Claim Not Rated Yet, Just Got Scheduled For Spinal Surgery, What Now?

[Nathan104]

I just saw a Neurosurgeon for the first time today and have been scheduled for a lumbar discectomy on the 21st of this month. This is through a civilian doctor and the VA is not involoved at all as Im still under my 6 month window on Tricare Prime after exiting service in December.

One of the issues I have in o my current claim is lower back pain with radiating sciatica. I have had an MRI that shows two herniated discs with one being very major at L5-S1. I have sent the VA the MRI report with a letter explaining it. I plan on getting them my actual MRI films after the 21st as my surgeon needs them until then.

What Im wondering is what I should tell them about the surgery. Right now my pain is pretty much incapacitating and Ive had to drop out of school. Should I just send them a letter stating that Im having the surgery, wait until afterwards and send them copies of the records, or just leave the claim as is. Any info is appreciated. Thanks.

[10thFO]

I just saw a Neurosurgeon for the first time today and have been scheduled for a lumbar discectomy on the 21st of this month. This is through a civilian doctor and the VA is not involoved at all as Im still under my 6 month window on Tricare Prime after exiting service in December.

One of the issues I have in o my current claim is lower back pain with radiating sciatica. I have had an MRI that shows two herniated discs with one being very major at L5-S1. I have sent the VA the MRI report with a letter explaining it. I plan on getting them my actual MRI films after the 21st as my surgeon needs them until then.

What Im wondering is what I should tell them about the surgery. Right now my pain is pretty much incapacitating and Ive had to drop out of school. Should I just send them a letter stating that Im having the surgery, wait until afterwards and send them copies of the records, or just leave the claim as is. Any info is appreciated. Thanks.

Nathan, what you need to do is just wait until you've had the surgery. There is no guarantee that the surgery will take care of your pain. Sort of like you I had my surgery 1 month before I got off active duty. I just described to them when I finally got in almost a year later about the problems I was having. I was awarded 10%. Mind you that was with not as many problems. The only thing you need to worry about is making sure you tell them about how the injury feels on your worst days not the day you are there. What if you haven't done anything for 3 weeks before your appt. You'll probably feel pretty good. But if you worked the day before lifting 50 pound objects all day it might better present the picture of your health. I didn't mind the 10% my surgery lasted for about 6 years. Every since then, nothing has helped though. I hope yours last longer my brother. I'd gladly give back the pittance for a normal back.

[Guest jstacy]

Nathan if your back is going to be service connected, Consider this option. After the surgury ask the VA for a remporary 100 percent for the convalesence period from the day you were admitted to the hospital. It should not matter where the surgury was performed. I would also advise you to do the following. After the surgury it th e hospital is electronic the medical records department will have the record. Go and ask for the entire record of your hospitalization. Pay spacific attention to the doctors operating room report. This sounds like a Play by play announcer. It goes into great detail and it will help you with your claim. All Vets who have a procedure like this must definatly obtain a copy of this report. It outweighs any evidence that the VA can throw at us. A report like that completely turned my case around.

Edited April 6, 2006 by jstacy

[10thFO]

yes get the surgery report. It will detail what you are in there for, and what they are going to do, and will detail what steps were done in surgery, I got mine and had it added to my records with the Medical Clinic records on base. I had a copy and there was a copy in my records. Definitely hard to deny when they spell it out.