Any EXPEDIUM 6.35/ Dr. Kebaish patients?

[rjmacready]

Hey, My guy @ Hopkins (Kebaish) actually had a hand in designing this, which may be good or bad. He is tenured there, and adult spinal deformity correction is all he does. The system is so new there is no complication/failure data yet available. I am in bad shape, yes- but I can still go shopping, do minor chores, etc. My situation is complicated by osteopenia ( spinal column is WNL, rest is a bit below normal) and loads of degenerative disc disease, at practically every level in lumbar and thoracic spine. Pronounced kyphosis (90 degrees, which doesn't seem possible) is the biggest problem. I'm 61, in good health but former conditioning from gym work/cycling has been lost, am still thin but lots of the muscles I built up, esp. my quads, have atrophied. I live alone, so would have to go directly into a nursing home after discharge. I am hypersensitive about changes to my body- I feel literally everything. I imagine feeling this hardware digging into me, with atrophied muscle/basically no fat to cushion it. The only way I can sleep is on my back in an adjustable bed. What if the ilium posts keep me from lying there for 6+ hours? I can't sleep on my side due to nerve damage from the 1998 dual level lumbar fusion I had, which started this whole mess. So I am surgery shy to begin with. This surgery would make the 1998 one look like getting a hang nail trimmed. If ANYONE has used either Kebaish or the EXPEDIUM 6.35 system, please post details on how it went. I've read all the "glad/sorry" posts, but so many of them are quite old. Please help if you can, I'm losing my mind trying to decide. Thanks, TJM

[LindaRacine]

Hey, My guy @ Hopkins (Kebaish) actually had a hand in designing this, which may be good or bad. He is tenured there, and adult spinal deformity correction is all he does. The system is so new there is no complication/failure data yet available. I am in bad shape, yes- but I can still go shopping, do minor chores, etc. My situation is complicated by osteopenia ( spinal column is WNL, rest is a bit below normal) and loads of degenerative disc disease, at practically every level in lumbar and thoracic spine. Pronounced kyphosis (90 degrees, which doesn't seem possible) is the biggest problem. I'm 61, in good health but former conditioning from gym work/cycling has been lost, am still thin but lots of the muscles I built up, esp. my quads, have atrophied. I live alone, so would have to go directly into a nursing home after discharge. I am hypersensitive about changes to my body- I feel literally everything. I imagine feeling this hardware digging into me, with atrophied muscle/basically no fat to cushion it. The only way I can sleep is on my back in an adjustable bed. What if the ilium posts keep me from lying there for 6+ hours? I can't sleep on my side due to nerve damage from the 1998 dual level lumbar fusion I had, which started this whole mess. So I am surgery shy to begin with. This surgery would make the 1998 one look like getting a hang nail trimmed. If ANYONE has used either Kebaish or the EXPEDIUM 6.35 system, please post details on how it went. I've read all the "glad/sorry" posts, but so many of them are quite old. Please help if you can, I'm losing my mind trying to decide. Thanks, TJM

Hi...

I suspect Dr. Kebaish would be fine if you asked him to use one of the older systems. With that said, Expedium doesn't look like it's employing any major changes from the other "universal" systems in use today, so there's probably not a vastly increased risk.

--Linda