Its important to note that spinal fusionsare considered somewhat controversial within the medical world. Spinal implants may be temporary or permanent. Even though you might have chosen the best surgeons, sometimes procedures fail. In the past, doctors also implanted bone grafts that were harvested from cadavers or the patients hip bone. They should tell you about potential spinal fusion complications. cutting kaizen foam for sockets / how to reactivate silica gel in microwave / how to reactivate silica gel in microwave I also understand that Miller & Zois works with multiple law firms on these claims and that I may be contacted by an affiliated law firm working with Miller & Zois on these lawsuits. Risk factors for revision spinal fusion are similar to first-fusion procedures but also include worker's compensation status, active lawsuits, use of narcotics before surgery, and neurologic problems present before surgery. Other reasons for a failed spinal fusion can include: Severe infection or post-surgery complications Surrounding vertebrae/discs develop problems The fusion fails to take for a reason other than scar tissue Hardware or metal implant breakage Issues with a bone graft Patient experiences bleeding or blood clots Symptoms Treatment CLICK HERE Here are some of the complications patients may endure after a spinal fusion surgery: Some of these symptoms may be considered normal, but if theyre severe or dont go away, there may be a problem. We only represent people for injury or death that happened in Florida (or on a cruise). 2018. pedicle screws) may be used as an internal splint to hold the spine while it fuses after spine surgery. In spinal fusion surgery, two or more vertebrae bones in the spine are essentially welded or "fused" together into a single bone. More treatment equals more damages. This case is different from the others because it is a medical malpractice claim. FBSS stands for Failed Back Surgery Syndrome. The bones, called vertebrae, are fused together to form one solid bone. Lumbar Decompression Back Surgery Considerations, Learn how bone growth stimulation therapy can help your healing process. This surgery eliminates movement in that area and is a permanent solution. But anyone who has reduced blood supply or metabolic disorders such as heart disease or diabetes can also experience delayed wound healing or infections that can leave patients with lower fusion rates. A manufacturer is aware of an implant that is ineffective or unsafe but markets it anyways. But if something about your care seems questionable, seek the help of an experienced legal professional. Patricia was 56 when she had spinal fusion surgery. Or ache which starts from a certain area and moves to another. Ultimately, you can dig and find information to help you better estimate the settlement value of your claim. This degeneration is most likely to happen after a two-level fusion (e.g. Risk factors for revision spinal fusion are similar to first-fusion procedures but also include workers compensation status, active lawsuits, use of narcotics before surgery, and neurologic problems present before surgery. There are many reasons spinal fusion surgeries fail. If bone graft was used (and failed) in the first surgery, then metal plating or a device called a cage may be used. You have a broken vertebra from a severe injury that needs repair. Prior to this approval, titanium cages were implanted; after that, Infuse was approved for use with certain polyetheretherketone (PEEK) cages. First, it entitles part of the damages that a plaintiff to receive in personal injury cases includes medical expenses. The second reason spinal fusion surgery significantly increases the value of a back-injury case is that it validates the plaintiffs injury and pain & suffering claim. Free personal injury guides for download to print or save. Spinal fusion surgery is only an effective treatment option when motion is the source of pain and the location of the pain in the back is known. There is some risk inherent in any surgery, and patients typically sign an informed consent form acknowledging that they are aware of the risks of surgery. In Patricias case, the surgery never should have happened. Nerve damage that is either temporary or permanent. He suffered a sternum fracture, an L5-S1 herniation, a cervical herniation, and shoulder impingements. A life taken away, and family and friends left to pick up the pieces. You may also have a case if the surgeon failed to inform you of potential risks of the procedure. To make matters even more unfortunate, the device was used on children. You have a right to hold guilty people liable for your suffering. The information provided on this site is not legal advice, does not constitute a lawyer referral service, and no attorney-client or confidential relationship is or will be formed by use of the site. He was always keeping me updated on everything every step through the process and was always available for me if I had a question. There are many reasons a doctor may suggest a possible spinal fusion surgery, but here are a few: No matter what injury or condition brings you to the doctor, you deserve quality care. According to the Mayo Clinic, common risks of spinal fusion include: While medical negligence can show up in a variety of forms, there are essentially three ways your surgeon or other medical professional can be liable for malpractice when it comes to spinal fusion: For the first two types of malpractice, the question is whether a reasonably competent surgeon or other medical practitioner in the same position could make the same mistake (this is called the medical standard of care). The range of injuries that can arise after a failed spinal fusion is quite large, because not only do these procedures operate directly on the spine, but the area in question is close to the spinal cord. In some cases, failed spinal fusion surgery is a result of defective medical devices that doctors use. Worse than that is the revelation that Medtronics paid off their own doctors so there would be no disclosure of these potential risks. Common spinal procedures (open lumbar laminectomy and fusion; anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF); microdiscectomy; and posterior cervical laminectomy and fusion) are a last resort. Get Veritas Health Newsletters delivered to your inbox. Other types of lawsuits around spinal fusions are medical malpractice claims for unnecessary surgeries and negligence claims for botched procedures (even one by professional wrestler Hulk Hogan), products liability, and wrongful death. One in five people experience failed back surgery syndrome, meaning a spinal fusion did not work. The typical cost of spinal fusion surgery can range from $16,000 to $30,000 depending on various factors such as the type of fusion surgery, the location on the spine, and the location where the procedure is done. Working with David was a pleasure. When medication, lifestyle changes, physical therapy and other interventions do not work, pain management physicians will likely raise the possibility of surgery. Minor back injuries that only require pain medications and physical therapy have a relatively low value. Our Maryland personal injury lawyers see a lot of back injuries and we have seen first-hand how spinal fusion surgery can double or triple the settlement value of these cases. The potential risks of Medtronics Infuse Bone Grafts included: Unfortunately, up to half the patients treated with Medtronics device ended up with serious medical complications. Veritas Health, LLC, 520 Lake Cook Road, Suite 350, Deerfield, IL, 60015, Comparison of 2-Level Cervical Artificial Disc vs. 2 Level ACDF, Lumbar Spine Fusion for Degenerative Disc Disease, Postoperative Care for Spinal Fusion Surgery, Back Surgery Video: How Spinal Fusion Stops Back Pain, Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (FBSS): What It Is and How to Avoid Pain after Surgery, Lumbar Decompression Back Surgery Considerations, Scar Tissue and Continued Pain After Back Surgery, Treatment for Failed Back Surgery Syndrome Video, What Causes Buttock Muscle Pain and How to Relieve it, Piriformis Syndrome: When the Symptoms Indicate a Medical Emergency, Massage to Reduce Buttock Muscle Pain from Piriformis Syndrome, Suffering from Lumbar Spinal Stenosis? Additional risks and complications of a spinal fusion include (but are not limited to): The main target in spinal fusion litigation is Medtronic. What Should I Do If I Think my Spinal Fusion Surgery is Causing Issues? When victims are forced to live with a physical disability, insurance settlements and jury verdicts should reflect that. A 44-year-old woman was involved in a chain-reaction collision. A lawyer can preserve your claim. She injured her head, neck, and back. Past Florida jury verdicts generally put the full value pain and suffering value of a single level fusion surgery at $250,000 to $400,000. It can occur without symptoms so the patient doesnt even know he or she has it. But keep in mind this is not like looking at the average price of West Texas crude oil. If you or a loved one are suffering from these devastating effects, we want to help. Poor surgical technique. The defense admitted liability but disputed the injuries. Some experts think theres a difference in springiness between a fusion with and without hardware to hold it together during the healing phase. If you have not met with an attorney, consider looking through the Enjuris directory for someone in your state who can help. Future lost income reduced to present value, Loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life, condition occurred with regularity and was therefore foreseeable, length of time that Target should have known it was there, metal rack that was holding the rug and the rug itself allegedly came loose and fell on the shoppers, things that can affect how much your injury case is worth, customer has 4 years to sue Home Depot if injured inside the store, shoulder surgery on a client of mine whose case I settled for $210,000, emotional well-being had been affected by theaccident, quality of her relationship with her husband had beenaffected by her accident related injuries, settled several injury cases with Travelers, injured persons age often affects the value of a case, uninsured/underinsured (UM/UIM) motorist coverage, National Car Rental also offers $100,000 in UM coverage, Avis website says that Additional Liability Insurance does, find out for FREEif we can represent you, Florida Motor Vehicle No-Fault Law, Personal Injury Protection (PIP), settled cases throughout the entire state of Florida. An instrumented fusion can fail if there is not enough support to hold the spine while it is fusing. One of them, as noted by two plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit against Medtronic and its subsidiaries, is heterotopic bone growth or bone growth outside of the skeleton. The defense admitted liability but disputed the injuries. Hampton & King. A real class act with your best interest at heart! For many, this surgery can bring forth a greater quality of life. We advise to take all statistics with a grain of salt, because numbers vary a lot. A spinal fusion surgery is an extremely invasive and intensive surgery type, and usually lasts several hours.
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