Artificial Cervical Disc (daily basis, pain, hernia, couch potato)

[Mikala43]

DH has had neck pain and reduction in movement for several years, and the doctor is recommending his discs be replaced with Prestige LP Cervical Disc System.

Has anyone had this done and what were your results?

[Texas Ag 93]

I want to say there's a poster who's had it done and/or a few posters who know people who've had it done. Hopefully, they'll turn up and comment. I think use of the artificial discs for cervical is fairly common now, more so than lumbar.

I think......I could be wrong about this, though. Just trying to recall things I read and questions I asked my own spine surgeon when I was going through my lumbar discectomy journey.

[purehuman]

artificial discs are absolutely grand compared to a fusion.
Where I live the technology is there but the ancient fusions are still the standard.
the artificial motion preserving discs are reserved for athletes and very healthy people here, though it's only because we're so far behind the times .Many people fly to Germany for their artificial discs and facet joints.
I dearly wish I had the same opportunity/treatment being offered to me as what's being offered to your husband...he's one of the lucky ones....
Don't do it unless ones suffering a lot of pain though

[Mikala43]

Originally Posted by purehuman

artificial discs are absolutely grand compared to a fusion.
Where I live the technology is there but the ancient fusions are still the standard.
the artificial motion preserving discs are reserved for athletes and very healthy people here, though it's only because we're so far behind the times .Many people fly to Germany for their artificial discs and facet joints.
I dearly wish I had the same opportunity/treatment being offered to me as what's being offered to your husband...he's one of the lucky ones....
Don't do it unless ones suffering a lot of pain though

Thanks for sharing.

Yeah, he's in a lot of pain, and his pain in his neck, is making him a pain in MY neck.

He will try a few rounds of injections first, and we probably won't do anything until the worst of the pandemic is past.

[purehuman]

Doc wants me to have steroid injections as well...that's something I refuse...I'd rather take my chances on a surgery and possible correction of the problem than an anti inflammatory (steroid) that will NEVER correct the problem...just mask it while the deterioration continues.
The FDA doesn't recommend steroid injections in any parts of the spine because of serious debilitating problems resulting from them....but they're (ESI's)BIG money makers right now.

I consider them a delay in eventual needed surgery, but the surgery becomes more complex because of them if you do cross over to surgery.
I hope it goes well for your husband...I know living with pain is an extremely hard thing to do...and very depressing.

[Texas Ag 93]

Originally Posted by purehuman

Doc wants me to have steroid injections as well...that's something I refuse...I'd rather take my chances on a surgery and possible correction of the problem than an anti inflammatory (steroid) that will NEVER correct the problem...just mask it while the deterioration continues.
The FDA doesn't recommend steroid injections in any parts of the spine because of serious debilitating problems resulting from them....but they're (ESI's)BIG money makers right now.

I consider them a delay in eventual needed surgery, but the surgery becomes more complex because of them if you do cross over to surgery.
I hope it goes well for your husband...I know living with pain is an extremely hard thing to do...and very depressing.

As someone who had moderate pain and waited 8 months until surgery, I kind of agree with the bolded. The challenge is that you, as a patient (and really even your doctor TBH) don't get to decide on immediate surgery without jumping through insurance company hoops, and they almost always want you to progress through a certain amount of interventions ranging from least invasive to most invasive, usually watchful waiting, then PT, steroid injections (ESI's) and then lastly, surgery. A good surgeon usually wants to try less invasive methods first as well. The exception would be if you have a condition that qualifies as a surgical emergency, and there are some nerve compression issues that do.

I had two ESI's and neither of them helped me. If I had it to do all over again, I would progress much more quickly to surgery, especially since some research now indicates that outcomes tend to be better if surgery is done within 6 months of the onset of symptoms. That said, the ESI's do help many people, so it makes perfect sense to try them first. The risks are fairly low when they are done correctly by an Interventional Radiologist or Anesthesiologist using flouroscopy.

If and when I have another disc herniation, I will not wait as long before surgery, assuming I can make that call. I had a very good outcome and don't plan on lingering in pain unnecessarily next time.

[jaminhealth]

I probably don't have a joint area in my body from neck to feet that is free of arthritis and the other "itis" issues, and for me to get another surgery I'd have to be like humpty dumpty, I work to do all I do and know what I have to deal with now and not what I may have to deal with after if surgery is done.... and no steroid injections, they can do more joint damage, from all I hear..I avoid them... Good luck whatever anyone chooses...

[purehuman]

true jaminhealth...there's always a risk, and not knowing what you'll have to deal with after the surgery is a real concern..for sure.
It really depends on how disabled someone is, I think.
I've come through multiple minimally invasive back surgeries quite well. Sure the first 2-3 weeks were tough,(I still got things done though) but after that it was smooth sailing, a lot smoother than the daily, continual dissability and pain and pills, and therapy, and nothing that was working for me stage....except to be a couch potatoe...something that someone who has always kept busy would find very depressing.
I'd trade 2-4 weeks of lay low healing and then feeling good, than months or years of pills, spinal injections, and all other matter of this might work therapies.
As of now I take nothing..just vitamin C and D..
I DO enjoy being alive though.

[Mikala43]

This has been an ongoing problem after rolling an ATV onto himself.

He had 3 shoulder surgeries, which where the main damage was, and the neck has been getting worse over the years.

His pain level is high enough where is ready for the surgery. Right now he can barely move his neck to one side. But, due to Covid, no injection until March. I feel horrible for him. He still does all the PT he has been given on a daily basis.

For a while if I walked on his back it helped, but right now it is too painful. We have a neck sling that you hang from a door handle and lay (lie?) in and that is helping a bit. He'll try it tonight and take a muscle relaxant first.

He was taking so much tylenol that his liver test came back with a spike, so they gave him painkillers, but he hates taking them.

[purehuman]

Originally Posted by Texas Ag 93

The challenge is that you, as a patient (and really even your doctor TBH) don't get to decide on immediate surgery without jumping through insurance company hoops, and they almost always want you to progress through a certain amount of interventions ranging from least invasive to most invasive, usually watchful waiting, then PT, steroid injections (ESI's) and then lastly, surgery.

You hit the nail on the head!!

You gotta go through all this even if diagnostic tests show severe compression (except for cauda equina, an emergency)where I live..
Loooog wait for surgeries.
Makes you feel like all these professionals just want their turn at you!