Mr Martin Knight/Spinal foundation

Hi, I have just been on the Spinal Foundation. Is Mr Martin Knight good, did your operation work? The website looks really encouraging but don't want to get hopes up though. Thanks

Spinal foundation

Hi,
I've been suffering with progressive neck pain for years now and have not had any help from the NHS. I recently had steroid injections in my neck which has made things worse. All they can suggest now is pain killers which don't work anyway. I have been asking for a referral to the Spinal Foundation for years but my PCT refuses. I can't afford to pay privately as not working currently due to so much pain. I have contacted Spinal Foundation about costs but they can't give me a round about amount. Thing is, if i see him privately the NHS washes their hands off me in relation to getting a referral to to see them ever.
I don't know why but somehow i feel they may be able to help me with my awfully painful neck.
Can you tell me your experience please with Mr Knight.
Thanks Anna

i would advise to keep away from who you ask about, i am virtually crippled after surgery in 1996, if you do go and see him, think about it and take advise from someone else first before any procedure,

please .tell us more i am interseted in what happend to you

If anyone requires and information with regards to Mr Knight etc please don not heistate to contact me. I had a procedure done with him in Oct 2006. Any questions or advice...

Regards

Lisa Sinden

lisa how did u get refered to see him as im battling wirh gp and was rthe op ok
celestine1967 plse reply asap

i would advise to keep away from who you ask about, i am virtually crippled after surgery in 1996, if you do go and see him, think about it and take advise from someone else first before any procedure,

did mr knight do a op on u
celestine1967

spinal operation

Please could we have some more info. on your experience of spinal op.
Was it done using the MISS (minimally invasive) technique?. I'd really appreciate some feedback.

See old thread!

Hi,
There was a thread about this before - I remember because I posted in it, follow this link for that thread:

Best wishes,
Cathy.

HI
<a class="go2wpf-bbcode" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="Lisasinden">Lisasinden

How to I conact you as I am seeing Mr. Knight pretty soon.

HI

How to I conact you as I am seeing Mr. Knight pretty soon.

I have undergone surgery at The Spinal Foundation. If I can help, please use the PRIVATE MESSAGING SECTION (if you are eligeble) to contact me in private

Best wishes

SPINELF

Need info please can u help

Hi I am considering to see mr martin knight as I've had spinal surgery in 2009 but it was not a complete success and the NHS surgeon has given me an option which is spinal fusion as it is not a very successful surgery plus the surgeon him self does not recommend spinal fusion i heard about
Mr M Knight can u help me with some info?

My problem is in L4/5 area with spondylolisthesis grad 1 with sciatica going down right leg I've had it for five years now but first it was 24hrs a day 7 days a week after surgery it is now intermittent.

HI
<a class="go2wpf-bbcode" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="Lisasinden">Lisasinden

How to I conact you as I am seeing Mr. Knight pretty soon.

hey did you see Mr M Knight yet and if you did how did it go?

Copy of other martin knight post

HiMr M Knight can u help me with some info?

My problem is in L4/5 area with spondylolisthesis grad 1 with sciatica going down right leg I've had it for five years now but first it was 24hrs a day 7 days a week after surgery it is now intermittent.

Hiya BIONIcuser.

I had an Endoscopic Laser Foraminoplasty and Decompression procedure to cure my 'L 4/5 sciatica' at the BMI Huddersfield in October 2008, performed by Mr. Knight himself.

MR KNIGHT'S (ELFD) PROCEDURE, DID WHAT IT SAID ON THE TIN!!

Or, in his case, the 'web site'.

Everything from the initial consultation to the hospital release, went as per his descriptions.

The consultation lasted just under of 2 hours, and he as was very thorough and considerate. He said things that I have never heard from any Surgeon, before or since. Those 2 hours cost me £200, the same my NHS Surgeon charged (privately), and he gave me just 15 mins.

The preparations, extra requirements and information before the surgery was 1st class. During the operation, I was able to tell him which nerves were pain producing and which were not, this is because of the aware state/ twighlight anaesthetic.

Due to complictaions, my op lasted 3 hours instead of one and a half, but I was able walk unaided 30 minutes after I came back from theatre.

I walked home the next day, using my legs, taxis and trains.

I had 'no' post op complications, scarring and only required a sterisrip plaster and one stitch. My GP said it was the 'most neat' thing he had ever seen!!

This is the most minimally invasive spinal surgery available in the UK if not the world today, but don't take my word for it, read his web site and compare with other surgeons who claim to use MISS techniques.

The truth is out there people, do your research!!

Best wishes

SPINELF

BIONIcuser

hey did you see mr m knight yet and if you did how did it go?

see my post on the other martin knight post!!

I am also thinking of using this clinic, but really want to know a bit more about them before I commit. Finding unbiased info seems really difficult.
Bill

I am also thinking of using this clinic, but really want to know a bit more about them before I commit. Finding unbiased info seems really difficult.
Bill

Why do you think the info is biased?

It is not a 'clinic' the operations take place at the BMI Huddersfield.

Have you looked at their website?

If you want some unbiased information, then download or only read any of studies about MISS spine surgery and its advantages and worldwide success.

Hiya bil4lyn.

I am also thinking of using this clinic, but really want to know a bit more about them before I commit. Finding unbiased info seems really difficult.
Bill

If you want to know, if information on this site, regarding Mr. Martin Knight and his minimally invasive (key hole) spinal surgery is biased or not,
try these steps;

1)
Ask Mr. Knight for copies of his peer reviewed papers, and results of the world wide trials of his treatments, and other MISS Surgeons similar (truly) minimally invasive, endoscopic and laser decompression procedures. There will be a big package coming through the letter box, so be prepared for a long week of reading and research!

'OR'

2)
Ask an NHS or Private Spinal Surgeon, to supply you with the same type of information on their 'so called' gold standard spinal procedures. Whilst you are at it, also demand to see, the safety and efficacey rates of these procedures, and also for the results of 'any trials' on 'all' of their decompression procedures, including Fusions. I hope you will be luckier than me!

After 3 years of reseach, 6 consultations with spine surgeons, 'freedom of information requests' from 4 seperate NHS trusts (UK wide) over a 3 year period (thats 4 requests each year), and a formal complaint procedure, I have still not been offered anything in writing or verbally, that provides any evidence 'at all' to support the premis, that so called 'gold standard' NHS spinal surgery is safe, efficatious or appropriate.

If anyone wants to prove me wrong, please feel free, supply this missing written info: Please!!!

Then again bil4lyn, you could save yourself a lot of stress and heartache, and just read 'The Spinal Foundation' web site. Myself and other 'SF' patients on this forum, can confirm,
it does what it says on the tin!!

PS.
Ask your Spine Surgeon to refer you to Mr. Knight!!
See what he/she says, it will not be good!
Then ask him/her for confirmation of his/her concerns!
Dont hold your breath!!!

Best wishes

SPINELF

Trust me - Ten days after my op. - same sort of thing and everything that Mr Knight has sad - he achieved. Trust me - this man does not B.S. at all

Miss methods

They dont always work, my brother had "miss" with martin knight and still walked out in alot of pain and 6 months on , he is still in alot of pain and financially much the poorer,,,,so there are no guarentees.

Hi Lancalot, and welcome 🙂

Could you tell us more please? What operation did your brother have? Was it a success? Has he been back to MK? What does he say?

Has your brother had a new MRI and what were the results, before nad after?

It's great to say it doesn't work, but just because your brother is in pain doesn't mean to say that the surgery didn't work? We need more info please, if thats possible, or better still get your brother to sign up and join us here to talk about things. One thing we do well is share our stories, and tips on care etc 🙂

Hiya Lancelot.

They dont always work, my brother had "miss" with martin knight and still walked out in alot of pain and 6 months on , he is still in alot of pain and financially much the poorer,,,,so there are no guarentees.

I am sorry to hear that your brother did not find the results of his MISS procedure as pain releiving as we all would have wished, but you are correct, with regards to spinal surgery, there are no guarentees! But I am fairly sure, that Mr. Knight would not have left your brother with as many scars, liesions and other damage that is common with standard spine surgery! Other procedure will be possible in the future!

Taking up a point that Cassie makes, I underwent an (ELFD) procdure in 2008 to clear a L4/5 osteophyte 'bone spur' impingement of my sciatic nerve, all the scan results showed this to be the 'obvious target' and the 'probable cause' of all of my pain.

After the operation though, all of my sciatic related pains and problems were removed, instantly, and I walked 10 minutes after the operation!! But I was still in a lot of pain.
It turns out, that the L5/S1 level which was known to have (what was described as) a minor, small, little or insignificant disc bulge, was in fact, causing as much, if not more pain than the L4/5 problems did!

Multi level spinal issues (like mine) are very complicated to diagnos and I'm sure that your Brother's is no exeption. I would resectfull suggest that joins HP forum and read lots of other medical papers as possible to gain further information about his condition.

Best wishes

SPINELF

Miss

My brother had an ELF procedure to remove scar tssue around the nerve at l4/l5 after previous open surgery.MRI clearly showed scar tissue in this area. Discogram also highlighted the problem.
After the procedure, my brother was still in alot of pain and had quite a bad reaction with it all. The sciatic pain has never gone away and he is still hobbling around. He has had a further MRI scan and it shows pretty much as before, a hell of alot of scar tissue around the nerve at L4/L5, so it does nt seem to have achieved anything !! I have seen the scans and they seem to be exactly the same as pre-op to post op after 6 mnths
His option is to have another go and pay for another ELF operation , but i am not to sure if he can afford another £10,400.Its a shame you cant get a reduction in price when the first one does nt work from the outset !!

That is all what I am talking about in my posts - MISS surgery is FIRST LINE OF TREATMENT for all spinal problems. Unfortunately, your brother already had open spine surgery, and that compromises possible outcomes of minimally-invasive treatments.

MISS surgery does not exclude future surgical treatments and it rarely makes things more difficult for patients.

Medical Tourism is very popular nowdays, so people travel abroad even for spinal surgery to save money.

MISS surgery is FIRST LINE OF TREATMENT for all spinal problems.

Surgery should never be seen as a First Line of Treatment for anything. All risks and alternative treatments should be assessed before jumping into something that can have major consequences.

Myarka

Sorry, I was not clear enough!

I should have said like this: MISS surgery is FIRST LINE OF TREATMENT for all spinal problems, when conservative therapy including steroids infiltration has failed.

Another failure with laser to remove scar tissue

Well, i somehow came across this website and i was quite intrigued to read some other stories.Unfortunalty i am in the same boat as some of the other "replies". I had convential discectomy on the lower back and was left with some scar tissue problems. After trying the normal injections without success, i to opted to go to the Spinal Foundation as they reccommended laser to remove the scarring. Unfortunatly that did not happen , i had a hell of alot of pain after the surgery, i was really in a bad way for the first 3 mnths and when i finally got another scan , the radiologsit reported basically that there was no difference with the scar tissue compression to the scan before the procedure to that after, So i think it is fair to say it was a COMPLETE FAILURE!!!. I to was offered a revision ELF but of course with no guarentee of success and to be honest i dont want to go through the pain after the op again,,,,we are talking 9/10 even with strong medication(i was struggling to get through the day), I am now looking at other procedures in Europe which may also give good results and a lot less money.

I know everyone is different,but to those who are pushing this,,,just be aware it does not always work and of course its very expensive and very rarely funded by the NHS,

Andy that is very sad, but there is a much higher sucess rate for 1st time operations obviously with a fbs you are going to be a difficult case and once scar tissues have formed after the invasion of conventional surgery it is very difficult for any procedure to correct that.

The USA appear to be the only country that uses a slightly different method of touching the nerves that does not result in any after op rebound pain that MK expects due to the trauma of removing scar tissue from nerves.

Good luck with your quest 🙂

I know everyone is different,but to those who are pushing this,,,just be aware it does not always work and of course its very expensive and very rarely funded by the NHS,

Hiya Andy and welcome.

I am very sorry to see that you did not have ‘a positive outcome’ after your spinal procedure at The Spinal Foundation. What procedure did you have done?

You are quite right of course Andy, there are ‘no guarantees’ when it comes to ‘any’ spinal surgery. The key to any successful procedure, is finding the correct diagnosis and target area/s!

But even when you do locate the correct target area, as with me, complications (like original scarring) can negatively affect ‘a fully positive’ clinical outcome. In my case, after a long period of research, the sciatic pains that came from my L4/5 level, were believed to be the cause ‘of all’ of my pains and disabilities. However, 12 months after the successful (ELFD) sciatic ‘osteophyte’ decompression operation, it became clear that ‘only half of my symptoms’ were fully cleared. After further research, it has become clearer, that I also needed to have cleared, an L5/S1 level ‘disc’ impingement. Although this problem was noted in 5 prior MRI scans, 7 Consultants underestimated the effects of this ‘disc’ impingement, those underestimating this, included Mr. Martin Knight and Myself!

Traditional ‘open back’ based procedures, like your first procedure, are well known for creating post operative scarring, lesions and general spinal instability. Minimally Invasive Endoscopic surgical procedures ‘are much less likely’ to have caused those problems in the first place, as the procedures are specifically designed to avoid such issues. Once these scarring issues have been created, it becomes very difficult indeed to remove them. More operations = more damage.

(MISS) procedures are generally much safer and have more safety and efficacy rates, testing results and long term outcome information available (from around the world) so that patients can make an informed choice. After 4 years of research, 5 NHS spinal units have declared that they do not make, record or keep anyinformation about the safety & effectiveness of decompression procedures, nor have they carried out any trials, or possess any results of trials carried out elsewhere!! So it is clear to anyone who does their own research, that there is little in the way of ‘true choice’ in this country!

I am glad you are not giving up your search for a procedure to clear your suffering, do you’re your research well and always demand ‘factual’ answers and ‘published medical papers’ to any of your questions.

Look for 'transforaminal approach' techniques, as these MISS procedures will reduce the likelyhood of further scarring that you received with your traditional open back procedure.

Don't be fooled by false MISS claims, if it cuts through muscle, tissue, nerves, tendons and bone, then it's not MISS.

Here are some helpful links if you have not already found them Andy.

<a class="go2wpf-bbcode" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="www.laserspinenetwork.com">www.laserspinenetwork.com

[DLMURL="http://www.spine-surgery-croatia.com/spinal-surgery-in-europe-price-comparison"]www.spine-surgery-croatia.com/spinal-surgery-in-europe-price-comparison[/DLMURL]

<a class="go2wpf-bbcode" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="www.bcn-sc.com">www.bcn-sc.com

<a class="go2wpf-bbcode" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="www.placidway.com">www.placidway.com

<a class="go2wpf-bbcode" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="www.bandscheibenvorfall.de">www.bandscheibenvorfall.de

<a class="go2wpf-bbcode" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="www.joimax.com">www.joimax.com

Wishing you the very best

SPINELF