work with neuro's and ortho's professionally and personally and the suggestions so far are essentially spot on. I do disability law and of that specialty I sub-specialize in failed back syndrome patients so I see the worst of the worst for the last 20 yrs (so I can esp. tell you who NOT to go to!!). First, go to a neuro, NOT AN ORTHO. Second, do not do any of the alternative surgeries out there, none of the them are proven... artificial disc, the cage, etc... If you ABSOLUTELY need a fusion then that's what you get. Third, dr's that won't tell you you need a surgery b/c they need a new car are:
1. Mark Reichman or his bro Howard Reichman, both equally good and both rippin skiers/athletes
2. Robert Hood
3. Yes, Charles Rich is good but his partner Mark R. is even better.
This is the short list. If your ins. doesn't cover these guys, let me know. Let me know before you go if you want to know who NOT to go to too... (fortunately, that's a short list too).

Craig,
The neurosurgeon that did my back was James C. Pingree. He did a great job and I would go back to him in a heartbeat. He fixed the right side of my back to where there is no pain at all. I just wish there was something they could do to the left side. Dr. Pingree is young and energetic. He went to school with my family doctor and was known as a super sharp student. I have nothing but praise for him.

Good luck.
Ken