After waiting an hour and a half to finally meet with the Doctor, we were able to discuss options. In addition to looking at my MRI results, pushing on my back in spots, and having me bend in various ways, he took an X-ray of my back bending backwards and forwards.
Like so many other doctors with whom I have spoken, he also did not like the idea of fusion for all the usual reasons (I am young and hopefully active again which would put pressure on the adjoining discs). He said that fusion was a procedure for someone who was age 60, not 40 (like me).
He did seem to think that disc replacement is a viable option and that I had given other treatments a chance to work and that I needed to go ahead and get this fixed. He is referring me to a Dr. Rick Delamarter in Santa Monica who is the "best guy in Southern California, if not the entire Country" for disc replacements. He said that Delamarter had had good success treating people and eliminating back pain in patients. I asked how many disc replacements Delamarter had done, and Dodge said over a thousand. Apparently he was part of the FDA study to get the procedure approved here in the U.S. I mentioned I had discussed disc replacement with a couple of Kaiser doctors, and Dodge dismissingly said they were the "Little League." He said there were some guys up in Encinitas who had done quite a few disc replacements who were "Semi-Pro." He said that in comparison, that Delamarter was a full-blown "Pro."
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