Hi SLM,
Thank you for posting your diary. It’s really an exciting experience.
I still don’t understand the insurance coverage part: how could healthcare insurance cover this obvious cosmetic surgery? Some other leg problem(s) got fixed at same time?
Thank you
Walking is back to normal now after a week. Was at a party last night and after standing for about 3 hours, the legs started getting a bit tired but not a big deal. The incision sites still hurt if I put pressure on it but that should go away soon. I honestly thought the removal surgery would be a bigger deal but thankfully Dr. Rozbruch is the best at what he does.
I did ask him if the STRYDE 10mm nail was available yet and he again said that Nuvasive was still testing some things and it was available but not readily available? I think Dr. Rozbruch is a very conservative doctor and he is waiting a little bit to see more results from the new STRYDE nail. He recommended that I wait til the spring to do my tibias and let Nuvasive work out all the kinks of the new nail. I have a follow up appt with him next week and will ask him if any of his patients are using any of the STRYDE nails yet.
As for insurance, as I have explained before, there is the surgeon fees and the hospital fees. If you have insurance, there is a good chance the hospital fees should be covered as it is not voluntary, the other patients have experienced the same. For the surgeon fees, insurance "might" cover a small portion of it but that amount won't be the deciding factor whether you want to go through with it or not. Again tho I have to STRESS that you have to be prepared to cover all expenses in case insurance covers nothing. I don't think you can know before hand how much it will cost you until after the surgery and the claims are submitted.
Walking is back to normal now after a week. Was at a party last night and after standing for about 3 hours, the legs started getting a bit tired but not a big deal. The incision sites still hurt if I put pressure on it but that should go away soon. I honestly thought the removal surgery would be a bigger deal but thankfully Dr. Rozbruch is the best at what he does.
I did ask him if the STRYDE 10mm nail was available yet and he again said that Nuvasive was still testing some things and it was available but not readily available? I think Dr. Rozbruch is a very conservative doctor and he is waiting a little bit to see more results from the new STRYDE nail. He recommended that I wait til the spring to do my tibias and let Nuvasive work out all the kinks of the new nail. I have a follow up appt with him next week and will ask him if any of his patients are using any of the STRYDE nails yet.
As for insurance, as I have explained before, there is the surgeon fees and the hospital fees. If you have insurance, there is a good chance the hospital fees should be covered as it is not voluntary, the other patients have experienced the same. For the surgeon fees, insurance "might" cover a small portion of it but that amount won't be the deciding factor whether you want to go through with it or not. Again tho I have to STRESS that you have to be prepared to cover all expenses in case insurance covers nothing. I don't think you can know before hand how much it will cost you until after the surgery and the claims are submitted.
Yes I got the scars from Precise 2. It is not surprising tho as I am asian and prone to scarring. I will get the scars fixed later on. I don't think there's a 9mm nail coming out. I think Dr. Rozbruch misspoke when he said that there was one as the last convo I had with him he said there was a 10mm one. I have an appt with him tomorrow so I will double check. As for the cost I figure it should be the same as the current Precise 2 cost with an additional 5k for the new STRYDE nail like Paley is charging.
Had my apt yesterday and got the stitches removed. Dr R confirmed that the smallest Stryde nail is 10mm. He is having his first Stryde patient in the next couple of weeks. I am tentatively doing my tibias with the 10mm next year in feb/march.
Thanks for your answers and updates SLM!
I almost missed the point that you are an Asian; I am also an Asian too! 
I will be meeting with Dr. Rozbruch next month for my initial consultation appointment. Great to know that doctor is finally using Stryde on patients! I am actually planning to have my femur surgery at around the same time like you planned for your upcoming one at around Feb/March too! Maybe we can meet if everything goes smoothly on my side! wow!
I know I am dreaming big here, but I hope to discuss with the doctor on the possibility to claim my whole surgery as a treatment for short stature due to thalassemia minor, which unfortunately I was born with. The only thing worrying me is the cost/insurance. If I am lucky to have my insurance covering that much of the expenses like you had, then I am at a pretty sweet spot.
Hey man! Any updates on how your walking is now or any pain since you got the nail removed?
Quote from: shortykon on October 28, 2018, 01:01:59 AMThanks for your answers and updates SLM!
I almost missed the point that you are an Asian; I am also an Asian too!
I will be meeting with Dr. Rozbruch next month for my initial consultation appointment. Great to know that doctor is finally using Stryde on patients! I am actually planning to have my femur surgery at around the same time like you planned for your upcoming one at around Feb/March too! Maybe we can meet if everything goes smoothly on my side! wow!
I know I am dreaming big here, but I hope to discuss with the doctor on the possibility to claim my whole surgery as a treatment for short stature due to thalassemia minor, which unfortunately I was born with. The only thing worrying me is the cost/insurance. If I am lucky to have my insurance covering that much of the expenses like you had, then I am at a pretty sweet spot.
Good luck man, yeah maybe we can get together sometime in the spring haha. Yeah there was someone in here who got to do it for under $40k with Dr. R as they had some condition. But you can never count on that, always have to go in with the mindset that you might have to shell out $100k.
Quote from: raheemb1 on November 09, 2018, 03:06:41 AMHey man! Any updates on how your walking is now or any pain since you got the nail removed?
Walking is perfectly fine but it was already that way before the nail removal. Running tho has improved, feels more natural now. And the one minor pain that I still felt when laying on my side and putting pressure on the rod is now completely gone after they were taken out. I definitely recommend removing them. I am now just bidding my time until the spring when I can return to do the tibia, it's going to be a long winter haha.
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