Hello to everyone in BPI land! Just thought that I would say hey, and that I had DREZ surgery 6 months or so ago, by Dr. Osenbach at Duke. I must tell you that I've never felt better and that it's the first time I've "not" had terrible shooting, pins and needles type of aching pain in my right arm, in 25 years... I only wish I had done it a long time ago. So I just wanted to say that Dr. Osenbach at Duke university is "The Best" and I would tell anybody thats suffering as badly as I was, see him asap and he will tell you strait up if he can help you..
kindest regards,
Captain Nitro...going out on my boat right now!
6 months after DREZ
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cbe411
- Posts: 1393
- Joined: Sun Jun 01, 2003 8:27 pm
- Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: MVA in 2001, nerve graph in 2002, Median Nerve Transfer in 2004 and an unsuccessful Gracillis Muscle Transfer in 2006. I am living life and loving it! Feel free to contact me :)
- Location: Grosse Pointe Woods, MI
- Contact:
Re: 6 months after DREZ
I am glad ot hear this! It is always great when we hear of a fellow family member getting relief! YEAH!
COurt xx
COurt xx
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jennyb
- Posts: 1183
- Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2001 5:24 pm
- Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: January 1980 Yamaha RD200 vs 16 wheeler truck, result, 1 totally paralysed right arm. I was 21, now 54. I had no surgery, I don't regret this. Decided to totally ignore limitations (easily done aged 21) adapted very quickly to one handed life, got married, had 3 kids, worked- the effect of the injury on my life (once the pain stopped being constant) was minimal and now, aged 54, I very rarely even think of it, unless I bash it or it gets cold, then I wish I'd had it amputated :) Except for a steering knob on my car, I have no adaptations to help with life, mainly because I honestly don't think of myself as disabled and the only thing I can't do is peel potatoes, which is definitely a good thing.
Re: 6 months after DREZ
Great news! Enjoy your boating.....:0)
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Karl w/ a K
- Posts: 154
- Joined: Mon Sep 15, 2003 8:48 pm
Re: 6 months after DREZ
Hey Cap,
That's great news it worked out so well for you. BUTTT...I got questions (if thats okay with you). Were there side effects? Were they temporary or permanent? If temporary, how long did they last? Was the pain relief immediate? Why don't sharks sleep? Sorry, forget that last one. Happy boating captain, may the wind be always at your back...Karl...
That's great news it worked out so well for you. BUTTT...I got questions (if thats okay with you). Were there side effects? Were they temporary or permanent? If temporary, how long did they last? Was the pain relief immediate? Why don't sharks sleep? Sorry, forget that last one. Happy boating captain, may the wind be always at your back...Karl...
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admin
- Site Admin
- Posts: 19873
- Joined: Mon Nov 16, 2009 9:59 pm
Re: 6 months after DREZ
Yo Matey!
It was "immediate"... After the procedure, I was in killer neck pain, not right arm pain, but neck pain due to the fact he cracked open 4 vertibra like they were stone crab claws! But that slowly went away 4 - 6 weeks later. As for side effects? Well I did have one, I was so afraid that the pins&needles pain would come back, I had a hard time sleeping at first.. I thought that if I went to sleep I would wake up and that @#$% would be there.. but it has been 7 or 8 months and I'm feeling so good, it's hard to put into words. And certain sharks do "sleep" stopped at the bottom on the ocean floor aka nurse and lemmon..
Hope you are in good spirits 'cause I'm feeling great!
Captain Nitro..
It was "immediate"... After the procedure, I was in killer neck pain, not right arm pain, but neck pain due to the fact he cracked open 4 vertibra like they were stone crab claws! But that slowly went away 4 - 6 weeks later. As for side effects? Well I did have one, I was so afraid that the pins&needles pain would come back, I had a hard time sleeping at first.. I thought that if I went to sleep I would wake up and that @#$% would be there.. but it has been 7 or 8 months and I'm feeling so good, it's hard to put into words. And certain sharks do "sleep" stopped at the bottom on the ocean floor aka nurse and lemmon..
Hope you are in good spirits 'cause I'm feeling great!
Captain Nitro..
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admin
- Site Admin
- Posts: 19873
- Joined: Mon Nov 16, 2009 9:59 pm
Re: 6 months after DREZ
Great NEWS!!! Congrats!!!
I had a DREZ 3 years ago by Dr. Belzberg and have been ever so pleased since. I was considering suicide at one point from the severe pain and I can't thank my internist enough for finally finding a doctor who knew what to do for me.
The DREZ is not for everyone and does have significant risk to it. For those who have an avulsion injury and pain from that, it is an excellent procedure.
I had a DREZ 3 years ago by Dr. Belzberg and have been ever so pleased since. I was considering suicide at one point from the severe pain and I can't thank my internist enough for finally finding a doctor who knew what to do for me.
The DREZ is not for everyone and does have significant risk to it. For those who have an avulsion injury and pain from that, it is an excellent procedure.
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Christopher
- Posts: 845
- Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2003 10:09 pm
- Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: Date of Injury: 12/15/02
Level of Injury:
-dominant side C5, C6, & C7 avulsed. C8 & T1 stretched & crushed
BPI Related Surgeries:
-2 Intercostal nerves grafted to Biceps muscle,
-Free-Gracilis muscle transfer to Biceps Region innervated with 2 Intercostal nerves grafts.
-2 Sural nerves harvested from both Calves for nerve grafting.
-Partial Ulnar nerve grafted to Long Triceps.
-Uninjured C7 Hemi-Contralateral cross-over to Deltoid muscle.
-Wrist flexor tendon transfer to middle, ring, & pinky finger extensors.
Surgical medical facility:
Brachial Plexus Clinic at The Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN
(all surgeries successful)
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
~Theodore Roosevelt - Location: Los Angeles, California USA
Re: 6 months after DREZ
Looking for all and any input from experienced DREZ patience.
Captain Nitro, any changes since your operation? I've heard of pain returning w/avengence to a worse degree, I pray you're still happy w/your reduction of pain levels?
What was your level of pain before on the 1-10 scale, and what has it been post surgery? For me a 10 is passing out, 5 is getting hard to see anything but/thru the pain, and 1 is mom still trying to mother me at 36 yrs old (which is pretty painful).
What are the exact details of the surgery? The spinal cord is exposed to remove the scar tissue?
I'm just getting off all meds and am researching any other options.
Dr. Carlsted in London told me he is trying to re-implant sensory nerves with stem cells to the spinal cord to alleviate BPI pain, but results aren't out yet I guess.
Hope you're pain free
Chris
Captain Nitro, any changes since your operation? I've heard of pain returning w/avengence to a worse degree, I pray you're still happy w/your reduction of pain levels?
What was your level of pain before on the 1-10 scale, and what has it been post surgery? For me a 10 is passing out, 5 is getting hard to see anything but/thru the pain, and 1 is mom still trying to mother me at 36 yrs old (which is pretty painful).
What are the exact details of the surgery? The spinal cord is exposed to remove the scar tissue?
I'm just getting off all meds and am researching any other options.
Dr. Carlsted in London told me he is trying to re-implant sensory nerves with stem cells to the spinal cord to alleviate BPI pain, but results aren't out yet I guess.
Hope you're pain free
Chris
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admin
- Site Admin
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- Joined: Mon Nov 16, 2009 9:59 pm
Re: 6 months after DREZ
I am soooo happy to hear your results from the DREZ procedure!!! I can't imagine being able to focus on a person's conversation and not have to ask them to repeat what they said because the pain is so severe. I could go on and on. I am wondering Captain, how long you suffered before deciding to take the DREZ dive?! I went to see Dr.Belzberg about it but got scared. I'm beginning to re-think it. It is so hard to work each day with awful pain trying to meet deadlines. I am seriously reaching my limit. I go next week for an appt to do a spinal cord stimulator trial. Anyone have any thoughts on the SCS???????
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Christopher
- Posts: 845
- Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2003 10:09 pm
- Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: Date of Injury: 12/15/02
Level of Injury:
-dominant side C5, C6, & C7 avulsed. C8 & T1 stretched & crushed
BPI Related Surgeries:
-2 Intercostal nerves grafted to Biceps muscle,
-Free-Gracilis muscle transfer to Biceps Region innervated with 2 Intercostal nerves grafts.
-2 Sural nerves harvested from both Calves for nerve grafting.
-Partial Ulnar nerve grafted to Long Triceps.
-Uninjured C7 Hemi-Contralateral cross-over to Deltoid muscle.
-Wrist flexor tendon transfer to middle, ring, & pinky finger extensors.
Surgical medical facility:
Brachial Plexus Clinic at The Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN
(all surgeries successful)
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
~Theodore Roosevelt - Location: Los Angeles, California USA
Re: 6 months after DREZ
Thought I'd post this study on DREZ surgery...
http://jnnp.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content ... t/57/6/737
Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, 1994, Vol 57, 737-738
Long-term follow up of dorsal root entry zone lesions in brachial plexus avulsion
DG Thomas and ND Kitchen
Gough-Cooper Department of Neurological Surgery, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, UK.
The long-term results of 44 patients who underwent dorsal route entry zone (DREZ) lesioning for pain secondary to brachial plexus avulsion are reported with a mean clinical follow up period of 63 months. The postoperative analgesic effect was judged by the patients as being good (greater than 75% pain reduction), fair (25-75% pain reduction), or poor (0-25% pain reduction). With these criteria 35 patients (77%) had continuing good (30 cases, 68%) or fair (five cases, 11%) pain relief at the time of final follow up. Eight cases (18%) had persisting neurological deficits, although these were generally mild. DREZ thermocoagulation is an effective procedure for relieving deafferentation pain. The analgesic effect which is produced in the early postoperative period seems to be maintained in the long-term.
http://jnnp.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content ... t/57/6/737
Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, 1994, Vol 57, 737-738
Long-term follow up of dorsal root entry zone lesions in brachial plexus avulsion
DG Thomas and ND Kitchen
Gough-Cooper Department of Neurological Surgery, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, UK.
The long-term results of 44 patients who underwent dorsal route entry zone (DREZ) lesioning for pain secondary to brachial plexus avulsion are reported with a mean clinical follow up period of 63 months. The postoperative analgesic effect was judged by the patients as being good (greater than 75% pain reduction), fair (25-75% pain reduction), or poor (0-25% pain reduction). With these criteria 35 patients (77%) had continuing good (30 cases, 68%) or fair (five cases, 11%) pain relief at the time of final follow up. Eight cases (18%) had persisting neurological deficits, although these were generally mild. DREZ thermocoagulation is an effective procedure for relieving deafferentation pain. The analgesic effect which is produced in the early postoperative period seems to be maintained in the long-term.
Re: 6 months after DREZ
could you give a follow up report on how you're doing? My son is in Phoenix. Anyone know of a neurosurgeon that does this proceedure in the southwest? Thanks, Michele