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Need input guys....On Back Surgery

AKSNOWRIDER

AKSNOWRIDER

Well-known member
Lifetime Membership
Hey guys, wondering if anyone has had either a ARD(Artificial Disc Replacement) or fusion surgery and still gets to play in the powder? How did you find a good surgeon and how did you make the choice between the two?How long did it take after surgery before you were ready to ride and how has it held up? Do you worry about reinjury? For those who don't know, I was in a bad wreck in March..guy lost control of his hummer and hit my GMC pickup in the door, pushing me off the hiway and right into a road grader backing up an exit ramp....Cops figured I hit the grader at aprox 60mph....its taken 4 months but its been decided that surgery on the disc as well as my left shoulder is going to be needed, I would appreciate any experience you guys have on it..thanks Mike
 
Broke back

Shattered my T-12 2 tears ago this last april at Turnigan. Was flown out and had 2 rods and 6 screws conecting T-11, T-12, and L-5 together. Started riding again in that same year in December and never had a problem with it. Its not the same but they can do some pretty cool stuff now days.
 
fc8464 said:
Shattered my T-12 2 tears ago this last april at Turnigan. Was flown out and had 2 rods and 6 screws conecting T-11, T-12, and L-5 together. Started riding again in that same year in December and never had a problem with it. Its not the same but they can do some pretty cool stuff now days.
Click to expand...
Ouch....did you do this at turny or back in whittier? I heard about a nasty one in whittier but didn't hear about one at turny.. this is what was left of my truck....



 
Mike if you're still shopping for a surgeon, see Dr Spencer at Anchorage Fracture & Orthopedics. He's awesome.
 
The Fourth Wolf said:
Mike if you're still shopping for a surgeon, see Dr Spencer at Anchorage Fracture & Orthopedics. He's awesome.
Click to expand...
It's not so much which surgeon, but which procedure..both have +'s and -'s...that's why I am looking for everyones experiences...I want to make sure I make the best choices for me..based on every bit of info I can get........
 
AKSNOWRIDER said:
It's not so much which surgeon, but which procedure..both have +'s and -'s...that's why I am looking for everyones experiences...I want to make sure I make the best choices for me..based on every bit of info I can get........
Click to expand...

Mike I have a very good friend who had , I think or at least one of those surgeries.. He was an avid smowmobiler and a Diesel Perf shop/mechanic.. He has been thru some serious ups and downs as a result of this and his life has been changed dramatically... The pain killers are a big concern..
Anyway, point being.. it is NOT to be taken lightly.. He searched and searched for the "expert" doctors for over 2 years before commiting... Well. the Dr. goofed and my buddy has to suffer the consequences...He is on the mend but it has been a LONG time getting there..

So, be careful and take your time with the surgeon choice.. This is critical!
Even consider flying to another state in order to get the best Dr. because your entire lifestyle will depend on it..
Best of luck to ya
 
RKT said:
Mike I have a very good friend who had , I think or at least one of those surgeries.. He was an avid smowmobiler and a Diesel Perf shop/mechanic.. He has been thru some serious ups and downs as a result of this and his life has been changed dramatically... The pain killers are a big concern..
Anyway, point being.. it is NOT to be taken lightly.. He searched and searched for the "expert" doctors for over 2 years before commiting... Well. the Dr. goofed and my buddy has to suffer the consequences...He is on the mend but it has been a LONG time getting there..

So, be careful and take your time with the surgeon choice.. This is critical!
Even consider flying to another state in order to get the best Dr. because your entire lifestyle will depend on it..
Best of luck to ya
Click to expand...
Thanks Kelsey, that is my main concern....haven't worked since the accident and gonna be a long time before I do again it sounds like...I will most definitely put just as much time into who will actually do the surgery. The neurosurgeon that I see at the end of the month is one of the top guys here, will have at least one more consult with one other top guy as well..
 
AKSNOWRIDER
<O:p</O:p
<O:p</O:p
MAN!! I am glad to hear you walked away from that one. Well, so to speak. All I can say is WOW.
I had a fusion in 97 of L5-S1 for herniated disc which in turn developed a bone spur, from being young, stupid and active. They were just coming out with a form of ADR. Not sure if it the same as what they do now. I made the decision to have a fusion because the other surgery was just too new. It was an easy decision for me to have a fusion in the first place because I couldn't move anymore. The disc began to press against my spinal cord and it locked up my hip and the pain I had was intense.
<O:p</O:p
<O:p</O:p
I fully believe that a big part of a successful outcome is going into it with a positive attitude. Don’t focus on the negative stuff. The worst for me was the pre-surgery pep-talk with the surgeon to go over all the stuff that could go wrong during the surgery. Problems do happen as RKT pointed out but I personally chose to focus on a positive outcome and my surgery was very successful in my eyes.

<O:p</O:p
<O:p</O:p
the side effects I have are minor compared to the pain I was in. I can tell the weather because the metal rods don't expand and contract with BP like your body does so my back will ache due to BP pressure changes. It will tighten up if I am on my feet for a long period of time but stretching and sitting for a short time fixes that. Good luck with everything. It sounds like you are already doing the right sort of stuff. I would not change my decision to have a fusion if I had it to do over again<O:p</O:p
 
bholmlate said:
AKSNOWRIDER
<O:p</O:p
<O:p</O:p
MAN!! I am glad to hear you walked away from that one. Well, so to speak. All I can say is WOW.
I had a fusion in 97 of L5-S1 for herniated disc which in turn developed a bone spur, from being young, stupid and active. They were just coming out with a form of ADR. Not sure if it the same as what they do now. I made the decision to have a fusion because the other surgery was just too new. It was an easy decision for me to have a fusion in the first place because I couldn't move anymore. The disc began to press against my spinal cord and it locked up my hip and the pain I had was intense.
<O:p</O:p
<O:p</O:p
I fully believe that a big part of a successful outcome is going into it with a positive attitude. Don’t focus on the negative stuff. The worst for me was the pre-surgery pep-talk with the surgeon to go over all the stuff that could go wrong during the surgery. Problems do happen as RKT pointed out but I personally chose to focus on a positive outcome and my surgery was very successful in my eyes.

<O:p</O:p
<O:p</O:p
the side effects I have are minor compared to the pain I was in. I can tell the weather because the metal rods don't expand and contract with BP like your body does so my back will ache due to BP pressure changes. It will tighten up if I am on my feet for a long period of time but stretching and sitting for a short time fixes that. Good luck with everything. It sounds like you are already doing the right sort of stuff. I would not change my decision to have a fusion if I had it to do over again<O:p</O:p
Click to expand...
Thanks Bholmlate, Mine is C6-C7(I have another herniated in the lumbar but doc thinks it isn't hurting me right now, also have 2-3 more in the cervical that are bulged)but yeah the pain is bad, affects everything..sleeping, sitting, standing...only take the pain killers when its unbearable..rest of the time..advil.
 
I'm curious about this as well. My dad has bulging disks in his neck that give him occasional numbness in his hands, not to mention 3 crushed disks in his back(all crushed out luckily). Thus far he has managed to avoid surgery by going to the chiropractor every 1-3 months, but he can tell his time is getting closer(the numbness in the hands is a new development). He is leaning towards getting the fusion done as well, but as his doctors have said wait as long as you can because the techniques and options available improve every year you wait.
 
polaris dude said:
I'm curious about this as well. My dad has bulging disks in his neck that give him occasional numbness in his hands, not to mention 3 crushed disks in his back(all crushed out luckily). Thus far he has managed to avoid surgery by going to the chiropractor every 1-3 months, but he can tell his time is getting closer(the numbness in the hands is a new development). He is leaning towards getting the fusion done as well, but as his doctors have said wait as long as you can because the techniques and options available improve every year you wait.
Click to expand...
If he is getting numb on a daily basis..he might want to get it fixed sooner..I am told the longer you wait when nerves are getting pinched(numbness), the more likely to be permanent damage done to nerves.
 
I had replacement discs and fusion on C5, 6, 7 last June 15. June through October were very slow and painful recovery, with therapy 2-3 times a week. The frequency of therapy was my choice as I own a farm and need my neck to be strong and flexible. November through December I was struggling with the progress. My Doc got me into a leatte brace in January and I began snowmobiling with my family. I took it easy and did more trail riding in Jan-March than in my entire life. Now I am doing well. Last week I baled 1400 ton bales, as well as helping with grain harvest during the day. My neck is a little stiff in the evenings, but a hot shower usually gets me loosened up for a good sleep. Hard bounces still hurt, but are a good warning to back off. Flexibility and range of motion are better than they have been in 20 years. I had arm numbness constantly and even loss of function occasionally, usually lasting for an hour or so. Also had frequent arm jerks that were a little scary. These symptoms are all long gone. I only regret waiting as long as I did, as I could have avoided some miserable years with the symptoms I was ignoring. Good Luck and hope you find someone as skilled as I did.
 
Glad you made it out of that one

My dad had three disks fused in his lower back in 2001 or so. He was in major pain prior to this, and recovery took him a good while. These days he can't stand for too long (3 hours in the shop is about all without a break) or his leg will start to bother him, sometimes foot goes numb. But he goes on walks with his gf & used to ride a pedal bike. He helped me do an engine swap in my pickup a few years back. Still works as a transmission specialist out of his garage. He doesn't regret the surgery at all, and I think he would be in better shape (back wise) is he built some abdominal muscles up. He just avoids lifting heavy stuff, tries to keep it below 50pnds but once in a while he lifts heavier without any serious problems. I don't recall his surgeons, but it was done in MN. I'm sure the technique has come a ways since then though.

Pretty serious surgery, one surgeon opened up his stomach, another moved his organs for access to the front of his back, another did the back surgery, the organ guy returned the organs, they sewed up his stomach. Then flipped him over, opened up his back, did the back surgery, sewed him up, and he was in a body brace deal for around 9months. Took around 18 months before he was really mobile/independent again but now he does well. He was about your age when he had surgery, maybe a little younger, but just turned 60.
 
I had a 98% shattered L3 which was then removed through the side. I got a Doner bone out of a cadavers leg in its place. No cartilage on either side. Titanium plate and 4 screws on the side.
I was about two months to sit up, four for first steps, six till my buddies started my mxz 600 and I putted in one lap around the shop.
I took it real easy the next winter. Was probably in the best shape of my life at that point with all the physical theropy.
Hit it hard from then on
Keep in shape you'll be good to go

I have had a few close calls that parked me for a few days. Mostly from getting bucked but a hard cornice landing doesn't feel good either
 
Last edited:
AKSNOWRIDER, If you haven't already at least get a consult/opinion from Dr Tim I. Cohen. Works at both Prov and Regional. He did an amazing job with my wife's neck/spine issues and is very much on board with getting patients back to doing what they love. He comes very highly recommended by all my doctor friends. As far as fusion or disc replacement, I hate that this even factors in...but will the insurance cover both of them? We wanted a replacement, but the insurance still deemed it experimental in the neck area so they wouldn't pay for it. Your injury sounds like its a little lower down so the replacement may well be covered as the disc replacement has been around a lot longer for those areas.
In any case, best of luck and hope to see you up and around by winter.
 
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