SCS or Intrathecal Pain Pump?

[rpowell01]

Okay well I've been talking with my Pain Management Neurologist at the VA thru Secured Messages. The Neurosurgeon has ordered a NEW cervical and Lumbar MRI so see what exactly can be done for my condition. I need surgery and person knows if they need surgery, nobody has to tell them if they need surgery or not on their spine. A person who has spine issues knows more about their condition than the medical field does. The VA doesn't like to do anymore spine surgeries because of Failed Back Surgery Syndrome. I requested the statistics of FBSS of those who had surgery for DDD, the removal of discs and then fusions and the statistics of those who had surgery for DJD, removal of facet joints with NO discs removed and had a fusion. Of course they won't give this info to me.

I've talked with many folks who had the DDD surgery who are still in pain but not as much. I also talked with people who had the DJD surgery and they are NOT in pain and have FULL MOVEMENT of their legs, no tingling and their legs don't go numb whenever they walk. I haven't found anybody who has had the DJD surgery who has FBSS now. 

 

[djanis]

I had an tens unit implanted in 1995, it worked somewhat. I can only explain it like this, when the pain down the back of my legs was a cutting pain I could turn the tens on and it would change the pain sensation into a burning pain and vise versa. It lasted about 2 months and the leads moved and it had to be taken out. I have seen many get the pumps, more than half of those guys are not among the living, not sure why but they don't live many years after they get one. My civilian doc was trying to force me to get one, thats how I ended up at the VA. Good Luck whichever road you take.

[iceturkee]

On 2/9/2016 at 10:52 AM, rpowell01 said:

Okay well I've been talking with my Pain Management Neurologist at the VA thru Secured Messages. The Neurosurgeon has ordered a NEW cervical and Lumbar MRI so see what exactly can be done for my condition. I need surgery and person knows if they need surgery, nobody has to tell them if they need surgery or not on their spine. A person who has spine issues knows more about their condition than the medical field does. The VA doesn't like to do anymore spine surgeries because of Failed Back Surgery Syndrome. I requested the statistics of FBSS of those who had surgery for DDD, the removal of discs and then fusions and the statistics of those who had surgery for DJD, removal of facet joints with NO discs removed and had a fusion. Of course they won't give this info to me.

I've talked with many folks who had the DDD surgery who are still in pain but not as much. I also talked with people who had the DJD surgery and they are NOT in pain and have FULL MOVEMENT of their legs, no tingling and their legs don't go numb whenever they walk. I haven't found anybody who has had the DJD surgery who has FBSS now. 

 

i only know one person who let the va operate on his spine and his surgery was successful! this was when the daytona va clinic fell under gainesville. the doc who did this guys surgery was on rotation from shands. it was a shands doc who did my carpal tunnel surgery and it was great! now we fall under the new hospital in orlando and i'm not so sure.

Edited February 23, 2016 by iceturkee

[rpowell01]

I know a few, not on here but where I live. One of them had surgery from a Workers Comp Surgeon who messed up his back. So the Neurosurgeon at James A. Haley put in a cage in his lumbar and he said it helped him. But then years later Bay Pines sent him out to have cervical surgery at a private facility and now he can't raise his arm above his head and he now has MRSA because the surgeon sent him to some cheap rehab facility who didn't change his bandages. Him and his wife now has an attorney, a well known attorney, who is going to sue the crap out of the VA, the surgeon and the rehab facility. So I look at this and I don't want to end up like this. If the VA screws up then I will in fact go after them in claims but I have to allow them to at least try. Maybe I will be lucky and the can just remove the facet joints and fuse those areas. Won't know until I have my whole spine MRI come Sunday.