Question
2 1/2 years ago I suffered a spinal cord absess which required emergency surgery after developing neurological symptoms.  I now have a 4 inch scar down my spinal cord which shows up on the MRI scan.  I C5/C6 was drained and C5 was reconstructed and a carbon ring inserted.  I still experience numbness, tingling, lack of balance, general weakness, bowel control is about 80%.  My wife was reading about stem cell implantation and it says that if the nerve paths have not been severed then this type of treatment can be effective.  The neurosurgeon that did my op. said there was nothing he could do now to improve my condition.  Do you think that means that my spinal cord was severed and not just damaged?
Thanks
Anthony Ridgway


Answer
hi anthony-

Generally speaking, damage to the spinal cord is the same whether the cord is severed or just bruised. The phrase 'if the nerve paths have not been severed..' confuses me just a bit- if the nerve paths aren't severed (either sliced apart or caused to die by whatever trauma) then there's no damage, right?

Perhaps i misunderstand you- if so, please correct me...

As for stem cells- what I've heard at this juncture is not mind-blowingly good (as we all hoped it'd be). I know a doctor who does neurosurgery in England and the couple of people (both young men, both had stem cells at time of injury) he'd treated this way showed improvement barely above those without stem cells. This is anecdotal, of course. By all means, though, ask your surgeon about it- ask every question you can think of... my guess is that stem cells may be far more helpful in the future than they are now (for SCI anyway) after we get a bit better at understanding how things in there work.

good luck
leslie