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  • Any idea what all this will cost??

    I will be facing a third surgery in the very near future to correct Flatback Syndrome (including having osteotomies), remove my harrington rods and hooks, replace L5-S1 disc and fuse L1-S1 going into my pelvis (fusing sacrum to spine). Currently i am fused from T5-L5 i believe. I have health insurance and with that, our insurance pays 90% and we pay 10%. In order to plan financially for all of this, i wanted to get an idea of what it will cost (assuming no complications). All of the surgeons i've seen have either said it will be one big operation (12+hrs) and 7-10 days in the hospital or a 2-stage operation one week apart where i would be in the hospital the entire time (about 2 weeks). I'm not sure but i might need inpatient rehab afterwards for a couple weeks but that's yet to be determined. I work as an Occupational Therapist and deal with mostly Medicare billing, not private insurance - but that being said, i have no clue how much these things cost so if you have any idea please share them with me! I need to know how many extra weekends i'll need to work before hand so that we'll be able to pay our bills!

    THANKS!!!
    1993/1995: PSF w/ Harrington rods T3-L4
    Jan. 24, 2012: ALIF of L4-L5, L5-S1 w/ cage spacer and BMP
    Jan. 31, 2012: PLIF of L1-S1 w/ pelvic anchors
    Scheduled Nov.15, 2012: Fusion T2-S1 w/ pelvic anchors to fix T12 fracture
    http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ot/myback2.jpg - BEFORE
    http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...CT2342x406.jpg - AFTER
    http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...CT1410x229.jpg - AFTER
    www.jerseyot.blogspot.com

  • #2
    Originally posted by jerseyot View Post
    I will be facing a third surgery in the very near future to correct Flatback Syndrome (including having osteotomies), remove my harrington rods and hooks, replace L5-S1 disc and fuse L1-S1 going into my pelvis (fusing sacrum to spine). Currently i am fused from T5-L5 i believe. I have health insurance and with that, our insurance pays 90% and we pay 10%. In order to plan financially for all of this, i wanted to get an idea of what it will cost (assuming no complications). All of the surgeons i've seen have either said it will be one big operation (12+hrs) and 7-10 days in the hospital or a 2-stage operation one week apart where i would be in the hospital the entire time (about 2 weeks). I'm not sure but i might need inpatient rehab afterwards for a couple weeks but that's yet to be determined. I work as an Occupational Therapist and deal with mostly Medicare billing, not private insurance - but that being said, i have no clue how much these things cost so if you have any idea please share them with me! I need to know how many extra weekends i'll need to work before hand so that we'll be able to pay our bills!

    THANKS!!!
    Hi...

    First, you might want to check to see if you definitely have Harrington rods. They were pretty much out of use by 1993, at least here in the U.S. Most surgeons used C-D rods and hooks in the early to late 90's.

    Second, check your insurance policy. I think that many insurance policies that pay x% of the bills, cap the out-of-pocket costs. Hopefully, that's the case for you. I had revision surgery in January, and the bills were somewhere in the neighborhood of $500,000. I was only in the hospital 5 days. (7-10 days seems excessive for surgeries performed in the same day.)

    Regards,
    Linda
    Never argue with an idiot. They always drag you down to their level, and then they beat you with experience. --Twain
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Surgery 2/10/93 A/P fusion T4-L3
    Surgery 1/20/11 A/P fusion L2-sacrum w/pelvic fixation

    Comment


    • #3
      Hi Linda -

      Thanks so much for your reply! And to answer your question, YES they are DEFINITELY harrington rods, believe me! They certainly were not out of use in 1993 and again in 1995 with my revision when Dr. Balderston did my surgeries so unfortunately, yes, they ARE harrington rods...the source of all my problems today
      I really appreciate your suggestion to check with my insurance company! I will be doing that in the upcoming days so thanks again! With regard to the 7-10 day stay, i've had 2 surgeons tell me that and one said he we would do it in 2 surgeries one week apart and that i'd be in the hospital the whole time (so 2 weeks total). Either way stinks!

      All the best,
      Michele
      1993/1995: PSF w/ Harrington rods T3-L4
      Jan. 24, 2012: ALIF of L4-L5, L5-S1 w/ cage spacer and BMP
      Jan. 31, 2012: PLIF of L1-S1 w/ pelvic anchors
      Scheduled Nov.15, 2012: Fusion T2-S1 w/ pelvic anchors to fix T12 fracture
      http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ot/myback2.jpg - BEFORE
      http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...CT2342x406.jpg - AFTER
      http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...CT1410x229.jpg - AFTER
      www.jerseyot.blogspot.com

      Comment


      • #4
        I forgot to mention: i had 2 docs tell me 7-10 days if it were one big surgery and another would stage it in 2 operations one week apart but i'd be in the hospital the whole time (so 2 weeks total)...either way stinks!
        1993/1995: PSF w/ Harrington rods T3-L4
        Jan. 24, 2012: ALIF of L4-L5, L5-S1 w/ cage spacer and BMP
        Jan. 31, 2012: PLIF of L1-S1 w/ pelvic anchors
        Scheduled Nov.15, 2012: Fusion T2-S1 w/ pelvic anchors to fix T12 fracture
        http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ot/myback2.jpg - BEFORE
        http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...CT2342x406.jpg - AFTER
        http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...CT1410x229.jpg - AFTER
        www.jerseyot.blogspot.com

        Comment


        • #5
          I just had my 2nd surgery in July and I was on the table about 15 hours and I was in the hospital 4 nights and then went to rehab for 2 weeks. I have not gotten my hospital bill yet but did get my rehab bill and that was $800 per day which BCBS paid for in full.

          7-10 days in the hospital sounds very long to me

          Melissa
          Melissa

          Fused from C2 - sacrum 7/2011

          April 21, 2020- another broken rod surgery

          Comment


          • #6
            Yes, check to see if you have a yearly out-of-pocket maximum. Also, if you do end up owing a large chunk to surgeon, hospital, etc, I bet you could pay them back in installments.
            __________________________________________
            Debbe - 50 yrs old

            Milwalkee Brace 1976 - 79
            Told by Dr. my curve would never progress

            Surgery 10/15/08 in NYC by Dr. Michael Neuwirth
            Pre-Surgury Thorasic: 66 degrees
            Pre-Surgery Lumbar: 66 degrees

            Post-Surgery Thorasic: 34 degrees
            Post-Surgery Lumbar: 22 degrees

            Comment


            • #7
              Thanks so much ladies for your replies! I do appreciate it. I checked with my insurance and we DO have an out of pocket maximum ($3000) which is GREAT news for us. I was thinking we would owe 10% of the total (hospital/surgery/doctor/etc) fees but as it turns out, with using an in-network doctor and hospital, once we meet our OOP maximum (individually for me) everything else will be covered at 100%. Thanks for suggesting i call my insurance company - i didn't think to do that since i hadn't had the surgery yet - so thanks again!
              1993/1995: PSF w/ Harrington rods T3-L4
              Jan. 24, 2012: ALIF of L4-L5, L5-S1 w/ cage spacer and BMP
              Jan. 31, 2012: PLIF of L1-S1 w/ pelvic anchors
              Scheduled Nov.15, 2012: Fusion T2-S1 w/ pelvic anchors to fix T12 fracture
              http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ot/myback2.jpg - BEFORE
              http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...CT2342x406.jpg - AFTER
              http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...CT1410x229.jpg - AFTER
              www.jerseyot.blogspot.com

              Comment


              • #8
                I just got my BCBS EOC for my July surgery and hospital stay- 4 nights in the hospital. This is just the hospital bill. not doctors or my surgeon bill. I have not
                received that yet.The total that the hospital billed was $1,054,944.00. They received from BCBS $196,895.86. We owe nothing. Last year in NC my surgery was
                $300,000 and I had to pay $300

                Melissa
                Melissa

                Fused from C2 - sacrum 7/2011

                April 21, 2020- another broken rod surgery

                Comment


                • #9
                  Melissa...am i reading that figure correctly...it goes into the millions??!!
                  does that make it like $300,000 a nite...?! unreal!! i knew hospitals were expensive, but
                  that sounds crazy! i realize the insurance didn't pay that much....

                  good luck on Friday....thoughts and prayers with you into the OR, & right up until you are
                  back on your feet again...

                  jess

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by mabeckoff View Post
                    I just got my BCBS EOC for my July surgery and hospital stay- 4 nights in the hospital. This is just the hospital bill. not doctors or my surgeon bill. I have not
                    received that yet.The total that the hospital billed was $1,054,944.00. They received from BCBS $196,895.86. We owe nothing. Last year in NC my surgery was
                    $300,000 and I had to pay $300

                    Melissa
                    OMG, over a million?? that is just insane.
                    __________________________________________
                    Debbe - 50 yrs old

                    Milwalkee Brace 1976 - 79
                    Told by Dr. my curve would never progress

                    Surgery 10/15/08 in NYC by Dr. Michael Neuwirth
                    Pre-Surgury Thorasic: 66 degrees
                    Pre-Surgery Lumbar: 66 degrees

                    Post-Surgery Thorasic: 34 degrees
                    Post-Surgery Lumbar: 22 degrees

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      I know .I cannot believe how expensive this surgery was

                      Melissa
                      Melissa

                      Fused from C2 - sacrum 7/2011

                      April 21, 2020- another broken rod surgery

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        You're on your way to becoming the 6-million-dollar-woman!
                        44 years old at time of surgery, Atlanta GA

                        Pre-Surgery Thorasic: 70 degrees, Pre-Surgery Lumbar: 68 degrees, lost 4 inches of height in 2011
                        Post-Surgery curves ~10 degrees, regained 4 inches of height

                        Posterior T3-sacrum & TLIF surgeries on Nov 28, 2011 with Dr. Lenke, St. Louis
                        2 rods, 33 screws, 2 cages, 2 connectors, living a new life I never dreamed of!

                        http://thebionicachronicles.blogspot.com/

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          I cannot imagine what the surgeon and the other doctors will cost

                          Melissa
                          Melissa

                          Fused from C2 - sacrum 7/2011

                          April 21, 2020- another broken rod surgery

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by jerseyot View Post
                            Hi Linda -

                            Thanks so much for your reply! And to answer your question, YES they are DEFINITELY harrington rods, believe me! They certainly were not out of use in 1993 and again in 1995 with my revision when Dr. Balderston did my surgeries so unfortunately, yes, they ARE harrington rods...the source of all my problems today
                            I really appreciate your suggestion to check with my insurance company! I will be doing that in the upcoming days so thanks again! With regard to the 7-10 day stay, i've had 2 surgeons tell me that and one said he we would do it in 2 surgeries one week apart and that i'd be in the hospital the whole time (so 2 weeks total). Either way stinks!

                            All the best,
                            Michele
                            Hi Michele...

                            I looked at your x-rays for the first time just now. The rods you have implanted are not Harrington rods.

                            --Linda
                            Never argue with an idiot. They always drag you down to their level, and then they beat you with experience. --Twain
                            ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                            Surgery 2/10/93 A/P fusion T4-L3
                            Surgery 1/20/11 A/P fusion L2-sacrum w/pelvic fixation

                            Comment

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