Spinal surgery - Info on bone proteins plz.

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L5S1 Spondy

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This is extremely short notice on my part.

I have surgery tomorrow morning. Long story short - I have L5 slipage and it's causing the nerve to pinch.

Pre-op visit the intern goes over the procedure, then tells me they are going to use a protein in my back surgery. Tells me it's 'pretty much the standard now a days', promotes bone growth. I'm not thinking anything at this point.

The actual surgeon comes in and I really don't have any questions as they were answered by the intern. He asks me to participate in a 'survey' to follow the progress of healing. Up to 5 years out.

They want to me to sign a paper basically agreeing to participate in the 'survey'.

In reading it, it has FDA all over it... etc etc...

Now the basic question I have is: Has anyone had the Bone Morphogenic Protein (#2, I believe) used in conjunction with their surgery and or does anyone have any info on side affects?

In reading articles on the internet, just recently the protein was used on 22 human patients. Fusion was complete in 6 months, 22 out of 22. It went on to say that the FDA has opened up the use on the public for L5 S1 fusion only, with a titanium cage.

It doesn't feel like a survey, it feels like I am participating in a 'study'.

Any info will be greatly appreciated.

And yes, I will have a nuraber of questions for the surgeon when I go in in the morning. I'm just irritated I have to learn MORE about this from the internet and not from the DOCTORS.

P.S. I am wetting my pants about the surgery in general :eek:, but am looking forward to it as well :wave:. I have been suffering for a while now.
 
I had BMP with my L10-Sacrum fusion in Sept '06. Is this a different BMP? I don't know what you mean by #2.

I was fully fused in 6 months, and I was a higher risk of non-fusion. I did not have any side effects from it.

Have you read the thread at the top called "posts surgery tips"? It's got a ton of suggestions that will make your recovery easier. I know you don't have much (any) time left, but some of the tips may still help you, like putting a plastic garbage bag on the passenger seat of your car for the ride home so you can slide in and out, and putting a big ziplock bag in the car, too, in case you get nauseous on the drive home.

I hope all goes well and you have a lot less pain SOON!

Blessings,
Emily
 
BMP2 is used for bone (re)growth.

I am just trying to find what others have experienced with BMP.

I had my pelvis busted in a motorcycle accident just over a year ago, 3 plates, 16 screws. Due to that this surgery is necessary.
 
Sometimes a process or procedure has been approved by the FDA - but even after testing they want to see what the long term results are. So it may be that what they are using is still relatively new and they want to follow you down the road to see how you do. Years ago one of my frienRAB was one of the early patients to get an insulin pump. She is still being followed annually as part of a long term review (it's now been about 15 years). The FDA had approved the device and methodology but was intereted in long term efficacy studies.
 
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