Thanks for sharing about ur NS....can u please add his info to our list? We r always looking for names for the members to research.
Please locate the Drs list thread and add his info.
If u need help or have already done so, let me know and thanks so much for sharing : )
"selma"
Hello! I live right near you in South Eastern Ma. I was diagnosed with Chiari1 with a syrink and had to have a laminectomy 1yr ago. My Neurosurgeon who I saw and did my surgery is dr.Cello. He is an excellent surgeon. When I first saw him I already had a MRI of lumbar, midback, and cervical spine but he wanted me to get one of my brain. When he was going over my MRI he explained it in a way that I could understand. He is not one of the surgeons who thinks that once he does the surgery he is done with u. I saw him not only to get my stitches out but a few mnths after the surgery but also after I had my 6 mnth MRI's done and he wants to see me in a yr or two or if my symptoms get worse or if I have new ones. Also when I told him I was having problems with my primary dr. He Reffered me to another primary who actually is knowledgeable about Chiari and now I have a reg dr. who I feel comfortable with. Good luck with everything and keep us posted.
As you post other threads drop down, you were looking for this thread but could not find it. By posting a response I sent it or bumped it back to the top.
Can I suggest you maybe take some time to get familiar with the site here by scrolling down to: HOW TO NAVIGATE ON MEDHELP:
From Here
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Chiari-Malformation/Welcome-to-the-Chiari-and-Syringomyelia-Forum/show/699262
Hi and welcome to the Chiari forum.
Many of us get mixed signals as to what we should do and when...what u need to do is get tested for related issues like a syrinx...did u have a MRI of the cervical , thoracic and lumbar spine?...if not, a syrinx was not or could not be ruled out. This is important u want to avoid one if possible from forming and a CSF obstruction can lead to one forming newhere in the spine...too many Drs only check the cervical spine for a syrinx and proclaim u r syrinx free.
Next in addition to CSF flow, u need to look at symptoms and how this is affecting ur overall health...surgery is not a cure, or a fix...many can end up feeling worse post op...or develop new issues related to having the surgery...this is not something u can know in advance..and the benefits must out weight the risks in moving forward with surgery.
Do make sure u r talking with true chiari specialists, and know that not all with chiari r surgical candidates...so find a good NL close to home to do testing and to help u if u do qualify for surgery as a NS only has u as a patient for so long then u r released.
"selma"
Welcome to this forum and I'm so happy you have found us. You will get more info on here than any where. I'm also happy you have gotten a second opppion. When I was dx'd mine was also at 6.5 mm, but as you will see on here it is not the lenght but the width that matter's. As for me I decided on surgery because it was affecting my daily life. You will know in your heart when it is best for you to have surgery. I know finding out you have Chairi is hard to deal with and ecspecially hard to except, but finding the right NS is the best and a specialist is your answer. I want to let you know your not alone in this journey and we will help and support you the best we can. It is a long journey for some of us, but it is all worth it. I have to say the one thing that was hard for me to accept is having Chairi surgery is not a cure and once a Chairian always a Chairian. It is a life altering issue we have to deal with, but as you read other's post on here you will find we all have different way's and different symptoms that we have to accept and deal with, but we deal with them together which has been life saving for me. I hope the best for you in you journey and want to let you know your not alone.