My Spinal Surgery Experience in the DR

@RockyM

Wow, what an experience and risk  you took, although calculated and as informed as possible.  I cant image what kind of cardiologist decides not to show up for your important appointment before surgery.  Wow wow.  But as you say, to be expected. Thanks for sharing such details.   I am Canadian although we dont have to pay out of pocket, we have to wait and wait and some people die while they are waiting.  Only very rich go elsewhere to have surgeries.  If you have cancer or serious heart issues, you will get treatment fairly quickly.  Everything else, just wait it out.  Hope your healing is going well and these new spinal disks work as expected.  How is your pain now?

Thanks!  I will message privately with some info for you Julia!

@RockyM
Wow, what an experience and risk you took, although calculated and as informed as possible. I cant image what kind of cardiologist decides not to show up for your important appointment before surgery. Wow wow. But as you say, to be expected. Thanks for sharing such details.  I am Canadian although we dont have to pay out of pocket, we have to wait and wait and some people die while they are waiting. Only very rich go elsewhere to have surgeries. If you have cancer or serious heart issues, you will get treatment fairly quickly. Everything else, just wait it out. Hope your healing is going well and these new spinal disks work as expected. How is your pain now?
-@Karin1

No nerve pain now whatsoever. Any back pain I have now is self inflicted. I have been working in the yard and on our roof. Very strenuous stuff, but all muscle pain.  So far I am very happy with the results. :0)

@RockyM

Do you still go to follow up doctors visit or any physical therapy?

@Karin1

Someone I know had same issue waiting and went from Canada to US for surgery.

@DRVisitor No physical therapy needed! He went back at two weeks (removed stitches), at one month, and scheduled at three months.  If I recall from our initial meeting with the surgeon, there will be follow ups at six and twelve months as well. We take advantage of the trips to the capital to do our PriceSmart, IKEA and other shopping!

As a follow-up.....I am doing great post surgery. This is four months after surgery and I have experienced no serious issues. My last post-op checkup with Dr. Perrone, two weeks ago, indicates the screws and pins are settling in nicely. My lower back is sore in the morning as I get out of bed, or when I lay flat for any period of time. Whether this soreness goes away in the future remains to be seen. Overall I am still very happy with the results.  David 

Glad to hear you are doing better. Only those  like myself who have had serious back problems like sciatica know how painful it can be. Wishing you continued healing. I'm thinking you had the surgery in DR. If you did you're either a very brave man or you had reached the point where you would do anything to get rid of the pain.🙏🙏🙏🙏

I am glad you are doing better.  I had a similar experience with herniated discs.  It took me two years after the surgery to move around freely without pain.  Be patient with the process.  Things will get better with the passage of time.  May God bless you.

Awesome Sir!

God is with you!!

@planner Please recommend an insurance agent I can buy Humano Max from?

That would be me. I have a large group and offer most Humano plans.  I will private message you.

Glad you are doing better

@planner

I think planners recovery had been more extensive than mine. Joint repair can be serious. They simply slapped a couple new spinal disks in me and off I went.   I can obviously vouch for the Humana plans she is managing.

I am still in aggressive physio, probably another two months. Worse part is they cut the tendon to my biceps!  Carumba that hurts and extends recovery by months. The rotator cuff issues healed beautifully!

No nerve pain now whatsoever. Any back pain I have now is self inflicted. I have been working in the yard and on our roof. Very strenuous stuff, but all muscle pain.  So far I am very happy with the results. :0)
   

    -@RockyM  Hello, I just came across this thread but it seems the initial post is not available. However, please correct me if I'm mistaken. I understood you had spinal surgery in the DR and now you no longer have nerve pain. Wow! I'm so happy for you because I know all too well the nerve pain associated with bulging disc / herniated discs. Could you provide the contact info of the surgeon who treated you? I would really like to schedule a consultation as your spinal surgery experience has given me hope.

Thanks 

@RockyM

Hello, I just came across this thread but it seems the initial post is not available. However, please correct me if I'm mistaken. I understood you had spinal surgery in the DR and now you no longer have nerve pain. Wow! I'm so happy for you because I know all too well the nerve pain associated with bulging disc / herniated discs. Could you provide the contact info of the surgeon who treated you? I would really like to schedule a consultation as your spinal surgery experience has given me hope.

where is the original post?

Hello everyone,

The opening post is here : https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=1017772

And the member was perhaps referring to surgery he needed in this post : https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.p … 42#5567473

Regards

Bhavna

@RockyM  Hi, I'm a bit confused about what you had mentioned regarding your spinal surgery. I've been suffering from lower back pain and sciatica for several years. I have done research over the years from people who had spinal surgeries just to see if the surgeries helped them get rid of the debilitating pain associated with their bulging discs / herniated disks.

The results post surgery vary according to the testimonials I've came across. I have come to understand each case is unique as there each individual has variable factors that come into play. There overall health, if they are obese, lifestlye, the surgeons experience and level of expertise, etc...

I've watched so many testimonials regarding lower back surgeries via youtube and the post-op comments recorded on the YouTube videos is truly incredible as some have had successful post-op results while others had absolutely no improvements in regards to getting rid of the nerve pains.

Now I also understand there are different methods to treat bulging discs / herniated discs as the youtube video testimonials show.

In your comments you I see you mention the surgeon implanted two discs in your spine. Then you also mention the surgeon also place screws and pins in your spine.

Here is where my confusion is. I'll explain. When artificial discs are implanted, the surgeon makes the inscicion in the abdomen if the herniated discs are in the lumbar spine.

Another method is called a spinal fusion where the surgeon makes the inscicion in the patients lower back if the herniated discs are in the lumbar spine. The surgeon nips away removing the bulging / herniated discs to relieve pressure off of the compressed nerve roots that are causing all the pain then the surgeon proceeds with implanting bone graph inside a small cage that is implanted in the middle in between the vertebra of the lumbar spine where the bulging / herniated disc was located. Usually the most common area for herniated discs is in the L4-L5 level of the lumbar spine. Also the L5-S1 level of the lumbarsacral spine. Then the surgeon implants the pins and screws to stabilize the lumbar spine while the bone graph inside the cage begins the fusion process of the two vertebra and that takes its time for the bone graph to grow and complete the fusion.

So, did you have artificial discs implanted where your inciscion was made in your lower abdomen where the artificial discs are anchored in between the vertebra or did you have a spinal fusion where the inscion was made on your lower back and the need for pins and screws implanted to stabilze the spine while the fushion takes it's course?

I'm asking you this question because like I mentioned, the post-op testimonials I've seen are all across the board, with both negative and positive results and so I'm looking to see which is a better option between having artificial discs implanted or spinal fusion.

I've seen both cases where the implanted articicial discs slip out of position and the patient needs revision surgery. Also patients with positive results with artificial discs.

On the flip side, I've seen patients do ok after spinal fusion and patients who would need revision surgery because the spinal fusion has caused the ajacent healthy discs to carry extra load and those discs which were healthy are now bulging /herniated and the patient need further surgeries to relieve the nerve pain caused by new herniated discs.

The fusion option makes me sceptical as the spine is design is to be flexible and not rigid and still which is what a spinal fusion creates, complicating things further down line as the adjacent dics below and above the fusion are now responsible to carry more weight beyond than they are designed capable of. This is where problems are created making matters worse.

As for artificial discs are concerned, I have come to believe the level of success or failure lies in the expertise of the surgeon making the implant. If the surgeon is not highly skilled with implanting the artificial discs correctly in between the vertebra the patient will probably suffer down the line as the artificial disc may slip out of position and the need for revision surgery may be necessary.

The flip side to articial discs vs spinal fusion is that the articial discs will mimic the function of a heathly disc and the adjacent healthy discs will not be affected in contrast to a spinal fusion.

That is only my opinion after several years of researching on the side lines if you will of patient testimonials post-op results from both types spinal fusions and artificial discs implant surgeries of the lumbar spine.

There are obviously more options than the two you mentioned. Rocky, my husband, had a laminectomy to relieve the pressure on his sciatic nerve and had two PEEK artificial discs inserted at L4/5 and L5/S1. His only incision was  in his lower back. He did not have a bone graph or fusion

I am certainly not a spinal surgeon, so I can only share my experience.  I cannot really offer any more than what I wrote in my original post, which is fairly comprehensive. Although, I suspect they performed a laminectomy because they went through the incision in my lower back, not through the abdomen, which probably carries other risks. 

All of these surgeries carry risk. The best path forward is to research and familiarize yourself with the various treatments, find a really good surgeon or surgeons, and weigh your options. A friend of ours just had a similar surgery with the same surgeon. He is doing very well, but delayed the treatment to such time that he had to be ambulanced (is that a word) to the surgeon in Santo Domingo. You don't want that.

And thankfully I am doing very well. I really have forgotten that I had the surgery, which is the outcome that we all want right 

Hi @RockyM

my son (34) is in Punta Cana and need spinal/back surgery asap   

in case Dr Perrone has a long wait….did you concider other doctors before you decided for him?

what hospital did Dr Perrone use in Santo Domingo?

how is your back now?   hope you are doing well   

thank you so much for all info 

how is your back now?   hope you are doing well   

    Hi @RockyM
my son (34) is in Punta Cana and need spinal/back surgery asap   

in case Dr Perrone has a long wait….did you concider other doctors before you decided for him?

what hospital did Dr Perrone use in Santo Domingo?

how is your back now?   hope you are doing well   

thank you so much for all info 

how is your back now?   hope you are doing well   
   

    -@Wenchesevland123

No, we did not consider any other doctors, which seems a bad idea, but we had several personal references for Dr. Perrone, reviewed his background, and felt confident with him.

The procedure was done at Clinica Abreau.

Yes, I am doing very well, thank you!  For the most part I forget I had any surgery 

Very good book about treating back pain:

"Back Mechanic" by Dr. Stuart McGill

@RockyM

thank you so much for answering so quickly.

I’m going to send this to my son.

Really appreciate it.

Glad to hear you are doing well.

@RockyM

thank you so much for quick responce.  really appreciate it.

i will send this info to my son.

glad to hear that you ate doing so well, hope my son will get that feeling too 🙏

@RockyM

I had an 8 level fusion done in the US, April of  2021. Pre insurance it was about $260k. I probably had another $50k in expenses the few years before in injections etc  I think we paid about $5k on the surgery. I was still on private insurance then.

Congrats to you for taking the plunge and getting it done. And for saving all that dinero. I hope you are continuing to do well.

*Right before I turned 65, we bought DR health insurance for me. Humano did make me sign a waiver. Anything related to my back is exempt.

Thanks, yes, I am doing great. You must have had great insurance.