Dealing with continue issues along with some new ones.

[Lidiaggl]

I just had an MRI that showed restricted flow of spinal fluid despite decompression. Now what?

[selmaS]

   It is obvious the NL is not the person you need to see....how about a NS well experienced with Chiari....get a second opinion.....

I had a hard time getting a NL to work with me as well...and I was lucky to find a PCP willing to learn and speak with a Chiari specialist (NS) to learn as much as he could to help ,me.....

Sounds like you need different Drs.

[Lidiaggl]

SelmaS - Well I was just told that the MRI shows as Unremarkable, so they are not concerned all seems the same as the MRI I had before I had my Chiari surgery.  They can't explain why I am having the continue symptoms or different symptoms.  They just no longer want to really continue helping.  I got a nasty call from the Neurologist saying she has nothing to do with Chiari and does not know why people keep referring me back to her.  Pain Clinic wants to give me Injections and I really do not want them messing around my neck.  Not sure what next to do?  

[selmaS]

  To Lidia and her hubby......

If the dura was not opened it is possible that the more invasive procedure will help.....too many that have had the less invasive decompression have had to go for the full decompression with the dura being opened.

The dura needs to be made larger to allow for the flow....also if the bone is too aggressively removed then cerebral ptosis can occur.

I am not sure a shunt is the way to go at this point....too many of us have rejection issues with the shunts and there are so many issues that can develop with them too....they get clogged and malfunction.....so they can lead to many surgeries to keep them working.

[selmaS]

  What Dr is no longer practicing? are they on our list?

Shunts are used when there is an issue with CSF...when the patient has an over production of CSF a shunt is used to help drain it to another area to reduce pressure.

Do you know what type of decompression you had? There are noninvasive ones where the dura is not opened, it can lead to needing the decompression to be done again.Also, scar tissue can form causing an obstruction....

[Lidiaggl]

(From Lidia's hubby...) Dr. Johnny Delashaw at Swedish Hospital fell victim to a witch hunt conducted by the Seattle Times.  Hopefully he will continue practicing... somewhere... because I feel that (despite Lidia's current condition) he did a fantastic job.  

As you most all know, the latest thoughts on CM, including the controversial proposals about 'type 0' with the lack of tonsilar herniation, focus more on the disruption of CSF flow than on the measurement of the cerebellar tonsils.  

My question stems (pardon the pun) from the possibility that, despite the reduction of bone around her Foramen Magnum and C1 laminectomy, Dr. Delashaw chose NOT to perform a dura patch and went with the non-invasive approach.  Thus, metaphorically, even though the seat was made bigger, her pants are still too tight.  

I am just wondering if a shunt from the area anterior to the cerebellum, where Lidia is accumulating CSF, to the spinal canal, inside the dura, where the CSF SHOULD be going, is something that has been done.  Successfully, that is.

[Lidiaggl]

Continuation to question above - My husband wants to know if anyone heard of a shunt? I really not sure what else to do.  The surgeon who did my operation is no longer practicing in the hospital I had the surgery.  Not sure who else in Washington State to trust they know what they are doing.