Disc Replacement Success Stories

(Newswire.net — May 28, 2015) Ione, CA —Way back in 2003 Jim Rider was the first American to discover Dr. Ritter-Lang and his first Disc Replacement patient from the US. Jim had Lumbar Disc Replacement at L4-5 with the Charite Disc Replacement.

Jim returned home to spread the word about the work being done with disc replacement, and now works to assist patients with seeking advice, evaluations, and scheduling. As a patient Consultant for Dr. Ritter-Lang Jim has advised thousands of people for over ten years now and over 1000 have become Disc Replacement patients.

Disc Replacement Surgery – The Procedure and Recovery
I woke up in recovery soon after surgery and was told it had gone well. I had recieved a disc replacement and not a fusion. There was really no pain to speak of in my back, this could be due to the morphine drip, but really I had a true feeling that my back pain was gone. After a few hours they asked if I was ready to stand up! I was shocked and horrified. In my morphine stupor I declined this request. Then a bit later they told me it was time to pee, after several unsuccessful efforts, who can pee with a nurse watching really, they decided to do a catheter. Looking back on this decission I would really recommend taking them up on the previous offer to try and stand up, and maybe walk to the bathroom! Catheters hurt..

Anyways just 12 short hours after surgery I was moved back to my room and was feeling quite fine. Really! They then put me on a morphine manual pump thing which I could control for pain relief, I quickly discovered that the terrible nausea and sweating I was going through were the result of the stupid morphine. A simple fact that may seem obvious now but when you find yourself twelve hours post surgery and high on pumpin morphine these simple things are not very clear. I then decided to try only using the morphine pump if the pain got real bad well it never did!

So at less than eighteen hours after surgery I did take them up on the offer and stand up and walk around a bit. No problem! First I walked with a walker then I asked the doctors why the walker was needed. They told me that because I was still hooked up to the morphine pump I could fall or get a bit dizzy. I told them I had not pumped the morphine for a few hours and at first they were shocked. They checked the pump logs, then once satisfied I had not used it they were happy to let me walk around unassisted for a while. I took advantage of this freedom and headed right to the bathroom to pee. I was quite happy to go with no catheter regardless of the pain it generated!

From that point forward I was up walking around every four hours or so and was morphine free and back pain free as well. The only pain was from the dam stitches and the burning when going to the bathroom.

During the next three days I walked all the time and enjoted the physical therapy they offered. I was really feeling quite normal except for those annoying stitches which unfortunately were extended below my waist and prevented wearing pants compfortably or wearing any sweats with a normal waist band. The next day I snuck out of my room and went across the street to have a steak and a beer. I was released from the hospital the next morning!

I really consider myself one of the true Disc Replacement Success Stories.

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