greetings from sunny CA

[jrnyc]

greetings from sunny & beautiful CA
saw dr anand this afternoon...

he says that he can do minimal invasive on all patients, including my low lumbar problem...stated that he would "go in on the side of my belly", make "about 3 small incisions", "use tubes to go thru & clean out my destroyed discs" (my bottom discs are destroyed & rotated, per dr anand)...& rebuild the discs with spacers...a few days later, he would go in the back & make one incision "near the butt crack, for want of a better description"...& put in that BMP stuff to fuse the spine...

i was able to obtain the phone numbers of 2 patients who agreed to speak to a possible future patient...i will probably call them when i get back to the east coast...right now i just feel drained & need to sit on the roof top in the restaurant they have up there (in my hotel) and drink a diet coke or something stronger & relax...i was so nervous that i messed up the little tape recorder my husband gave me to use...but i remember everything the doctor said! he also said to look at his web site..which i have but never understood...& the nurse gave me some literature to read before i left...which i will probably look at also when i get back east...

take care all...wishes & prayers for you guys in & coming out of surgery today...
jess

[Tall Paul]

how many levels will he fuse?

[Radiogirl]

Wow Jess!...that sounds pretty promising for you. I know you waited a long time to see this doctor, so I am glad you got some positive feedback. Knowledge is power, so now you've gained a bit more to help you with your decision. Best of luck! And enjoy the sunshine there....temps in the 20s here! (Cleveland)
Laura

[joyfull]

Jess, I was waiting on pins and needles to hear about your experience with Dr. Anand. Did you ask him about long term prognosis for this procedure? Why do so many doctors think that it is too good to be true? Did you have a sense that you might use him? I've pretty much given up on the idea of minimally invasive for my 90 degree thoracic curve. How does he compare to Dr. Lonner? Enjoy the California weather. All the best, Joy

[JenniferG]

I hope you are relaxing on the rooftop now Jess. It's been a long haul getting to your appt with Dr. Anand. Did you remember all your questions? What did he say about length of recovery compared with regular anterior/posterior fusion? What did you think of him?

It will be interesting to speak to some of his former patients. I wonder if this will be the regular scoli surgery of the future. Thanks for making the trek across country to report on this alternative method of surgery.

Safe travel home, Jess.

[loves to skate]

greetings from sunny & beautiful CA
saw dr anand this afternoon...

he says that he can do minimal invasive on all patients, including my low lumbar problem...stated that he would "go in on the side of my belly", make "about 3 small incisions", "use tubes to go thru & clean out my destroyed discs" (my bottom discs are destroyed & rotated, per dr anand)...& rebuild the discs with spacers...a few days later, he would go in the back & make one incision "near the butt crack, for want of a better description"...& put in that BMP stuff to fuse the spine...


jess

Hi Jess,

So what will you do now? Isn't this going to complicate your decision since you said that Dr. Anand did not take your insurance? Will you just wait until his method is standard medical practice?

Does he not use any pedicle screws and rods? You didn't mention them, so I was just wondering what will stabilize your spine until the fusion is complete.

Good luck in whatever you decide. I really wish you well.

Sally

[ADMoul]

Sounds really encouraging for you. 2 separate surgeries are not fun but if it's going to be less invasive and give you the pain relief and correction that you need, that's fantastic. Hope you can get more specific info. from some of the former patients. Good luck with your decision and enjoy that "rooftop" drink!

[jrnyc]

Hey guys
i just got in from L.A....didnt even look on the forum today...too busy traveling!

he would do the same area...he agreed with the nyc surgeons as to what levels i need...L4-sacrum...difference is, he wouldnt go down to the pelvis...he would stop at the sacrum...also said if i had the traditional fusion, i will have problems with the bottom screw that will go in the pelvis, cause of how thin i am, etc.....

he said he has done 92 patients, no major problems...he seemed to look down on the "old surgery"...feels even 2 years ago is old news! he has no respect for the cages that are used, as he feels that he does a much better job with the discs by cleaning them out & putting in "spacers,"....he said he "rebuilds the back like a ladder, going up".....dr anand said he had a seminar to teach doctors his method a couple of weeks ago (in nyc)...dr boachie was there & so was dr lonner...dr neuwirth was not...so i want to see who jumps on the minimal invasive bandwagon...hope they all do! CAUSE...it saves the muscles, & minimal blood loss! much less cutting...dr anand also says he can put things thru tubes...drops them in..."like dropping in ice cubes"...i guess you have to read his web site...he gave me some literature to read...

i am just in favor of less cutting...the less the better! it is not that i am a complete convert...but i have been waiting for methods to improve! & i will probably wait a little longer, sally...see if nyc goes that direction!

i intend to call the 2 patients whose names i was given (pardon my grammar)....but i am sure they are happy...i wouldnt expect them to give me names of patients who were not happy!

2 surgeries would not bother me, as dr neuwirth was going to do my surgery in 2 stages, 2 different days....i dont think that is any issue....

here is the thing...i think it is a good surgery...i want to know who else is going to start using it... ...

jess

[JenniferG]

Very interesting Jess. I'd love to ask my surgeon on March 3 at my one year checkup, about it. Not sure that he would want to waste his time telling me what he knows/thinks about it though, when I've already had surgery. He's very "efficient" with his time, if you know what I mean.

I will be following the path this takes in the future. Remember when key-hole surgery came in, and how much faster recovery was after? It was amazing. We may be on the verge of a whole new method of treating scoliosis.

[jrnyc]

Hey guys
Sally...he would use spacers instead of cages...and then use rods & screws...i am not concerned about my decision..i can wait to see if nyc doctors will catch up to this..if they agree with it...expect to call for an appt in nyc soon...

Jen...i guess each new invention for methods in the future will probably get better &better...i suppose that is just the progress that all areas of medicine hope for & expect...it is amazing what gets invented, though!

the weather in LA was perfect!

jess

[naptown78]

Jess,
How does Dr Anand get the proper bend to the rods and get them inserted in a minimally invasive way? How long is the posterior incision?

[jrnyc]

Hey Kristy
dont know...he inserts things thru the incisions...also thru "tubes"...i think there is some scope thing involved....it is explained on his website...he said the back incision is longer...he could do punctures instead of cuts, depends on the individual patient...but i didnt get into it deeper cause i knew i wouldnt be making another appt...since he doesnt take my insurance...

i expect to call nyc for an appt soon.....& see what that surgeon thinks...i dont know how the "spacers" compare to the cages...he seems to think everything before now is very old style...even what was done 2 years ago...

i expect all of medicine to improve & change...i am not having surgery right now, so i can wait, for now, & see what develops in this field...

jess

[loves to skate]

Hi Jes,

I'm glad that the visit with Dr. Anand was so positive for you. I hope you won't have to wait too long before the Doctors in NYC catch up with his procedures. I don't know how you deal with the pain for so long, even with going to a pain clinic. The lack of physical activity for me along with the pain was the clincher for me, plus advancing age.

Take care, Sally

[jrnyc]

Hi Sally
thanks for the goood wishes...i developed a fairly high tolerance for pain with lyme disease & all those treatments...& very very slow lyme recovery...years! sometimes it gets to me...but being retired makes it easier! i couldnt still be working two tough jobs in manhattan, that's for sure!

i am just more hopeful that methods with less cutting will become more popular & do-able...even with a wait...we all know that decades bring big changes...i can see it from the cancer treatments...cause of relatives i have who died from that horrible disease years ago...where there are new & better treatments...though no cure... yet...

it could come that i might opt for surgery sooner rather than later, but right now i doubt it...the latest sacroiliac shots helped, i go for botox in thoracic feb 10th, & i am hanging in....some days better than others! the trip to CA was a little rough, but worth it! i needed to hear it for myself

hope you are well, free of that pain that was bothering you earlier...& staying warm in this weather!

jess

[Pooka1]

Jess,

All that sounds very productive. Glad you got some answers. You are in a better position to watch the technology now.

sharon