Some years ago I was operated at spinal column at the Neurosurgery hospital from Cluj-Napoca. The diagnosis was tumour on cauda equine paraparesis. I'll go on quoting the description of my illness written on the medical document I have left the hospital with:
"Two years
before the intervention, the patient had a lumbar-sacral traumatism, after
which she remained with pains in lumbar-sacral region and also in her left
leg. Half a year later the pains became permanent and they were especially
in the coccidian region. There also appeared sphincteral disturbances i.e.
urinary retention. Thereafter her illness was slowly progressing and her
strength in legs was diminishing little by little.
At the neurologic
exam they established a flaccid paraparesis with excessive osteon-tendinous
reflexes; achilleine and media-plantar reflexes were absent. There were
no sensitivity disorders.
The myelography
showed a stop at D12.
The operation
was performed - laminectomy at D12 - L3; they established the presence
of a infiltrating formation on the conus medularis up to L3. The formation
was partially taken out - only the lower part of it.
The histologic
exam showed: ependymoma mixopapilar."
I think it is important to mention that the Neurosurgery Hospital - where I was operated - had not the microsurgery instruments which they needed for my operation; they also had not had any similar case before. In that situation, after my leaving the hospital, they recommended cobalt-therapy. So, I made 30 cobalt-therapy sessions.
The evolution of my illness was unfavorable and step by step I lost the power in my legs. Then I went to "Gheorghe Marinescu" Hospital in Bucharest, where I was operated again by Dr. Gheorghe Panoza.
In the following I'll present the operational proceedings:
"Incision with the excision of the previous old scar. In reopening it a liquid cyst from the periphery of the durable sack of newformation is found out. Between the spinal cone and the roots of de cauda equine there is a brown-grey, soft, slightly bleeding tumorous formation. The tumour is completely ablated macroscopically. The filum terminalis dilated in a cyst having remnants of tumour is also ablated. The agglutinated roots of the cauda equine are dissected and released. The fragment of periradicularis scar is excised. Haemostasis. Sutures in plans".
A day after the operation I could stand up and I was able to walk in the room with a little help. A part of the moves of my feet and shank - which I could not make before the operation -were present again. Unfortunately, 6-7 days after the operation appeared big pains in my legs and high fever. The doctor ascertained the appearance of a fistula in the spinal channel with a loss of the cephalo-rachidianum liquid - all these happened because of an intolerance to the thread. There gradually appeared sensitivity disturbances - hypersensitivity in my right thigh and loss of sensitivity in my left thigh. In just a few months there installed a paraplegia. I staid for 7 months in hospital until my fistula recovered; during that time I completely lost the strength in the muscles of my legs and also the sensitivity.
From the neurological point of view, when I left hospital my situation could be characterized as follows:
Having left hospital, I followed a severe recovery program,
which consisted of:
Due to this recovery program I have made
important progress in my movement; my situation has improved a lot, I have
regained a part of the strength in my legs, but not sufficient for walking.
In May 1995 I was in Brescia - Italy, where I underwent two investigations: computer tomography and magnetic resonance. Based on these analyses, Prof. Dr. A. Bolatti established the new diagnosis: scarred adhesions and inflammation arachnoidianum post surgical. I was recommended a treatment with infiltrations with SOLU MEDROL in the spinal column - I had about 25 infiltrations, but with no important result.
Please be so kind as to study my case and tell me what you think of it and of the perspectives it offers.
I hope that
You'll find a way to help me.
Thank you very
much for Your attention.
If you want to get in touch with me by e-mail, please e-mail to my friend Diana at dianaz@cs.toronto.edu