What's your experience with Vertiflex Superion Implant?

Background: Veteran. I have been dealing with Severe Stenosis & out of work for 5 months now and missed 60% of work that entire year.

Doctor kept asking me why I do not do the epidural shots. I was told by others that if the steroid packs are not working, then why would the shot for the most part. Plus I have heard of people who got worse. Not saying I would get worse, but my gut feeling says beware on those shots.

Then they set me up to do the Vertiflex procedure and I just cancelled it today because my gut feeling is telling me that I would rather have several good weeks in the year and try to accept/manage the rest of the year that is really bad, than to make things worse. It seems like every 6 months I am now put in hospital. But after each bout, couple months later, I can walk half the time without a can and deal with the extreme pain because I have had years to learn how to fake how I look on the outside even though I am feeling destroyed inside much of the time.

I decided today to research more on the vertiflex and it seems it's not actually working for people as much as I had hoped. I honestly feel PRESSURED by doctors to get surgery and I am too young for me to start opening my back up knowing that too many people say over n over that once you do, you have a 50/50 chance of making things worse.

My actual plan is to fight it another 5-7yrs and see if the new generation AI that we are experiencing will change the way we do back surgeries. If they can make humanoid robots, they must be able to bring back surgery and be able to replace full sections of spine that move even better than the original. Hope that made sense.

Can you give an update on how you are doing? I just cancelled my Vertiflex procedure for L4,5 because I still don't feel comfortable having them open my back up when I have heard over n over for years that it just leads to more n more surgeries and a 50/50 shot at making things worse.

I originally was being pushed to do a fusion of L4,5, s1 and even the spine doctor I consulted with said that with all the other issues, it will certainly lead to other surgeries. Even my sisters doctor who did 2 surgeries on her told her fusions are too much risk vs reward and he is a surgeon for major sports team.

I hope I am not too late with my opinion. I am far worse off than you. I go through major periods where I keep bouncing back n forth between wheelchair, cane, not using cane. Days I can do work around the house in pain, yet under a lot of meds to curtail the worst. I was discharged from military from it. In past two years, it has gotten really bad to the point I have been out of work for months now. I suffer from really bad headaches with the back pain too. So it's been tough even trying to do continuous work. I can mess around with putting up a light in the house one day and then suffering the next day and being on the chair all day/night.

The fact that you have plenty of enjoyment mixed in with your unfortunate pain/disability. Take it from someone that has been stranded on a floor for over 10 hours because I could not move. Fight what you have with as much physical therapy as you can, keep active. DON'T do surgery until you simply cannot fight it any longer.

I just cancelled my vertiflex procedure for next week because my gut feeling keeps telling me that these surgeries only lead to more surgeries and the days that are good, I live and die for!
Keep fighting as long as you can!

How are you doing? I just cancelled my vertiflex for L4,5 today because my gut feeling tells me that with all the other issues, I am just going to open a pandora box that will never close again. Stuck between a rock and a hard place. Trying to go back to work for light duty as meds are tamping down the worst of it. Yet in past 2yrs. I have been 100% incapacitated every few months. yet my good days, I look forward to and feel like I should keep fighting to wait for AI and robotics industry to finally bring back surgery into a new era. If they can build exoskeletons, humanoid robotics. then they should be close to having fully functional spine replacements.

Can you update us on how you are doing post vertiflex surgery?

I read a lot today after I canceled my Vertiflex procedure earlier. My gut feeling makes me stuck in between a rock and a hard place. Darn if I do, Darn if I don't type of situation. Never had surgery either. Yet my spine is becoming completely straight, have severe stenosis, severe degenerative disc disease. My spine is also twisted. Plus I have one leg that is 1/2 inch or more longer than other that is continually pulling on my spine.

They wanted me to do fusion of L4,5, S1 and doctor even told me it's a hit n miss and that what I have may just end up in more surgeries. My pain doctor seemed agitated that I am dealing with so many months out of work, so much time going from walking to stranded on floor, wheelchair. One day using cane, next walking. One hour going up steps and next hour crawling up those same steps. So he basically says I can't live like this, that I need to do surgery.

Then they brought another pain doc in because I refused fusion. He talked about the Vertiflex procedure and I told him I felt more comfortable possibly doing this. But all the research I have done keeps coming up with more harm than good. After coming onto this site today, I am glad I went with my gut feeling and canceled the surgery. The shame is the doctors applying pressure does not help either!

I don't know if it is a scam. But my gut feeling keeps telling me that my L4, L5 surgery they want to do is going to result in the same fashion as the many I bad reviews I keep hearing about.

The VA hospital doctor is the one now pushing for this and I just do not trust the process for some reason. I too thought after hearing how minimally evasive it was, that this was better solution than the horrible fusion I refuse to do. Spine surgery is so outdated considering we have robotic ability, building humanoid robots. As much as the spine is effected by so many peolple, they need to get into the next era and apply emerging AI with robotics and no reason why they can't be able to give people bionic parts. I am trying my hardest to hold out from any surgery hoping that in the next 5-7yrs, there is going to be new advancements in spinal surgery.

Strong, I am so sorry you are having such a hard time with your spine issues.
About two years ago I explored the vertiflex procedure for my bulging disc and stenosis. It appeared to be a relatively simple procedure that would correct these problems. That all changed when the pain specialist I last spoke to said I was not a candidate for it because I have a mild case of scoliosis. The concern was that my curve most likely will change as I get older and that would cause all kinds of problems with the implant moving. If my spine were straight and no concern over scoliosis, I would have been a candidate for it.
I think this procedure is also looked at as a temporary repair. It seems like it is somewhat unstable and anyone who would have it done most likely will need to have surgery later to have it removed.
I am dealing with a lot of the same problems you described, and I have been fighting it as well and finally accept the fact that my spine is not going to heal itself. I am in the process of selecting the surgeon who I trust enough to do the surgery which involves a multi level fusion from t10 to s1. I am not looking forward to that either!! But just know that I mean it when I say, I feel your pain and frustration over what decision is the right one. Just talk to several surgeons to educate yourself. I spoke to five.

Life is full of choices. Good luck

I had this procedure done about a year ago. The bottom line is it did't work for me. Hopefully will can work for others.