Hi folks. Well, I am back and still alive.
I had the surgery done with SPYN's BAK-L device to correct a degenerated disc at L5-S1 that I got as the result of a fall off a ladder.
The surgery was more extensive than I realized. Initially, the surgeons were going to implant the cages endoscopically. However, the day before surgery I got a call from them saying they were going to do it on an open basis instead (this was the first time they were using this device at George Washington University Hospital and the endoscopic surgeon invoved wanted to do a dozen or so on an open basis before putting them in endoscopically). This involved a 10" incision in my abdomen and a 3-4" incision in my hip (where the get the bone that goes into the cages). I didn't realize the extent of cutting involved ahead of time; in hindsight I probably should have waited a few months after they called until they were ready to do it endoscopically.
I ended up being part of the 2% to get a staph infection in the main incision. After getting home from the hospital I was having pain in my abdomen and running a fever. The residents at the hospital kept telling me that it was a stomach bug. WRONG! After a week of the pain getting worse, and fever increasing .5 degrees per day, I was back in the hospital for another four days. They then had to cut a hole in my abdomen to drain the infected area which relieved the pain but left me with a large, deep hole where they cut which will take 6 plus weeks to heel (with a visiting nurse coming out twice a day to repack and treat the wound).
As far as the BAK/L device goes, the pain in my back and legs was practically gone when I awoke from surgery. Although I have some muscular pain left (which will take excerise, etc), the nerve pain is completely gone. About 10 days after the surgery I was walking 30 minutes per day and I am now walking 45 minutes per day. If the infection had not knocked me off my feet I am sure I would be walking longer periods right now.
The problems I encountered with the surgery had nothing to do with the BAK/L device; instead, they were the potential typical complications one can have with any surgery. The surgeons had no one answer for what caused the infection; said it could be do to the fact that no surgical suite is completely sterile or that there were alot of people involved (orthopedic surgeon, neurosurgeon, general/endoscopic surgeon, plus related personnel).
Sorry it took so long for me to report back on this surgery, but the infection zapped my energy and I haven't been up to getting on-line much. Finally feel like I have turned the corner so I'll be checking in daily now.
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