The Disc Has Failed, BAD | Warning on M6-L

Long story short:

M6 has failed and inner core has likely slipped out.

LATEST X-RAY:


ORIGINAL POST-OP X-RAY:


Loss of height and collapsed.

Metal on metal noise when stretching.

Tightness in back.

Little pain but only because I'm being VERY careful.

AND TO MAKE IT WORSE:

Osteolysis (lose of bone material) and destabilization. See the missing bone material here, right above the keels:


Notice how there's loss of bone in all areas.

Turns out M6 has been causing this shit and is now well-documented.

Could be infection of debris causing this. M6 material is culprit.

Things can get bad quickly as it has destabilized.

After plenty of consultations, this is the procedure I'm doing:

  1. Lateral removal of M6 (entry from side)
  2. Collect sample for possible infection diagnosis
  3. Lateral fusion of L4/5 with cage and bone graft 
  4. Turn me around and fuse with screws and rods
Yeap, removing the disc and fusing!

Two doctors had suggested going through front, not lateral. Immediately discarded. Good surgeons know discs need to be removed from side on L4/5.

Can't be done through the front due to scarring.

Specialized vascular surgeon will provide lateral access for spine doctor.

Hoping insurance covers this.

Getting it done in LA on February 19th.

Good, well-known surgeon.

Will update you guys later!

Context: Had L4/5 M6-L Disc Replacement in ~2010. It's been almost 15 years.

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