holly
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Posts: 1 
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Post by holly on Mar 22, 2013 10:46:13 GMT -7
Hello everyone,
I am new to this site and am eager to hear of everyone's experiences and knowledge. Phoenix, my 4 year old pekingese baby had back surgery on 02/08 for IVDD. He was experiencing back pain for approximately 2 months and his veterinarian managed his pain with steroids, but felt he couldn't stay on this medication forever and should be assessed by a veterinarian college in another province. Phoenix went to be assessed and had a CT scan done which showed he had two protrusion sites with disk material putting pressure on the spine. Although he was able to walk/run it was recommended that he have the surgery while he was young and healthy. Surgery was performed on February 8th and we received a phone call that there was some hemorrhaging during surgery, but they removed the disk materials and stabilized the bleeding during surgery and he was doing well. The surgery was done in another province so I was unable to see him as much as I would like, although staff called with daily updates I drove up to see him two days after surgery. He seemed like the same happy, excited little dog as he was before surgery but was unable to use his hind legs and had a catheter in. I was assured that it was normal and his hind limbs and bladder control would return. I went home excited and expecting to take him home in a few days. However, I received a phone call early the next morning that he had lost his deep pain sensation and they weren't sure why or if he would get it back. I continually asked the surgeon how he could have his deep pain before surgery and two days after surgery and then lose it unexpectedly if nothing changed. The surgeon then went through a couple of scenarios (maybe a hematoma, swelling, etc.), I asked if there were tests to confirm or reject any of these and he said "well we could do a MRI." I told him to go ahead and do one. Phoenix was then brought to the local human hospital the next day for his MRI and it came back showing nothing out of the ordinary. I must have asked 100 questions and never got a straight answer to one of them. I then spoke to Phoenix's regular vet and told him what had been going on and he told me to go get him and bring him home. I didn't know what I was getting myself into and couldn't get any answers from the professionals so before picking him up I called a local man who makes carts and explained the situation. He told me to first take Phoenix to the local rehab facility and get their opinion on his prognosis before putting him in a cart. I called the rehab and made an appointment for Monday. I picked Phoenix up on Friday (one week after his surgery) and had a quick lesson on how to express his bladder and was told to do some research on down dogs to see if I was able to care for him. After a long drive home we got situated and I must have cried for two days straight not knowing if I was doing the right thing for him or if I was being selfish because I would miss him. I took him to his appointment at the rehab vet Monday afternoon and was told he does have deep pain (more on the right side then left) and they wanted to start acupuncture and laser treatments twice a week. I was so excited to hear this, but the next morning I received a phone call from the surgeon at the college basically questioning the rehab vets ability after he received her report. It seemed like a very strange call but I was still on a high from the possibility of Phoenix regaining the use of his hind limbs. We continued rehab for 4 weeks and seen small movements and increased standing (even going from a sit to a stand when pinching his bum), but no controlled leg movements or evidence of soft touch. During this process I would ask tons of questions and get a feeling that I wasn't being told something. I had requested Phoenix's full medical chart when I picked him up and they told me first it would cost me an additional $150 and I told them that was okay, then after I paid it and was ready to walk out the door I was told the full chart wasn't ready but they would mail it out to me when it was complete. I started to go through the small amount of papers (this is about 5 weeks after surgery) I did receive at discharge and with what I read I got more frustrated and had more questions. I called the vet college's medical records department and left a voice mail inquiring on when to expect the rest of the medical chart. I then received a phone call back from the other surgeon on his case. She said she received a message that I wanted her to call me. I explained that I just left a message with their medical records department on when to expect the rest of the medical chart. She then said that it was ready said you're just waiting on the radiology report right. I told her that I was waiting on everything, the surgical report, anesthesia report, everything. I only had the daily check list, assessment and a short paragraph about is condition 2 days after surgery. She then responded with okay I'll get that ready and it will have the names of everyone that was in the OR. The conversation seemed to not sit right so I took a shot in the dark and asked her if the student performed any part of the surgery. She responded with they scrubbed in. I then said that's not what I asked you, I understand there was a student present but in Phoenix's case did the student perform any part of Phoenix's surgery. She then told me they performed the anesthesia, but quickly followed with it is our policy that a board certified anesthesiologist oversees the students work. I then asked if the board certified anesthesiologist overseen it and she said that is their policy. I again said I understand that is your policy but in Phoenix's case was the board certified anesthesiologist there to oversee the students work. She then responded with she wasn't the right person to ask and she would have the director call me back because I might have to sign some forms. I was completely confused at this point, but the director called me the next day and I got my answers. It turned out that the anesthesia was not performed correctly and during surgery Phoenix took a deep breath which caused the surgeon to tear and hemorrhage the dermatome with the surgical bur and they would offer to pay 8 weeks of rehab as a settlement. I asked if the dermatome was capable of healing and was told it was, but they couldn't say if it would. I spoke to the rehab vet and she said that she could not put a time limit on his rehab, all she could do is say he's making small improvements. I would appreciate everyone's advice or experiences on their pets progress in a similar situation. Phoenix is very happy but can't understand why he can't go outside with his brother and run and play. I have put off getting him a cart with the hope he will regain the use of his hind legs and was told a cart may delay his progress, as he might start to depend on it. To date I have seen his tail way, very small movements when I tickle his toes, large movements with his leg and tail when I squeeze his toes, going from a sit to a stand when you position his legs and pinch his bum, but I can't tell if this is all reflexes or improvements. Also, I am still manually expressing his bladder and when he has a bowel movement he stomps his hind legs and wags his tail. He also stretches his back legs every morning when I pick him up.
Holly
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Post by natureluva on Mar 22, 2013 17:24:20 GMT -7
Hi Holly, welcome to Dodger's List. We're glad you found us! That is unfortunate that there was an error during surgery. Can you tell us if Phoenix is on any medications? If so, what meds and what dosages and frequency of dosing? How are you doing with expressing the bladder? Did you know you can also express poop to avoid accidents? Here is a link on expressing: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/Expressing.htm Did the rehab start the acupuncture and laser? If not, we highly recommend it. They both stimulate the nerves to heal and reduce pain and inflammation. I believe it helped my dog regain his bladder control more quickly after his surgery. When Phoenix wags his tail, is it to exciting things such as being given a treat or a knock at the door? If so, that is a sign that nerve messages are being able to travel through the spinal cord. That is a good sign. The leg movements when expressing or when he poops are reflexive movements and do not involve the nerves. When a disc bulges or ruptures, there is a predictable course of neurological deterioration. When nerve healing occurs, often it follows in the reverse order: 1. Pain 2. Wobbly walking, legs cross 3. Nails scuffing floor 4. Paws knuckle 5. Legs do not work (paralysis, dog is down) 6. Bladder control is lost 7. Tail wagging with joy is lost 8. Deep pain sensation Therefore, the first neurological function to return is deep pain sensation, then tail wagging, bladder control, etc. Each dog recovers at a different rate and to a different degree. Some dogs stand up a week after surgery, and others, like my dog, Goosie, take a much longer time. It can take many months for nerves to regenerate. It took my Goosie 11 months after his surgery to walk again. You can read about different dogs' recoveries (including Goosie's) here: www.dodgerslist.com/monthstory.htmHere is a brief tutorial on IVDD: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/IVDDcourse/index.html If a dvd is more your style, we have an excellent one available for only $3 including shipping. It's great to have on hand to show to family/friends/petsitters so they will know what they can and cannot do with your dog and how they can help: www.dodgerslist.com/store/DVDorder.htm I disagree that your dog could become dependent on a cart. I got my cart from Eddie's Wheels and it did a wonderful job with helping to rebuild his rear leg muscles. It also kept his spine safely aligned and allowed his legs to get used to touching ground again. And most importantly, the cart gave him freedom! Here's a link on carts: www.dodgerslist.com/literature/IVDDcourse/wheelchairs_carts.html We look forward to hearing more about Phoenix. Best wishes, ~Lisa |
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