Dear RichT:

Thanks a lot. I have sent my MRI disc and report to LSI and Bonati. Have heard back from LSI and waiting on Bonati. LSI has infact asked me to get an X-Ray called extension flexion X-Ray to make sure that my spondylolisthesis is not significant enough to disqualify me from laser techniques and instead directly go for spinal fusion.

Thanks and Take Care

Shilpa

Dear Marie B.:

Thank you for all the faith and support. You are right, there is so much company and support here. I love this forum. I wish you all luck !

Prayers and Wishes

Shilpa

It is a great day! I'm so glad to hear you are going home. Also hoping the headaches stay away and your recovery continues without any complications. You've had a tough time of it and you deserve some happiness and painfree time. May the force be with you!

Shilpa: Welcome aboard to what we think is the best and friendliest forum around. We all are here for you if you need advice or just want to rant. I hope Carrianne's experience and financial info was helpful for you. Please feel free to join in anytime.

LSG (Rick)

littleonefb:
Thank you for the insight. At age 60, I have had floaters for several years and I also have early stages of macular degeneration. I still have 20/20 vision, but have druzen spots on the retina. I go to a retna specialist every six months and he never mentioned anything about lifting. Hmmmm.

The table at LSI was fairly comfortable. It looked like it could be bent as you described and maybe it was. I had enough happy juice that I do not recall being in a awkward position. It looks like I will be having another surgery there in two weeks, so I will try to remember to ask. One more thing to worry about!

Guy

Hi Guy,

Very surprised that your doc didn't mention any weight restrictions to you.
My hubbies eye doc is a retina specialist, teaches at both Harvard and BU med schools as well. As his vision worsened and correction increased, the doc started the weight restrictions.
Of course, hubby being and engineer, didn't always listen and blew it twice.
Tears in the retinas. After the second time, I decided to put a "sticky" on the computers at home and the one where he works.
Now it stares him in the face and he doesn't forget.

There are OR tables that do bend to arch the spine instead of using those horse things. I saw them on the OR table when I was brought into the OR on a gurney and asked about them. Was told what they where for, but I was put under general anesthesia before I was put on them. Good thing too, cause there was no way I could have done it myself in the pain I was in.
Those OR tables that bend can still have the same strain and pressure results on the eyes though.

Interesting to me too, that the only spinal doc that told me about the possible complications to my eyes was the spinal doc that I used. Other opinions never gave me those as a possibility, and of course the eye doc.

Also the only one that told me about possible problems with my feet and ankles after spinal surgery was my spinal doc.
Why the others never mentioned them I can only assume that they where inerested in the "serious" risks and not what they might consider "minor" complications.
Course where we, the patient come from, potential loss of vision is a very serious problem, as is terrible pain in feet and ankles because you are know walking and standing correctly would be a serious problem as well.

It just really bugs me that when you ask a doctor what all the complications could be for any kind of surgery and the potential risks, it's hard to get a full answer. Depends on the doc you go to and what "they" consider complications.

My hubby, friend and myself asked the same question, the same wording with every doctor I saw. "What are all the possible complications, risks, and potential post op complications that could occur. They didn't like the question. Only one that didn't have a dirty look, startled look, or have a problem with the question was the ortho spinal surgeon I used.
He made sure we had paper and pen to write the answers down and he gave them to us one at a time and went over each one of them in detail, including how they are treated and what to do.

I only wish that my doc could be cloned a million times and spread him and all the docs in his office all over the country. Good, honest docs of all kinds are so hard to find.

Fran

HOME! Our little apartment has never looked so wonderful! And I'm home for my 1 year anniversary! YEAH! hee hee

Took me a while to read what I've been missing, but it was wonderful to sit here and catch up on all of your situations! I certainly wish the very best for each and every one of you here! LOVE THIS FORUM! What a wonderful group of people!!!!!

Thank you for your continued prayers! It's so incredibly touching how genuine you all are! I appreciate your care so very much!

Best wishes and God bless you all with complete healing, whichever route you go! You're all in my prayers!

Carrianne

Carrianne,

Let me be the first to welcome you home and back to the forum. So glad to hear that you are home and feeling so much better.
Isn't being home wonderful? No matter how big or small our home is, it feels so good to be back there.

Hoping for a speedy recovery for you and don't forget to let hubby pamper you a little bit. You deserve all the pampering you can get.

Fran

Hi Carrianne,

I am so glad to hear you are home now, I am sure your husband and kitty are glad too. Now all you have to do is focus on feeling better everyday.
Have a wonderful anniversary celebration on Sunday. Regards to your Mom too.


Take Care,
Rosalynn

Hi Barb,

I have had some problems posting this past week so I am sorry for the delay in answering your question quiet a few pages ago I am from Orlando and ended up staying in Spring Hill which was only about 10min from Bonati, we stayed at the Hampton Inn but I also saw a Holiday Inn Express. We only had to stay about 4 days each time because I had a month in between each visit. I know there are some longer rentals available, a few people I met at Bonati rented homes or condos for a few weeks, I am sure Bonati has some contacts for you but I hope you have found something already.

Take Care too,
Rosalynn

Everyone with floaters:

I started getting floaters too and never had them before my surgeries. I thought it was my blood pressure so I ran over to my local doctor to have it checked. To make a long story short I went to an opthamolagist and he said what I have is opthomalic migranes (with no headache) nothing to worry about but he did not tell me it was due to surgery also no detached retinas.

Anyone out there dealing with depression after surgery? I would love to hear from you and how you dealt or are dealing with it.

Have a great weekend.

Rosalynn

Shipla, You commented that LSI asked you to go for an Extension/Flexion X-Ray for determining whether you were qualified for Laser Surgery.
It would seem LSI doesn't want to deal with Spondy.

On the Bonati website, under Spondololithesis it clearly says that they do a lamenectory for purposes of reducing pressure on the nerve and fusion is not mentioned.

If you are in contact with Bonati, would you ask them if they do a lamenectomy for spondy as their website states, and what happens if the nerve is relieved but does the problem for the degeneration of the facets and slippage continue?

I hope I am not asking too much of you to do this.
Marie B.

Hello Carrianne,

SOOoooo WONDERFUL to read that you are going home (or perhaps already there).

I too am way behind on this thread. Did Dr. Bonati do the surgery to repair the "leak"?

I truly hope and pray that with time you will heal and have a successful recovery.

For what it is worth. After I had my epidural, within a week the pain in my legs was gone, but it took about 2 months before the tingling sensation in my legs was gone.

I congratulate you on your first anniversary.

Take care.

RichT

Hello Joe,

It has been awhile since I read a post from you. Hope you are still doing GREAT!!!!

How is the job searching going?

Take care.

RichT

Hi RichT..
I too have wondered about Joe......It has been quite sometime since his last post...

You had asked me to let you know when my surgery is........and it is scheduled for Nov. 6th. I am so looking forward to it....

I'm assuming you have gotten your computer up and running??

How have you been doing lately with your spine problems?? Better with the injections? I do hope so.

Later....mj

Hello Carrianne......so wonderful to see you on here once again and doing so great......and finally back home. Happy Anniversary to you both......Congratulations!!!

Please keep us posted on your recovery and healing process. My prayers and thoughts are with you .........always.....mj

Fran,
Thanks for your kind words! "There's no place like home" takes on a whole new meaning for me! And I will certainly allow a little pampering! hee hee

Rosalynn,
Husband's glad, but I don't think my kitty noticed. She can be so insensitive!

Rich,
Hi there! Hope your computer is treating you better! Looks like you've had some trouble! No, Dr. Bonati didn't need to go in surgically because the 3rd blood patch took, THANK GOD! Your experience with the epidural teaches me patience is a must with us pain goers! Thanks!

MJ,
I'm happy to be back! And so grateful for all the wonderful people here on the forum! I am excited for your upcoming surgery! What date is it again?

God bless you all and thanks again for your kind words of encouragement! I pray for everyone here and wish you a pain free night!!!

Carrianne

Various people on this and other forums have been looking for locations closer to their home than Bonati Institute or Tampa Laser Spine Institute to have laser sergery performed.

I came across this website which describes the METRx system for micro spine surgery and they give reference to doctors in different locations. From what I read on the website, they describe the same procedure used by the Bonati and LSI of doing micro laser surgery performed through a tube.
Here is the web site.
http://www.back.com/articles-minimally.htm l?mastbox=yep
Something to check out...
Guy

Rosalynn,

Floaters and Opthalmic migraines are 2 very different eye problems, not the same thing.

Opthalmic Migraines are:

Ophthalmic Migraine
Migraine headaches may be preceded by a visual "aura", lasting for 20 to 30 minutes, and then proceeding to the headache. Some people, however, experience the aura but do not have a headache. This visual aura can be very dramatic. Classically, a small blind spot appears in the central vision with a shimmering, zig-zag light inside of it. This enlarges, and moves to one side or the other of the vision, over a 20 to 30 minute period. When it is large, this crescent shaped blind spot containing this brightly flashing light can be difficult to ignore, and some people fear that they are having a stroke. In reality, it is generally a harmless phenomenon, except in people who subsequently get the headache of migraine. Since migraine originates in the brain, the visual effect typically involves the same side of vision in each eye, although it may seem more prominent in one eye or the other.

Some people get different variations of this phenomenon, with the central vision being involved, or with the visual effect similar to "heat rising off of a car". Some people describe a "kaleidoscope" effect, with pieces of the vision being missing. All of these variations are consistent with ophthalmic migraine

Floaters in the eyes are something that can normally occur as we age, but, especially with a sudden onset of the "cobweb" like appearance, they can indicate:

Floaters:

The vitreous is a gel-like fluid which fills most of the eye. As people age, this vitreous becomes more and more liquefied. The vitreous has loose attachments to the retina, and more firm attachments to the optic nerve. At some point in a person's life, the vitreous liquefies enough to shift position in the eye. When this occurs, usually between age 50 and 70, the back edge of the vitreous will pull forward away from the retina, leading to a "vitreous detachment". This is generally a normal process, although it may happen abnormally early in cases of high nearsightedness or trauma. As the vitreous detaches, it tugs on the retina. This is perceived as a flash of light, similar to a lightning flash in the corner of the vision. It may occur especially with eye movement, since the vitreous moves in the eye. Debris pulled off of the optic nerve and retina are then seen as floaters, suspended in the vitreous above the retina. Sometimes this is described as a cobweb, a net, a string, or a fly over the vision.

These symptoms usually resolve over a period of days to weeks, although some people will continue to see the floaters for a longer period of time. The important thing is to determine that the retina is healthy as the vitreous detaches. This requires a careful dilated examination of the retina to look for tears, or other areas which may be at risk for tearing. A retinal tear can then lead to retinal detachment, if not treated. Thus, people experiencing these symptoms should be examined by an ophthalmologist as soon as possible. (Note, only about 1 in 10,000 cases of vitreous detachment lead to retinal detachment, but it still is one of the most common causes of retinal detachment.

Info from website of Richmond Eye Assoc.

Fran

Rosalynn and Rose:
Since lying on an operating table with your head down can cause floaters and retina problems, I am wondering about using an inversion table?? With an inversion table, your head is below the rest of your body, but you are face up instead of face down.

Rose: Regarding the vitreous detachment from the retina. My retina specialist said he could fix my floaters. Apparently, they remove the fitreous liquid from the eye and put in new fluid. That does not seem to jive with your explanation of the detached vitreous causing retina tears or detachment. Can you clarify?

Sorry to be off-topic, but it probably is related to back surgery.
Guy

Guy, I have never heard nor researched anything about replacing the vitreous in the eye. I go to a vitreous specialist. I have had problems with my macula which is at the very back and center of the retina. What happened to me, I am told, was as the eye aged and changed, my vitreous changed and pulled on the macula creating a separation, and leaving a whole in the center of each of my macula's. I h ave a tiny small distortion in my central vision.
It is somewhat settled and I don't know if anymore problems will develop.
But changing the vitreous in the eye is knew to me. Heck, that sounds more scarey then having spine surgery.
Marie B.

Hi Guy,
I don't see how an inversion table would work in most spinal surgeries since most are done with incision entry from the back. If you are facing the doctor he can't reach the spine through your back.
The purpose of the "horses" or a surgical table that would arch your back toward the ceiling is used for that specific purpose to; to arch your back to make access to the spine easier and safer for surgery.

Either way, with your head below the rest of your body, face up or down, there is still the strain and pressure on the eyes and the retinas.

As for the surgery you are talking about, it is called vitrectomy for floaters and is not done very often just for floaters. It is usually reserved for someone whose floaters impair their vision so that they have extreme difficulty seeing or can barely see out of one or both eyes.

The surgery comes with a lot of risks and potential complications and from what I've read, by just googling vitrectomy for eye floaters, isn't something I'd even consider. They include retinal detachment and cataracts among other things.
I look at it this way. G-d gave me 2 eyes for a reason. If I lose the vision in one of them, I still have another one to see out of. Might not be as good as having 2 eyes, but I can still see. On the other hand, having surgery on either eye is not something I am going to risk, unless I am going to go blind without it.
I've learned to live with my floaters. Many times I don't even notice them, other days they are there. A good pair of sunglasses when I'm outside does wonders to not see them, and I also have noticed that they get worse if I haven't had enough fluid to drink during the day. I look at them as a reminder to drink more water. When I notice them more and have an extra glass or 2 of water, they seem to go back and settle down.

I've also read about lasers being used to treat floaters, but the success rate is not that great and even if the laser does get rid of them, they will return.

My suggestion is to live with the floaters. Make sure youdrink plenty of fluids every day, not fluids that are diuretics, but fluids, wear sunglasses outside, especially in bright light.

Personally, I wouldn't use an eye doctor that would even suggest surgery for eye floaters, which are a normal part of aging, unless you are really having serious trouble seeing.
He sounds like an eye doctor my husband and I used 32 years ago, after lasik surgery first came into existence and he was doing the surgery. All he did was try to get both of us to have the surgery so we didn't have to wear glasses. After 3 years of this crap from him, I turned to him and said "You are crazy and we are going to find a new eye doctor. Any doctor who is attempting to have a patient consent to eye surgery just so they don't have to wear glasses is crazy, especially when the patient continues to tell you they aren't interested. I don't have surgery for any reason unless I have to, and lasik in not something I need to have done,nor does my husband." We left the office without the eye exam and never went back. Neither of us have had the lasik surgery either.

Just my opinion

Fran

Fran:
My interest in the inversion table was not for lying on during surgery. I was considering buying an inversion table to help decompress my spine. They are relatively inexpensive, especially if you can find one on craigslist.com. I certainly wouldn't want to do that if it causes retina problems.

BTW, my retina specialist did not recommend the vitrious replacement, but said that if the floaters really became a serious problem, it was a possibility. I'm not at that point.
Guy