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I used to be a surgical instructor at NuVasive, so my view is slightly prejudiced towards their products but here is my advise:
As it has been said prior, you will probably need to have a spinal decompression with fusion(that is an assumption, the diagnosis really should be made by a qualified orthopedic or neuro surgeon)
There are various companies that out on the market with proven products, and to tell you the truth, there is very little difference between products. The main difference is in the surgical approach.
Most decompression surgeries are done either via posterior approaches such as TLIF(trans-laminar interbody fussion) or PLIF(posterior laminar interbody fusion), or anterior approaches such as the ALIF(anterior interbody fussion). I will give you the pros and cons of these surgeries.
1. PLIF- this is the most common procedure and easiest for surgeons to perform. Unfortunately it is the most aggressive. Usually a 3-8in incision(size will depend on number of levels requiring fusion) is made directly over the spinous process. Then both laminas of the effected superior and inferior vertebrae are cut through and the spinous process is excised. Then they move the dura out of the way to get access to your disc space. After the disc is removed a cage is put in. Rods and pedicle/facet screw are then put in, and boom, your done. Hospital stay is usually a week. Recovery 6months to a year.
2.TLIF-this has gained alot of popularity in recent years. It is similar to the PLIF, but only one side of the lamina is cut and the spinous process is not excised. It is usually done through a minimally invasive approach and requires 2-4in incision, just off the midline of the spinous process. Hospital stay 3days to a week. Recovery 6months. Also, This surgery will usually require supplemental hardware such as pedicle screws and rods.
3. ALIF- this is done through the abdomen with the patient laying on his back, and requires the assistance of a general surgeon for the initial approach. He will begin my making a midline 8 in incision in the abdomen. He will go through the abdominal muscles. Then he will carefully move the peritonium over to the side. Now for the dangerous part... He will have to lift up the aorta off the anterior aspect of the spine. Now the disc space is accessible. The surgeon will then remove the affected disc and place a cage with some sort or an artificial disc. hospital stay time is 1-2weeks. Recovery time is 6months to 1yr.
4. XLIF(extreme lateral interbody fusion)- This is the newest surgery in the horizon and has excellent results so far. It is done with the patient laying on his side. The approach usually falls between the illiac crest and 12th rib. It is minimally invasive, requiring only a 1-2in incision. A set of dialators is put in to safely guide the retractor thru the psoas muscle. The disc space is the access and the affected disc is removed. Then a cage is put in for fusion. The hospital stay is 1 day since the is less then 50ml of blood loss. The recovery time is 6-8 weeks. The downside, its expensive.
As far as the advice about not getting treated for an illness, its simply bad advice. My friend you will only get worse if you do not get the proper treatment. Thats my .02 cents. Best of luck.
-Carlos
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