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Mon, 11/02/2009 - 21:29
XLIF Study on Obese Patients
Just some interesting stats on a recent study for those interested in an XLIF.
http://www.orthosupersite.com/view.asp?rid=44659
I know some surgeons believe that an obese patient should have gastric bypass or lap band before spine surgery, but this study makes a case for doing it AFTER spine surgery.
Rodgers told ORTHOSuperSite.com: “[These results] tell us that we as surgeons have to re-evaluate our own prejudices about whom we can and can’t help. … We have to be willing to reassess what we have taken as established dogma."
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"If you ever need holding, call my name, I'll be there. If you ever need holding, no holding back, I'll see you through..." Jackson Browne, whose poetry in lyrics and music have seen me through so many years.
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This is quite interesting. My OS said to my husband, who is a really big guy, that he would not expect him to do so well with a fusion surgery as I did because of his size. But then prior to mine he also did a fusion for a neighbor, who is on the heavy size, and she also did well. I wonder if there is some prejudice against obese people?
Kin
SF Peninsula CA resident
Decompression and L3-S1 fusion with instrumentation, 5/1/08
I really don't want to open a whole new can of worms here but I think that docs often blame health issues on the weight for overweight folks. I know that it is not good for your health to be overweight but not all medical issues with overweight folks are due to their weight. Kind of like smoking. Don't get me wrong I do know that smoking is horrible for your health. But I think that for smokers things are blamed on cigarettes that may have absolutely nothing to do with cigs. It is just too easy for obesity or smoking to be a catch all in my opinion.
I am in no way associated with the medical field. Anything that I post comes from personal experience only.
DDD, Facet Arthropathy, DJD,Collapsed Disc, Sleep Apnea
PT, Epidurals, Facet Blocks,Medial Branch Block, Rhizotomy,Discogram,Annular Tare L3/L4 Endoscopic MicroD and PLDD,
Methadone, Percocet, Baclofen, Welbutrin
yes i agree with....j.j.grey.they blame to much stuff on overweight people and smokers.
had 2 discectomys on l4-5 in 92 & 94,had fusion on l4-5 in 98....acdf on c456 plate and 6 screws in 4-16-08...double (lam) on l2-3 & l3-4 had it done 5-31-08...still in pain,left thigh hurts all the time and lower left leg is numb.also my back hurts all the time.change meds now taking meth 10mg....starting to have knee problems.had to get off the meth made me to sick.back on hydroco-10-325.got to find a med that will work for me.
for finding this...one of the reasons that i was denied by social security for disability was for not following doctor recommendations to have the gastric bypass--knowing that i have NO OTHER MAJOR OR MINOR HEALTH ISSUES just back pain, and that bypass could/would cause problems.
thankfully, i have finally found a surgeon who is willing to work with me, and will send a copy of this report to my disability attorny as further evidence to support my claim.
again...thank you...
btw...after quitting neurontin,lyrica, and switching to topamax, i have lost 50 pounds! (that these meds helped me gain)
MY SSA DX:
DDD involvinging one or more lumbar discs(L2-S1)
spinal stenosis T8-T11, and L3-L5
neural foraminal stenosis from L4-5 and L5-S1
cervicalgia, and gait imbalance due to lumbar surgaries
*note these are from 2007 mri and reports*
I'm pretty sure my obesity helped my back degenerate into its miserable condition. Fortunately, when I fell and ruptured my three discs, I was already in the queue for gastric bypass surgery, which I had two months after my accident. Losing 85 pounds surely took a lot of pressure off my spine and helped buy me some time before I was finally forced to have the fusion. I must say that I move a whole lot better without all that weight on me, even with four vertebrae fused together!
Linda
Ruptured discs L3/4, L4/5, L5/S1 May 2007
One ESI in 2007 with lots of PT
Microdiscectomy and foraminotomy L5/S1 December 2007
Worsening of symptoms (back pain, sciatica, right leg weakness) June 2008
New MRI and Discogram show all three discs torn through the annulus, left to right, all three levels
2 ESIs unsuccessful in managing pain
PT, Duragesic pain patch and percocet for break-through
Was told nothing could be done for me because I had three levels and DDD
Given option of three-level fusion after being told nothing could be done
Surgery was November 19, 2008 fusing L3/4 to S1
Attempted PLIF (from both sides) on November 19th.
Rods and pins were placed, but scar tissues prohibited removal of the old discs.
On November 24th, I had ALIF (opened from top of pubic bone to the bottom of my left ribcage) and removed the torn discs, placed dowels with cadaver bone, and some of my own bone marrow mixed with BMP. I left the hospital on the 26th of November.
Currently suffering temporary (hopefully) nerve damage of both legs and total numbness of right foot. Strange tingling in both feet at 4.5 months out of surgery. Numbness still exists in right foot at almost 9 months out.
Weaned off Fentanyl patches and only take occasional percocet for pain.