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Nearly 3 months post op; has anyone had successfull adr ?
Topic Started: 23 Jan 2011, 09:12 PM (254 Views)
VANDANGO999
Member
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Good Evening from a cold Teesside.

How you all getting on?

Just thought I would spread a little encouragement once again for those wondering about ADR.

I noticed the thread 'has anyone had successfull adr ?, results so different' and I just want to say to anyone considering this op (out of necessity of course) is that the only thing I wish is I could have had it done sooner.

My back has completely stabalised. I get no pain whatsoever from my disc or in my spine. It's absolutely superb. BUT......
yep you guessed it. I am still on pregablin and diclofenac. Why?

With me it's not the spine anymore that is the problem it's just I'm having to deal with 10 years damage to the muscles hamstrings and tendons in my left leg which is totally shot due to constant muscle tension and spasms due to trapped nerves (mine was a lumber disc) my left leg felt like a lump of concrete I dragged around with me.
Unfortunately you can't just get this to re learn over night. You can't unzip you leg and re programme your muscles It takes time because your muscles automatically go back to what they were used to and you have to break this cycle. I find my hamstrings in my left leg are easily aggrevated still if I over do things.

Every body has this surgery for different reasons and obviously this is why results vary but for me it's been a total success. 'The War' is over the damage is done and now I must rebuild. This takes time and because of the timescale and amount of damage every body has different recovery rates.

So I just want to say YES ADR has been successful with me.

The rehabilitation of my left leg will take longer but that's because of long term damage not the op and this in no way points to the failure of this op. The symptoms I have now are a natural one until my leg muscles etc. re learn but thanks to my new disc I can begin to rebuild my life.

Little victories give me new joy.. like bending my back to eat soup instead of picking the whole bowl up. Putting my socks on without laying down on the bed etc.
Anyone reading the negatives please take them on board but don't think there is no one who has benefitted from this op.

Take care and best wishes to all suffering

Carl
Spine problems since I can remember.
Fobbed off for over 10 years by physios as muscular

Jan 2009 Finally got MRI scan
August 2009 Got within sniffing distance of ADR with Mr Papastefanou who left for pastures new.
Managed to get transferred to Mr Shackleford
November 2010 ADR done on disc l4-l5
Got a new lease of life thanks to Mr Shackleford.

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naintaid
Advanced Member
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thanks for posting. i started that original thread as most peoplke on here still had lots of issues post adr and i wondered if those whom got better ,left this site and got on with their pain free lives and just those who needed support still remained. glad you are a good outcome one ,i hope it conyinues. best wishes.
discetomy feb 2005
discetomy june 2005
mri 3 of
cat scan
facet joint injections .aug 2007
adr active l disc 2 level .l4l5 and l5 s1 .sept 2010.
2 blood transfusion after adr surgery
feeling more positive.

4 years post op and everything is fine,really pleased with outcome.
go back every 2 years for check up and x ray.
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Nailah
Unregistered

Hi Carl and Naintaid

I am now 5 months post op and the ADR was definitely successful for me. Oh, the joy of no back pain. I am so pleased I agreed to have the surgery.

However, I too, have problems with my left leg and foot; sciatica and nerve damage for the past 12 years. I am undergoing physiotherapy (my leg muscles also having to be reprogrammed) and have been told by both the physio and my surgeon that I will never have a 'normal' leg. Although the nerve pain can be horrendous - along with the gabapentin - I have and will learn to live with it. I look on the bright side.

I've have been given a special gift - a new back - I intend to enjoy it. :D

Cheers

Nailah
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Lynda
Advanced Member
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:D :D

Hi Carl

Thanks for posting, it is great to read the success stories. You have realistic expectations and are recovering very well. Alison (Nantaid) is right, there are members who post here because they have concerns and on-going worries after their surgeries. (Which is fine as the forum is all about support and information re disc replacement.) Perhaps it can seem like the majority of people struggle following their operations but I'm sure there are very many successes and many people who have disc replacements are enjoying their lives (quite rightly) and not posting on forums such as this.

I have had disc replacement surgery twice and both have been very successful, recovery from the lumbar op took me many months but it was still very successful, seven years later my two lumbar artifical discs continue to work well. My trouble is the rest of my spine has continued to degenerate, unfortunately. Recovery from the cervical surgery, which was three years ago, was much easier and my neck still feels as good as new.

Wishing anyone contemplating disc replacement surgery the best possible outcome.

Lynda
May 2008 onwards - Lumbar facet injections - First post-op ones four years post surgery, have lost count of the number I've had since then but they do help. Pre-op they didn't make much difference- Mr Shackleford, Warrington
Feb 2008 - Cervical TDR, (Activ C's) C5/6 & C6/7- Mr Shackleford, Warrington
May 2006 - Craniotomy and resection frontal lobe brain tumour - The Walton Centre for Neurology and Neurosurgery
Feb 2004 - Lumbar TDR, (ProDisc's) L4/5 & L5/S1 - Mr Shackleford, Warrington
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