Complaint History & Business Rating for Virginia Spine Institute Plc

Timothy B. says: I can only speak from my personal experience after having two surgeries performed by one of their surgeons ten years ago. I was told I needed a revision surgery to fix a broken screw from a C3-C7 fusion done three years prior using my hip bone at that time. The second surgery the doctor told me about this new product/procedure they use that would eliminate the need for bone harvested from my hip. It sounded great. My wife and I was falsely assured that I'd be a " brand new man". The radiologist found nothing wrong with my xrays, but they claimed there was a broken screw and that was the source of this new pain. They ended up taking all the hardware out and EXTENDING my fusion another 4 levels using BMP-2 protein sponge that would grow bone. I never recovered from this surgery, was pacified with increasing pain medicine until obviously I could no longer work. I complained that I felt this was only hiding a problem, I didn't have before the surgery. It turns out that this procedure was not only an off label use of this BMP bone growing protein, but it was particularly not advised for any cervical/thoracic multi level fusion surgeries. It was only approved on for single level anterior lumbar surgery by the FDA. I was never made aware of this being an off label use, or if the risks involved that were documented at the time. This stuff is killing people, potentially causing bone marrow cancer, deformities, chronic pain from bone growing into the spine, damaging nerves and according to recent studies, having less benefit to bone grafts in its ability to fuse with bone. There are more thousands of people suffering and filing class action lawsuits. This company has had to pay it's stockholders millions for not being truthful, paid millions in settlement to the Dept of Justice, and have set aside millions more for future claims. Virginia Spine is still pushing to approve this product, down plays the dangers because according to them they've had no significant issues with their patients. I suppose I do not count considering that they dropped me from treatment because of my inability to pay 7 months after my job loss, conveniently right after the statutes of limitations were up. They also claimed in paperwork sent to social security that they felt I was not disabled, but rather my pain was likely caused by stress stemming from my relationship issues. The FDA has since sent out a warning letter for doctors not to use BMP for deficit cervicle or any multilevel spinal fusions. For ten years I have fought pain and extreme levels of high bp associated with the pain. I have a healthy heart but recently had a stroke and am testing high for bone cancer in tests. Have a blocked carotid artery in my neck to my brain and an hoping this isn't another result of this procedure. This brand new man feels like I was lied to and used as a guinea pig to further someone's career ambitions, then thrown away where no doctor will have anything to do with "that horrific mess" in my neck. They wouldn't even participate with an opinion or treatment during my stroke. I had it all and my family suffered and I lost everything, no matter how hard I work to improve and try therapies that don't involve opiates except for hospital visits and stays, to get my pain and bp under control. My body and mind health continues to degenerate. Maybe they have changed, but judging from articles in numerous publications, including a whole issue in the Spine Journal, it seems to me that their priorities blind them from the overwhelming evidence around the world about bmp and the unnecessary 600% rise in spinal fusion viability in this country.