FR   Estelle Lussiana, Mielpathy traction, Arnold Chiari I Syndrome, Cervical Hernia Discal C4-C5 and C5-C6

The medical elements that have been transmitted to me; show I suffer from Arnold Chiari type I malformation which is an unusual position (descent) of the cerebellar tonsils that engage in the occipital hole. From the age of seven, I suffer a number of symptoms from an unknown origin (Idiopathic symptoms): loss of consciousness and balance, sudden headaches, repeated neck stiffness, intra-cranial pressure, difficulties with limb synchronization, difficulty in concentrating and sometimes of elocution, pins and needles in my right hand and foot, muscular electric shocks, strong cough, difficulty in swallowing, shakiness in my right hand, difficulty in cicatrisation even with small wounds, besides other less frequent symptoms but real that complicated my day to day life. However, were subjective for my surroundings.

My family and I did not follow many medical appointments and also were not used to express our aching. Having been difficult for me, I have tried to express my physical suffering to a general practitioner because my symptoms were frequent, especially after my puberty. The only thing they told me was that I had fatigue.

Later on, Dr. DUMONT explained to me that the symptoms could be “psychosomatic” or “caused by stress”.

Then they prescribe me pain relievers…and the neck stiffness settled in…

In 1987- pains in my right side: right inguinal hernia intervention- right crural hernia- new intervention… many years with erratic pain but still manageable.

In 1999- Once, while I was working, I started to feel a terrible pain in my chest… so I left my job and quickly went to the closest doctor and decided to hospitalize me again…

I think then, it might be a depression, a need to relax, etc.
The doctor from the hospital examines me quickly and prescribes me medicines.

Painkillers, anti-depressants… I take a sick leave for one month:
I suffer chest pain; headaches and I physically feel bad.
I am again hospitalized during one month from a possible fatigue, exhaustion and personal problems…
I accept to go see a psychiatrist but I quickly realize that these consultations are limited and they don’t take away my physical pain.

2002 – I have a relapse: stronger cramps, numbness in my limbs (right leg and arm), itches, pins and needles, nistagmus in the right eye, difficulty concentrating, finding my words, loss of my identity references, loss of orientation, difficulty tolerating light, apprehension of material things, clumsiness of the right side, always banging myself on the right side and often covered with bruises…. And I feel more active at the end of the day rather than during the day…. My sleep is disturbed… difficulty swallowing..
I take more medicine: analgesics – IXPRIM – aspirin, Dialtavic, my doctor increases the doses, and added to all of this is the bad feeling in my stomach and pressure in my chest.

I would like my doctor to listen to me… I make a list of my symptoms.. I don’t obtain an answer or an effective treatment either.

2002: Operation for bad positioning of the cardio tuberositario or hiatal hernia

End of 2003, one night while everyone was sleeping and I was in bed, I suddenly had an unbearable pain in the back of my neck and I had to get up.
I remember that the stiff neck kept increasing, and my doctor continued thinking that I was depressed…
I got up to go to the bathroom and wash my face. I had barely arrived and the pain became stronger and more unbearable, I was nauseous, my body felt heavier and heavier, especially on the left side, I finally arrived with great difficulty to the bathroom. And I fell. In the fall, my face banged against a piece of furniture and I had an open lip wound.

My daughter got up. I wanted to speak but the pain was so intense that the words wouldn’t come out, I had trouble breathing, I had something in my throat… I’m “rigid”, especially the left side… the pain is located in the chest, the neck…. I faint.

My husband and daughter called the SAMU who quickly took me, unconscious, to the hospital of Chanaux in Macon. On the 12/12/2003, the doctor Jean-Francois SAVET, chief of services at the hospital, stated the following:
Estelle Lussiana was hospitalized due to a malaise with loss of consciousness preceded by a violent pain in the left lower thorax. A fall is recorded with a bruise on the lower left jaw, open lip wound, and bruise on the thigh. Upon awakening I had a numbness in my left hand and then on the left side of my face, noticing a motor deficit on the same side.
I was recommended a therapeutic program that did not take away the symptoms: this painful episode was still associated with personal problems. However, it is written in my medical records: “She continues to suffer from the same symptoms with stiff neck, blocking of the back of the neck with some movements, asthenia, pins and needles, an increasing need of sleep, erratic pains ….. The interpretation of this medical profile refers to non-organic disorders and that the treatment is not at all easy. The analgesics only alleviate temporarily but don’t take away the symptoms.”
In February of 2004, Dr. Sauvage finds the first suspicion of a Chiari malformation type 1 in a MRI, which no one bothers to explain to me.

The annual check-up by the occupational doctor, Dr. COISSARD Michel, on 24 March 2004, shows the existence of fatigue, clumsiness of the right arm, of frequent numbness and cervicobrachial pains.

2005-2006-2007, I feel more and more lost… as I don’t know who to talk to, I’m alone with my problems and I’m not one to complain a lot.

I cry more often… my head …. The doctor prescribes kinesitherapeutic massages. I go to the office of different specialists without success or answers: acupuncture, osteopathy, reflexology, psychologist…

Nothing to stop these diffused pains that settle in without reason…. muscular pains, cramps, rigid neck, pressure in the right eye, etc.

I need a doctor to explain to me… because I can’t take this situation anymore.

In March of 2008, after new episodes of feeling bad, of dizziness, they do another cerebral and cervical MRI in which the Doctor SAUTOT VIAL, radiologist, confirms the existence of an anomaly of Chiari I of about 5mm and that he had pointed it out to my general practitioner. Exhausted from not finding medical support and explanations that would have helped me to understand, I decide to look for another general practitioner and I go to the office of a local doctor.

Doctor Bornarel Michel examines my MRI results and takes the necessary time to talk to me freely. He doesn’t doubt in giving me explanations.

He confirmed that I had the Arnold Chiari Syndrome Type I (he did his specialty in the neurological center of Lyon and seemed to know this disease very well).

He was understanding and recommended that I take this disease very seriously. I followed his advice.

I don’t find a neurosurgeon that can operate on me. Consulting the documents of the Institute in Barcelona specializing in Chiari (it’s a source that my children found searching the Internet). I contact a Canadian named Eve Teri who confirms an improvement of her condition.

So, my new doctor encourages me, without a doubt, towards this last solution. After that, he wrote the following to the social organizations: “Mrs. L.E. is a carrier of the Arnold Chiari Syndrome I, confirmed in the RNM of March 2008, with the need of a very specific treatment and a consultation with Doctor ROYO of Barcelona, with the possible surgery through a very specific technique the 14/04/2008. A certificate for the arrangement of this surgery has been given to the patient.”

I took my MRI and the reports to the Institute and to the social security, besides my letters for the procedure. I name some of the recurrent symptoms
- Difficulty at times with partial synchronization (right hand, right foot)
- Difficulty concentrating, at times with elocution; sentences or words backwards
- Pins and needles in the right hand and foot, electric shocks during the night
- Muscular cramps
- Pains in the chest, the back of the neck and back of the head
- Dry mouth
- Menstruation problems
- Nausea in the morning
- Violent cough
- Nystagmus of the right eye, unpleasant effect of contact with light
- Trembling of the right hand
- Repeated stiff neck
- Bad feeling and frequent stress

The Chiari Institute contacted me rapidly and gave me an appointment with the doctor. On the 2 April of 2008, I went to the Corachan Clinic in Barcelona for the appointment.

Doctor Royo of the Chiari Institute of Barcelona diagnosed me and confirmed without a doubt: Arnold Chiari Sydrome with myelopathy (cervical compression), cervical hernias C4-C5 C5-C6 and he concludes that “the neurosurgical operation of the section of the filum terminale would be desirable as soon as possible, in order to free the medullar traction and eliminate of the cause of the illness.”

I didn’t remain in Spain because I hadn’t received the agreement from the social security. I don’t understand the significance of myelopathy very well, I think of my sister who is getting worse.

Written in the report is the following: “Consultation for decrease in the response of movement in the right leg. Loss of short memory in spite of reading the same thing repeated times. Dysthesia of the right hand and foot. Dysphagia of liquids. Presents a profile of torticollis for which she takes medication… general bad feeling. Cervical neuralgia … with a diagnosis of Myelopathia with spinal traction with Arnold Chiari Syndrome I – surgical release is indicated (…)”

This surgery with this technique is exclusive of the Chiari & Syringomyelia & Scoliosis Institute of Barcelona. This technique is recognized by a court of doctoral thesis and recognized by specialists.
I remind you: in France a surgical procedure was not suggested.

I don’t know what to think anymore. And as I said, I had gone to see the professor
Alexandre CARPENTIER, neurosurgeon at La Pitie-Salpetriere Hospital in Paris on 20 March 2009,
Mrs. Marie-Germaine BOUSSER, neurologist at Lariboisiere in Paris the 16 April 2008 and also
Dr. Marc SINDOU, neurosurgeon at the Pierre Wertheimer Hospital in Bron the 2 of May 2008.

I still didn’t have an answer from social security and the condition of my sister was getting worse and worse. Maybe she was affected with the same disease as me?

Chiari I is an insidious disease. When I met with these professors, I had difficulty expressing my symptoms because to them they were subjective. In spite of having opened up during my visit with the Professor C. and had nothing to teach to the Professor B. Neurologist who I had met for my sister who had just had the results of her tests: Bulbar amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

The Professor Sindou, on the 2/05/2008 suggested cervical surgery for July 2008 and then postponed it until 09/2008.

I couldn’t take it any more. I didn’t know where I was going.

I was up against his rejection to operate on me while my condition was worsening. I asked for help from social security organizations and from my insurance company (who accepted). I postponed the first surgery in the institute scheduled for the middle of April, waiting for an agreement from the French social organizations to arrive. In spite of this postponement, they refused my petition. I didn’t hesitate to try what was my last solution.

Excited and supported by my family, I decided to have the surgery in Barcelona.

I had the operation on the 6 May 2008, a surgery performed in Barcelona by Dr. Royo.

Since the 06/05/2008, after the section of the Filum terminale surgery by the Institute Chiari in the International Center of advanced medicine, CIMA, I feel well and I’m satisfied with this operation. Thanks to the section of the filum terminale of 40 mm.

Just after the surgery, Dr. Royo noticed “a good post-operative evolution” and that “I had recovered the thermal sensitivity in the upper trunk and also the cutaneous plantar reflex 24 hours after the operation”.

Dr. Thomas EUVARD, neuroradiologist (partner of Dr. SAUTOTVIAL) in the polyclinic of Macon, realizes that the last Lumbar MRI from the 19/05/2008, shows a “regression of all the symptoms prior to the surgery.

“His conclusions: the MRI after the surgery doesn’t show any pathological condition”

The surgery of Dr. Royo has the objective of stopping the disease.”

It’s been a year since I’ve had this surgery and I’m much better. I’m not sorry to have done it. My last MRI control from 09/04/2009: a year after the surgery confirms that the course of the Chiari has stopped.

I can work again; I don’t suffer anymore from the symptoms mentioned before. Dr. Royo went further in his diagnosis (there was a collaborator, Gioia, psychologist who translated). He seemed to know all my symptoms and knew how to associate the ones that I couldn’t mention (due to embarrassment, discomfort, education): difficulty swallowing saliva and liquids, trembling of my hands. Difficulties understanding jokes, humor. Difficulties distinguishing or understanding a point of view. It wasn’t easy for me to express myself orally or in writing. I was unexplainably anguished, frequent stress without reason. A sick feeling. Loss of memory. Loss of heat sensitivity on the right side. Sphincter problems since my first menstruation. Intestinal problems. Absence of libido, carpal tunnel pains, pains in the knees and legs. Pains in the fingers of the left hand, of the right hand thumb, morning sickness, problems of menorrhagia . Headaches.

I’ll give you advice: don’t tell your life story to an expert neurologist or neurosurgeon. He/She will never be an expert is psychology or psychiatry, especially after an operation – it unbalances you.

We tend to mix everything, in spite of the fact that the spirit and the mind are linked…

We forget that at times some people have the capacity to file away their pains and their past…

We want to find an answer to everything based on our experiences and past life.. it’s too easy!

Giving antidepressants to a person who suffers is not an answer as they leave you dazed and they are detrimental to ones capacity to resist pain.. you’ll come out handicapped and weakened without knowing why.

Speaking with many sufferers of Chiari – Syringo, I realized that the majority took antidepressants. Many couldn’t discern their suffering. Resignation sets in quickly and the desire to fight weakens more and more…

it seems to me that the brain is capable of turning against those who let themselves get crushed by palliative medicine.

The programs for survival are disturbed and it’s more difficult to recover...

I would like our professionals to one day understand that the brain of a Chiari or Syringmylia patient
is not nourished in the same way…
The physical effort slows down part of the intellectual capacity. I once started laughing at night because I had just understood a joke that I had heard during the day..
Yes, it’s a rare phenomena… there’s nothing to understand..
We ask for all the kindness possible from our environment..
From the neurosurgeons, neurologists..
We don’t have the words and we live at odd times,
Please, listen to your heart – there are so many things to listen to and others that they want to tell you…
Let’s not mix everything!
Everyone has their own path; every one of us has their own moral suffering …!

My children see my dejection and they connect me to the forum: “atoute Chiari” – to see what is said about Chiari because I don’t know what this insipid disease means????

It’s in THIS FORUM that I discover I am not alone.

WE CAN’T FIGHT AGAINST SOMETHING WE DON’T KNOW.
I’m upset, sad… disappointed…. I’m going to be 45 years old and my physical pains are hell and some professionals consider them subjective.

Tel: (+33)607446668
E-mail:bambina71@live.fr

IT   Marisa Toscano, Medullar traction syndrome with CHIARI I, Idiopathic Scoliosis, Discopathy in C5-C6, D8-D9 and Protrusion in L4-L5 and L5-S1.

When my neck problems worsened due to a traumatism from a light car collision, I was asked to have an MRI done and at last I was diagnosed with Chiari I. This is how we understood where all those problems were coming from all along the course of my life.

A new journey began from one doctor to another; I visited a neurologist in my county who told me my problems were more due to a carpal tunnel in my right hand than the Chiari; the second doctor I visited in Florence in his private consult in Rome was too sure of his authority and did not even want to examine me physically to affirm my conditions, he looked at my MRI and told me textually: “Lady, you have a Chiari. When you won´t be able to stand up anymore and will have to stay in bed, come and see me and I will operate on you.”

He then gave me back my MRI and made me sit down where the secretary was. I was worried. I then, went to see a third neurosurgeon and did some more kilometers and ended up in Milan in a important neurology center, when at that moment, I had already started to look on the Internet to learn about this pathology and I knew that in Spain, Barcelona they were practicing a minimally invasive surgery, being able to block the progress of it.

In Milan, where they attended me with a lot of humanity, after a very precise medical visit, the doctor told me there was a Chiari, but that it was too early to operate on, ¿was I to wait?; when I asked him if he knew Dr. Royo, who operated with a minimally invasive technique using the section of the filum terminale, he told me yes, that he knew him but did not recommend me to go and visit him because he used his profession to only enrich himself. ¡That day I saw my only hope disappear!

On my way back home, to Mistretta, a small but beautiful city in Sicilia, I went to see my general practitioner and relieved myself by letting out all my desperation, because not a single doctor was able to release me or at least relieve my pain, which got to the point of being forming part of my life condition, turbulent and oppressive. I begged him to give me his professional opinion about Dr. Royo´s intervention, but obviously he wasn´t very convinced about it, because he advised me to send an MRI to his colleague from his University, who was important in the neurological field in the United States, but another deception was waiting for me.

His answer in fact was: “ I am not really informed about the technique of the section of the filum terminale”… ¡Obviously, the CHARI was unknown for him!

At this point I wasn´t going anywhere positive and my family was starting to be doubtful. I was already feeling a lot worse, I visualized my future and saw little probability of being able to live a normal life. To find a solution for my illness, I had no other choice than to look for answers, which I did not obtain from the webpage and Internet was my last chance.

I found a forum where a lot of people were affected with the same pathology I had and were operated on by Dr. Royo. One of them was Rosalia who lived in Sicilia, I got in contact with her and she introduced me to others. Everybody gave me optimal information about the professional seriousness, the doctor and his team´s moral qualities and above all the surgery achievements.

My hope of getting back my courage and finding sense to my existence came back. Now, I only had to convince my family that this was the right decision.

My husband and I began a new adventure, my mind was clear and I was sure of the success of the surgery.
Today, three months after the operation, I can say that there is nothing in the world that is more satisfying than getting back a normal life, which guarantees a wellbeing and liberty.

At this point I want appeal against our experts in medicine: “Learn Dr. Royo´s technique. Do not let more useless years go by in believing and making believe that only the Decompression is the solution to this pathology. It is not true! Using this technique, they will demonstrate that they care for people and respect their dignity. Do not persist with the error, at least notice what happens, break the communication barrier, it could be the first step to act in a little invasive way towards the cure of this rare pathology”.

¡Dear Italian colleagues suffering Chiari, lets fight for our rights to achieve justice!

Actually, in Italy, because of the confusion between state and regional competitions, each region has its own politic in medical prices and refunding and this makes it a disadvantage or fortune for someone to be born in one or the other. Depending on the case, provoking then between patients from a same nation; an incomprehensible, unacceptable discrimination and an unequal deal.

You can contact me whenever you wish.


Marisa Toscano
Address: Via Media n. 2 98073 Mistretta (ME)
Phone: 0921-981091 -
Mobile: 3207073770
E-mail:marisatosca@live.it

FR   Valerie Torro, Mielopathy traction, Arnold Chiari I Syndrome, Discal protrusion C5- 6 and C6-7

The neurosurgeon told me I could have the surgery done but while being able to stand the pain it was better not to do anything since he could not guarantee the disappearance of the pain.

I finally decided not to do anything, since opening my skull without having a good result left me amazed. I took many different treatments during 2 years to calm my pain, treatments that have made me gain more than 20kg! Besides, they did not calm me.

I started to look through Internet until I found Dr. Royo´s webpage. I immediately got in contact with French operated patients and learned about their stories.

In June 2008 my state got worse at a fast paste. After 6 months some new symptoms appeared:

- Loss of balance.
- Loss of strength in arms and legs.
- Chocking often.
- Difficulty in breathing.
- Pain in my ribs and chest.
- Permanent Asthemia.
- Paraesthesia in hands and feet.
- Incontinence.
- Neck stiffness from strong pain when moving.
- Not able to stand still or sit for a long time.

I had an uncomfortable sensation hard to explain and especially the headaches, which only calmed when I laid on my back.

I decided to go see Dr. Royo in February 2009 because I didn´t want to have the craniotomy done, a traditional intervention practiced in France.

I had the medical visit on Monday, had the intervention of the section of the filum terminale on Tuesday and was discharged from the clinic on Wednesday.
I was so happy when I noticed that my head didn´t hurt anymore! I was able to return to France sitting instead of laying down in the car like on my way here.

Now it has been 7 months from the intervention and I feel much better.

Although some symptoms remain, I should mention the following:

- The headaches are almost inexistent and do not persist as before. They are less violent and pacify faster without treatment.
- Disappearance of pain in my ribs and chest.
- Disappearance in difficulty in breathing.
- The head movements are easier.
- Almost total disappearance of incontinence.

I still have sometimes instability when making big efforts but I have less Paresthesias.
I think one must have a lot of patience and not be in a hurry, because time will do the rest. My daughters have recovered a mother who now smiles.

I thank Dr. Royo and his team for giving me back the desire to live.

E-mail: valerie.torro@laposte.net

FR   Christian Seguin, Ex-president of the French Association APAISER of Syringomyelia patients.

RO   Cristina Pascale. Mielopathy of Traction. Dorsal and Lumbar Hydrosyringomyelia

Between June 2008 and March 2009 the situation became worse. I had a lot of pain in both of my legs and a lot of walking difficulties. The pain wasn’t constant - there were days when I was moving very slowly and days when my walking was almost normal. I had also pain in the back waist area.

Later on I have found on the INTERNET more information about my “problem”, I contacted the INSTITUTE , I have send my analyses and Dr. Royo was able to confirm a clear “Dorsal and Lumbar Hydrosyringomyelia” in my MRI scans, done in the September 2008.

In March 2009 I succeeded to solve all my other problems and go to Barcelona for control and intervention.

After Dr. Royo’s examination I decided that I wanted the intervention because this was my only chance. The following day I went to surgery and after a very short time my senses begun to come back to me.
After a month, I went back to Dr. Royo for a check up and up until now I have been noticing improvements. Progressively all my pain disappear and now I feel like a normal person. I feel that I am recuperated 100%.
I want to congratulate and thank Dr. Royo and his team and to mention that he offered me full support and encouraged me by standing by me.

As an advice: if you are diagnosed with “Hydrosyringomyelia” go to Dr. Royo because his intervention is the only real solution.

Cristina Pascale

If anybody needs more information please contact me at 0040723322327or send me an e-mai on cristinapascale79@yahoo.com

FR   Rose-lys Trujillo, Syringimyelia.

Symptoms: migraines, loss of muscular mass, discoordination in hands, difficulty in swallowing, in eating, dizziness, lack of balance, lack of heat and cold sensitivity. Strong back pain, limbs, jaw, etc… My only hope was Dr. Royo.

The intervention took place on the 22nd of January in 2008, after the pre-surgery tests practiced the day before. The intervention is minimally invasive; it takes 40 minutes with one and a half day stay at the clinic.

Nowadays, meaning a month after the intervention, I have recovered about 80 % of my capacities. Dr. Royo has saved my life. Without him I would have been in a wheelchair or in a bed hospital. The filum terminale technique has no risks compared to another traditional method.

I am very grateful to Dr. Royo Salvador, his assistant and all the team that do an extraordinary job.

I got the social security to cover all the medical expenses.

I am at your disposition to answer all your questions, by phone at (+33) 04 67 36 29 12 or by e-mail: rose-lys.irain@orange.fr

IT   Cristiano Matteo Sganzerla, Cervico-dorsal Syringomielia and Scoliosis.

Date of intervention: July 2007

Since I was a little boy I suffer a light limp in the inferior left extremity caused from a Scoliosis with a consequent asymmetry of 2 cm in the inferior left extremity, which I correct with an intern orthopedic insole.

During my growth, my Scoliosis was not treated with a Corset because it was not diagnosed as serious.

I practiced sport activities like swimming and soccer until the age of 18-19.

In the year 1999/2000 I noticed the first deterioration, a more pronounced limp, lack of strength and my left part of the body felt sensitive.
I visited an Orthopedist who suggested electro stimulations in the inferior extremity. Afterwards, individualizing that the problem was neurological, I had a brain, cervical, dorsal and lumbar MRI done, which in 2001 showed a dorsal Syringomyelia extended from D5 to D7.

In May the same year they admitted me in the Civil de Volta Mantova Hospital, where other than Physiokinesis therapy they also did an Electromyogram of the Urinary system.

Meanwhile I got in contact with a neurosurgeon from the B.go Trento Hospital and at the next August he practiced on me a Laminectomy + Lisi Aracnoidal. The intervention came out to be very invasive, it lasted around 8 hours.

The wound got swelled and did not diminish with repeated applications, so they practiced another intervention on me with a Dural plastia of implanted Goretex, which presented a micropore from which there was Cephalospinal liquid coming out.

A few weeks after the operation I went back to the Volta Mantovana Hospital to practice my rehabilitation Physiokinesis therapy.

During the stay I needed spiral spring (leg and foot), mod. DYNA ANCLA to improve the deambualtion. Meanwhile they identified a disability of 50 %, followed with a regular petition.

During the following years after the operation, from 2002 to 2005, I went periodically to the Volta Mantovana Civil Hospital to rehabilitation sessions and for clinic-x-ray routine controls such as MRI, SSEP, PEM, RENAL and BLADDER X-RAYS, URODYNAMICS.

During these years, even though I did all that swimming and gym, the worsening kept increasing more every year. Walking was always an agony and I started to have discomfort also in the left extremity, so I contacted various neurosurgeons, which did not recommend another intervention.

So I then decided to only find the cure, going through Internet, not only I got to meet people with the same pathology but also a forum dedicated to the Syringomyelia and to Arnold Chiari I. The experience was essential, because I got to compare and understand the subjectivity of the disorders. In the forum people started talking well about Dr. Royo from Barcelona and his new technique “Section of the filum terminale”, a very little invasive and adequate to stop the pathology evolution.

This way, after having operated during months and proving the positive and almost miraculous testimonials patients operated by him, I decided to get together with him for a medical visit. I went to see him in Spain and after a thorough visit, he diagnosed me the Syndrome of Arnold Chiari I and Dorsal Syringomyelia in C2 to D8 from the MRIs and suggested the intervention.

I went back to Italia for a comparison with the Italian neurosurgeon to whom I exposed the situation and without even looking at the MRIs, he did not advice me the intervention because the clinical setting did not present the “ Tethered Cord”.

I informed myself on this subject and I read that the tethered cord is usually not visible in the MRIs, this is why they say: “ hidden tethered cord” and an important number of cases treated of the hidden tethered cord have obtained important benefits.

The valued theory of Dr. Royo and the positive success in his already treated cases, considering Dr. Bolognese of Chiari Institute of New York about his creditable words on his work. I decided then to go through surgery.

The operation took almost an hour and at the next day they gave me the discharge from the hospital.

Up until today, my disorder has diminished notably: decrease in the Babinski sign, decrease in the muscular contractures, increase in strength in the inferior extremities and the brain axis is looser.

I want to thank especially Dr. Royo and his team for they humanity and professionalism for how he deals with the patients and all my friends in the forum that gave me courage to try again.

I really recommend to all of you who have this pathology to direct yourselves at least for a medical visit with Dr. Royo.

Phone: (+39) 03 76 69 11 30 - (+39) 34 80 82 57 28
E-mail: matteo.sganzerla@alice.it


ES   Generoso Rodriguez Ramallall, Syringomyelia and Platibasia.

Informative Note from INB

The patient Generoso Rodríguez Ramallall was visited in a service of Neurosurgery at the General Hospital of the Social Security Barcelona, with a special interest in Syringomyelia, before cervicalgias radiated by the right superior extremity with sensative alterations in the hand in form of hypothesia to the tact, temperature and deep sensitivity. Determining a hand that did not recognise objects, did not notice the heat and with less tact of the normal one. They diagnosed Syringomyelia and impresion basilar. At the hospital, they propsed him to suppress the odontoides apophysis surgically. This apophysis belongs to the second cervical vertebra that sustains and allows the turn of the head. Followed by th colocation of a halo of the craneal traction to maintain the head.Spent a year with a craneal halo, they fixed the first two cervical vertebras by means of a surgical posterior fixation.

The patient remembered that 18 years ago he had partial paraylisis caused by right HEMICUERPO, and he recovered the day after, after the extraction of the cervical hernia discal performed by Dr Royo. He went to the practise , where they informed him in detail of his disease and of a new solution with the surgical section of the Filum Terminal. Five hours later after the intervention which lasted 30 minutes , the patient made a spontaneous demonstration of the recovery of the lost ability in his right hand,in the corridor at the hospital,he was extracting from his pockets objects that he identified without seeing them.

A year later we had an interview performed by Sr. Generoso Gonzalez and his wife together with Dr. Royo through the radio stations ‘ Onda Cero’ in Barcelona. Mr Rodríguez Ramallall´s wife asked: Why is this intervention not done by the Social Security ? That was the reason why they vetoed Dr Royo, having known that there were 2 interviews already programmed.

ES   Jesus Sanchez, Syringomyelia and Scoliosis.

Date of intervention: April 2006

My name is Jesus, I was diagnosed with Syringomyelia when I was 20 years old, now I am 42. However when I was 14 I already had compensated Scoliosis and was told it could be corrected with exercises and a hard mattress. It was like that.

Until I was 20 years old I had a normal life but one day while I was shaving my right hand did not respond, I had no strength and did not control it well. I went to the emergency room and when I saw a neurologist he asked me if I always walked like that, as he said I had a spastic walk. They did a lot of tests on me, until they told me I had a cavity in the spinal cord and that it was a progressive disease. Little by little I was getting worse, I noticed instability and I stumbled a lot with little strength and little sensitivity in the right part of my body.

They operated me in 1985 in the Ramón y Cajal Hospital in Madrid through the traditional way, which was breaking the cervical vertebrates, with a horrible post surgery. When I recovered myself I had to use a crutch to be able to walk.
A couple of years later they operated me again the same way, because it had reproduced again, this time I came out in a wheel chair.

In 2006 and looking through the Internet I found the page of the Institute Neurologic of Barcelona. I got in contact with Dr. Royo and on the 25th of May he operated on me with the technique of the filum terminale very little invasive but effective seeing that I had respiratory problems that prevented me from breathing right and after the surgery they disappeared.

If it had been possible to have this simple surgery when they had diagnosed me the Syringomyelia, I would not be sitting on this wheel chair for sure. Which is why I am willing to spread out this technique to have it used as a first intervention since it is so effective and little aggressive.

I congratulate and thank Dr. Royo for his work and I encourage the people who suffer from Syringomyelia that they please get in contact with the Institute Neurologic of Barcelona.

If you want to contact me, my e-mail address is:
Jesusxx25@hotmail.com


IT   Daniella Mascaretti, Syringomyelia, Cervicodorsolombar Scoliosis, Mielopatia of Traction.

Scared before the perspective of life, I began to search in Internet, to be able to contact with other Italian centres that took care of this pathology.

I tried to extend the work that I was doing and from this way the connection to the web of Institute Neurologic of Barcelona caught my curiosity and of my medical Dr. Lumini because it seemed to give my case hope. After a neurological evaluation attempt Dr. Royo in addition, confirmed the Italian version proposed a newness. The way to stop the disease is by means of the surgical Section of the Filum Terminal (described at www.instiutuneurologicbcn.com). Given the worsening of the symptomology and specially to stop the evolution, I chose to undergo the intervention.

After hours, a good clinical evolution was observed: sensation of liberation in all the column and recovery of the tact to the cold and heat in the right half of the body. In April 2007, a month alter the discharge, the postoperative control visit emphasized the presence of force in the right hand and regular reflection of both feet. It also verified the disappearance of the suffering of the medular.

Thanks to Dr. Marchettini who gave me the correct diagnosis of Syndrome Syringomyelia and who listened to my anamnesis and furthermore the outstanding anomalies during the neurological tests.

Form more than 10 years I noticed rigidity in the neck and with time pain Developer in all the right superior extremity (shoulders, scupula, thorax, hemithorax, arm, forearm, hand). In 2000, with the diagnosis of cervical hernia C6-C7, they had practised a therapy called Onik on me. In 2003, with a diagnosis of the syndrome by subacromial of the right shoulder, borsectomia a subacromial treatment was carried out on me.
The pre-operating conservative methods as the constant postoperative rehabilitation did not give benefits in neither cases.

The specialists confirmed the success of the operations, attributing to the last of my symptoms to a cericodorsobraquialgia, which had verticalisation of the cervical physiological lordosis, in a attitude escoliotica dorsal right and rare muscular tone. Like indicate, I insisted with postural and respiratory gymnastics, the vertebrales tractions, the massages and taking cycles of antiflammitory drugs.

The absence of the positive answer to my reductive protocol and a complete results of the electrophysiologists , indicative information of a diffuse motor neurogene suffering in the predominant right superior extremity in the fields of C7-C8- T1, led to direct me to the pain Centre at the Hospital San Raffaele of Milan.

Aquí el descubrimiento del Síndrome Siringomielico y al Institut At Institute Neurologic Barcelona was the discovery of Syringomyelia Syndrome and the possibility of stopping the disease thanks to Dr Royo and to his surgical technique. Now the verification of decisive improvements, with the hope that within time the recovery becomes complete.

My contact details: (+39) 03 63 34 49 41

IT   Monica Bacci, Cervical and Dorsal Syringomyelia, Cervical, Dorsal and Lumbar Scoliosis.

It all starts a year ago, when during a night in March, having dinner at my mother´s house, my left eye was itching a lot, I get up and go to have a look at it in the mirror and I see my right eye is dislocated and with the pupil dilated. After 20 minutes, as the eye does not come back to his place, I decide to go to the emergency hospital in Pescia (PT). After the admission, the doctor comes and prescribes me apart from the tests a CAT of the head to discard anything serious.

The CAT does not evidence anything, a second doctor according to him, I was always like that with the dislocated eye, my husband says: “look you are wrong…” anyway, the doctor gives me the discharge from the hospital and says to me: “Come back tomorrow for a Neurological visit”, so I follow his advice and the next day I present myself. The doctor after the first visit recognizes that the eye is dilated like the pupil, he send me to the ophthalmologist for safety and does not diagnose any problem. I go back to the Neurologist who recommends me to immediately have an MRI done, because when there is this type of disorders something causes it and it can only be found out with an MRI..

Then I decide to visit another Neurologist from Pisa, who prescribes me another MRI but when I arrive to do the tests, I cannot do them from the screws I have in my right thighbone for almost 20 years, incompatible with the MRI.

Two months have gone by and I have not had any more episodes, I decide to leave everything and I continue with my life between work, gym and home. After two months, I have had episodes of pins and needles at night in both arms, headaches on the left side and left eye, neck pain and left shoulder, back aches. My doctor prescribes me pharmacologic therapy and physiotherapy.

In August, the situation gets worse. At night time I cannot sleep and although I take the medicines and use a neck brace, the pains get worse to the point that my husband decide to take to visit a neurosurgeon from the Pisa Hospital, considering very good for cervical problems.

This neurosurgeon, after a very fast visit without even letting me explain my problems, he tells me to get a CAT done, because he is suspicious about a Herniated cervical disc and prescribes me other medicines that should ease the pain. After 10 days I come back with the CAT, which evidences other than the Hernia, also a shadow at the level C7 that should be evaluated with an MRI. The doctor tells me since the pain is still present, the Hernia should be removed but anyway he needs to see an MRI of low scope, to avoid the possible presence of a tumor, which is not my case. So he reserves the intervention and gives me an appointment for the MRI. In it, resulted an enlargement of the Ependymal canal with the presence of liquid but no tumor. When I go back with my husband to see the doctor, we ask him for explanations about this enlargement and he says that I probably have it since I was born and surely it is not what causes me pain. So I ask him if the best is to remove the screws and have the MRI done normally to eliminate any doubts. He answers me very coldly “ it is not a quite the case…before we are going to remove the Hernia, we see how you recover and after 6 months we are going to evaluate everything”.

We decide to follow the advice and on October 23rd I am hospitalized and operated on the 25th. The next day the doctor tells me that he cannot operate me with a hip sample (from which I would have had to wear a neck brace only during ten days) otherwise he would have inserted me a metal plate. With this metal plate I then could not do the MRI to follow the evaluation of the enlargement. He looked again at my situation a second time and said that after the intervention he should remove the screws to be able to repeat the exam because there are tissues that are not visible and where there could be sick cells. Besides, when they shift turns his companion asks him if he saw well the images in the MRI and if he is sure he wants to operate and very quickly he answers: “ Yes, yes I have seen, I already have spoken with the lady and after the intervention we will remove the screws to do again the MRI. I then feel unsure so I talk with my husband about it, which tells me that now it is best to remove the Hernia and after do whatever the doctor says. The day of the intervention and in the surgery room I assist to a very embarrassing discussion between the neurosurgeon and anesthetist with the service manager who ignores everything. Anyhow, after the surgery I wake up with my left arm feeling numb and with terrible pain in my shoulders and I have the pleasure to see the neurosurgeon the next day at nine o´clock at night and says to me: “but you are still here? You should be at home… cause the surgery went well, you do not have pain from the surgery?” and I answer: “ not from the surgery but my left arm is in the same pain….”and he answers me: “we will see with time and other than that, you have a cyst”.

When I asked if the pain was due to the cyst, he says: “ It is not a cyst, it is something long and at the end Mrs. you cannot do anything, the pain will stay as it is.”

The next day they give me the discharge from the hospital suffering more pain than before and mentally destroyed.

After 4 months of physiotherapy, corticoid cures and painkillers, while I have the screws removed and have the MRI done from a suspicious Torathic “egresso” which results to be a problem but not serious enough to justify all the consequences. In fact he says to me that if I did not have this deep cavity, we would have found the problem, so he sends me to Rovigo. Here the doctor tells me yes, it could get better with the intervention, but many problems are caused by the Syringomyelia (incredible, they have given a name for this disease!) but as the disability starts now, it must be re-evaluated at the end of one year. I go back home really beaten. The following week I visit again a neurosurgeon in Siena and when I explain to him my problems of urinary tracts, also another episode in the eye, although before it seemed that everything could be solved with a little bit of gym, he did not give us clear answers and sent again the evaluation in July. There, when we go back home my husband starts looking on Internet and we go in the forum and the association and the Institute Neurologic of Barcelona. After having contacted with patients who have gone through the surgery before me, we sent the documentation to Dr. Royo and after a week we were told that my case could be operated, so we made an appointment for a medical visit and the intervention was done the next day.

Now after one month since the intervention I still don´t realize I have come out of that nightmare and since a year ago I could not live a normal life. I have gone back to work since the following week after the surgery and I am recovering my strength more and more everyday and I feel much better.

Tel: 050702586
Mobile: 3208741430
Email: mastertp.tappezzeria@gmail.com

VE   Reinaldo Andrés Yegres Ruiz, Dorsal Syringomyelia and Idiopathic Scoliosis.

A child nephrologist had the idea of sending the boy to have an MRI done of the whole column, from which they diagnosed a dorsal Syringomyelia (in the month of September 2006).

In this moment we didn´t know anything about this illness. The child Urologist that treated the boy sent him to repeat the test to verify the diagnosis, confirming the same.

After having some knowledge about this illness and finding out that it did not have a cure and as it progresses the boy´s health was going to deteriorate.

For us it was a terrible impact, a boy who looked so healthy had suffered such illness.

Here in Venezuela various specialists saw him. One of them said nothing could be done, another one said the best option was to introduce a Catheter in the spinal cord and the other one thought of operating him in the head, although he told us very clearly that he did not give us any guarantee.

We felt powerless without knowing what to do, asking god to illuminate us; he listened to us, the boy’s uncle sent us the information from internet showing he had found out about an institute in Barcelona (Spain), where there was (Dr. Miguel Royo) with his team that had a few years of studying about this illness.

We got in contact with the Institute coordinator, Mrs. Isabel Montesinos and sent her all the tests she asked for.

Dr. Royo and his team did the evaluation and confirmed the diagnosis of Syringomyelia and Idiopathic Scoliosis and they informed us that the boy was a candidate for the minimal invasive intervention.

Apart from their opinion, we also consulted in the EEUU but the answer was not satisfactory.

We started to think of the possibility of taking him to Barcelona, we did not have sufficient assets but we overcame the difficulties and a year later, in September 2007 we took him to Dr. Royo. The doctor examined him and we noticed that the boy had less strength in the right hand and something that impressed us very much; was that he still conserved the Babinski reflex. Normally this reflex exists in very young children but not in an 11-year-old boy. This was due to the illness he suffered in the spinal cord of the vertebral column.

At the next day on 13/09/07, Dr. Royo and his team operated the boy and at the next day when he went to give him the discharge from the clinic, he examined the Babinski reflex again and it had disappeared. 15 days after the operation, Reinaldo has recovered his strength in his right hand and has been correcting the constipation problem.

We thank god and will be eternally grateful to Dr. Miguel Royo that with his perseverance in the study of this illness, has discovered the cause and how to avoid its progression.

This doctor has given the opportunity to our child to keep growing as a healthy boy and hopefully other people who suffer this same illness have the opportunity to know that there is a solution.

This is our testimonial for the world.

E-mail: carmenruiz57@hotmail.com

ES   Barbara Martinez, Syringomyelia and Scoliosis.

It was then when we knew the team of Dr. Royo that planted the problem, or better said, a solution for syringomyelia. Of which one of the reasons of theses changes could be the tension in the column and that every time it grew it tightened and caused worse scoliosis in spite of the rehabilitation exercises.

It was in 1992 when I was 18 years old that we decided to operate me to free my column. It wasn´t an easy decision to make since I was the guinea pig and the third case for Dr Royo´s theory but after the visit and consultatiing various Doctors, to obtain a third opinion, we decided to go ahead with it. The majority commented to us that the operation itself, consists of the cutting of the Filum Terminal, it wasn´t risky, as long as they don´t touch the marrow and there could be an alternative to the operation by inserting an iron bar in my spinal cord.

The truth is that the operation went really well and I feel more free, definetly more stretched out and certainly more relaxed without discomfort in my back.

Bárbara Martínezz

E-mail: Martinez@illy.es

ES   Clara Palau, Syringomyelia.

After consulting various traumatologists, they diagnosed me in 2003 a Cervical Syringomyelic cavity in C4-C6 and Hydromyelia in the top dorsal section. The crisis I suffered I would describe them as an intense pain in the dorsal and cervical area, followed by Paresthesias, my right arm felt numb, which prevented me moving my arm normally. My everyday activity was very limited to the point that I stopped doing the majority of the house work like washing the dishes, sweep the floor, clean, it was even difficult for me to open and close drawers, hang the clothes up in the closet, hold the hairdryer with my right…

During months I tried to follow the medical treatment that I was indicated to relieve the pain, even knowing that the Syringomyelic cysts kept pressuring my spinal cord and that my only possibility, according to neurologist from the social security was to keep on taking this medication while I tolerated the pain or up until I had to have the cysts extracted with surgery. An operation that did not offer any guarantee in getting better; on the contrary it could aggravate the situation.

Under this expectative and seeing that my crisis were every time more continued and intense I contacted with Jesús Sánchez, a patient who had been operated by Dr. Royo with a new technique, not aggressive at all and with good results. I contacted immediately with the “Institute Neurológico of Barcelona” and after the first visit, I decided to go through the section of the filum terminale surgery with Dr. Royo on November 28th, 2006.

It has been already two months since they operated me and I have noticed quite improvement. I have only had a few crisis and less intense than before the operation. I can now do some home tasks, my arm doesn’t feel numb anymore and I feel more strength in my right arm. I have started to do some exercise and I feel better every day, so I encourage those people who suffer from Syringomyelia or are in a similar situation, to get in contact with Dr. Royo and appreciate the possibility of having done the section of the filum terminale. It is a simple operation that lacks risks and can bring a lot of benefits.

Phone number: (+34) 965 669 813
E-mail address: elenalopezpalau@yahoo.es

IT   Francesco Mauro, Tetraparesis, Cervicodorsal Syringomyelia.

In the last month of that same year I started having disturbances in the right upper extremity, partial paralysis of the arm, which turned blue.

For this reason I had many medical visits and cortisone infiltrations due to a suspected periarthritis. This problem became worse until in August of 1998, when my doctor told me to have a cervical MRI, suspecting a herniated disc. While waiting for the MRI, in the first days of September of that same year, I started having pains and motor difficulties in the lower left extremity. After 15 days I had to lean on something in order to walk. Almost during the same period, the tremors started which intensified until I had to walk with the help of crutches. During this time I had the MRI in the Carlo Besta Hospital of Milan where they diagnosed me with a probable post traumatic syringomyelia as in 1995 I was victim of a car accident (a head-on collision with a bus) in which I suffered a frontal-parietal trauma.
Initially they found cystic cavity only in the C6-C7 cervical tract but later, after a year, it extended from C3-C7 to D1-D2 and D5-D8. Since then, as the symptoms continued to increase, there were many stays in hospitals in Italy and abroad.

In the year 2000, I was visited by Dr. Barth A. Green (neurological department of Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, Florida), and in the year 2005 in the Hospital Archet 1 of Nice, France, specialized in neurological diseases. But I didn’t get any positive results, on the contrary, it seems that some of the doctor’s diagnoses were incorrect and others could not give a diagnosis that fit the symptoms. Not only that, some of them thought I was crazy, insinuating that I was complicating things myself. This created many emotional problems for me, thinking myself that I was going crazy. Luckily I was able to get over the crisis and started to accept the idea of living with a progressive and invalidating disease against which I probably would have fought with all my might.

So from 1999 I had to stay seated in a wheelchair because of clonic spasms and spastic tetra pareses in the lower extremities, all of these diagnoses were done at the above mentioned.

I also had pains, more or less strong, that spread through my whole body, besides the acute stages that varied according to the season; I had circulatory problems in all the extremities that caused a thrombosis in the left lower extremity. During those years I had symptoms that were never connected to the disease or not even the cause.

For example, during my stay in the Hospital of Lecco in the department of neurosurgery, while I was sleeping I suffered a terrible pain in the thorax which prevented me from asking for help or moving myself. At last, a nurse realized that I wasn’t well and a doctor was called, who without even looking at me, gave me tranquilizing drops, saying that I was agitated. I continued feeling bad all night but, so that wouldn’t consider me a crybaby, I didn’t say anything more, until the next morning, going to the bathroom, I couldn’t do it.

I was tired and very anxious. A doctor asked for an ECG that resulted in a parietal heart attack in an indefinite time. Today I don’t have cardio problems. A cardiologist advanced the hypothesis of an abnormality caused by the disease.

The same thing happened many times but luckily, without any important consequences, but none of the doctors who saw me was able to understand what it was about. Besides, in the first months of the disease, I had a hemorrhage in the left eye and after a retinal fluorangiografia, the diagnosis was retinol dystrophy.

On top of it all, during the most critical moments when I had to stay in bed due to the increase in pain and the loss of strength, for the strong contractions of the thorax, I had respiratory problems. For the strong pains, Dr. Bauknet, anesthetist and pain therapist of the Hospital San Giovanni di Dio de Crotone, took care of me.

I don’t know how useful it is to refer to this but I want to say that before 1998 I had many accidents at work and car accidents, more or less important, all with traumatism in the head.
I would like to underline that at the age of 14, I fell off a horse onto a rock, hurting the sacrum. Since then I have suffered strong pains and cramps that block me for a few minutes.

It seemed that my disease could not be resolved, until the day in which Dra. Piccirillo, anesthetist of the Hospital San Giovanni di Dio and Dr. Bauknet called to tell me that they had found a website which opened the possibility of an operation which could stop the development of my disease.
With my consent, the right contacts were made. And, at last, the day arrived, precisely the 11/07/ 2007, we met Dr. Royo and after the visit, which seemed to me to make the most sense of all the visits I’d had, the 12/07/2007 arrived the waited moment of the operation. That morning, lying on the operating table, I had such terrible pains that my only worry was that I wouldn’t be able to lie still after the operation, and how I would be able to bear it.

To my surprise, after the operation I didn’t feel anything, at first I thought it was the anesthesia, but in a few hours I realized that those terrible pains that had made my life impossible were now only a bad memory.

Happily, my wife and I immediately noticed that the clonic spasms in the inferior extremities, especially in the right, had diminished, from the first hours I noticed a liberating sensation through the spinal column, as if everything had magically disappeared. So much so that the next morning I tried to stand up and with stupefaction, not only could I do this but I could also walk, though with some difficulty.
Actually I continue to improve so much that I can walk without any aid, with continuing improvements in the clonic spasms of the left inferior extremity.

For everything that has happened since the 12th July until now, I want to thank Dr. Royo and his collaborators for having given me the possibility to savor life as I did at one time. For having given me the possibility to be born again and consider the past as only that, the present much better, and the future to plan my life to benefit those who have suffered with me during all these years, my wife and my daughter.

Tel: (+39) 34 75 88 18 48

ES   Ana Sedas Cuebas, Myelopathy Medullar traction with idiopathic Scoliosis.

The doctor from the mutual benefit society sent me to a psychiatrist. The doctor believed my pain but said the source of it was psychological and didn’t pay more attention to me. I came out of the consult quite destroyed.

I then looked on the Internet the maximum information until I found Dr. Royo. I got in contact with him and after the first visit he asked me to get some tests done.
We decided to do the section of the filum terminale straight away to liberate the medulla.

I bless god for finding Dr. Royo, otherwise I would still be suffering.
I still have a problem with my herniated lumbar discs L4, L5, S1 and will go through another intervention with Dr. Royo.

Everyday that goes by I thank god for helping me find Dr. Royo and Mrs. Mara. These are wonderful and professional people and also a very nice team.

If you wish to contact me, here is my email address and telephone number:

E-mail : jonafercrésana@hotmail.com
Cell phone: 626689152

ES   Beatriz Gómez Zambrana, Scoliosis Idiopatica Dorsolumbar.

Date of intervention: December 2007

My name is Beatriz Gomez Zambrana and I’m 29 years old. Since I was 11 years old, I was diagnosed with idiopathic scoliosis dorso-lumbar of 35 degrees for which I had to wear an orthopedic corset for three and a half years.

When they removed the corset I started to do yoga and this helped me feel more flexible as my back was always tense. However, 5 years ago, I started having strong back pains and in September of 2007 I discovered that my curvature had progressed 10 degrees. The orthopedic surgeon told me that the only way that the curvature would stop progressing was by an operation in which they would put screws throughout my spine.

I had been feeling worse for quite some time but I didn’t want to think that my back had worsened. My hands felt numb, I had a tingling sensation and weakness.

I was horrified thinking about this option and seeing that the chiropractor couldn’t help me either, I looked for other alternatives in the internet and found Dr. Royo’s clinic. I sent an email and was immediately well attended to, giving me all the necessary information over the phone, as I live in the United Kingdom.

In December I had the surgical section of the Filum Terminale. It was so easy and painless and as they explained it to me in great detail and also told me that there had never been any postoperative complications, I wasn’t worried.

I only spent one night in the clinic and the next day I was already sightseeing in Barcelona.

When I woke up from the anesthesia, the same day of the operation I noticed that the tension in my back had totally disappeared. It was as if they had released a very tight rubber band. I was very surprised.

Four months have gone by since the operation and I haven’t had any back pain. It’s incredible. My hands don’t get numb any more and I have more strength in both of them. I also see myself more upright and my posture is much better. Both sides of my hips are more balanced. I’ve gone back to doing yoga and the change has been enormous, I’m much more flexible.

I would like to thank Dr. Royo and the whole team of the Neurological Institute of Barcelona for all their support and I hope they continue helping people with their excellent work.

If you want to contact me for more information about my experience, my email address is:

beattrice@hotmail.co.uk

ES   Juan Cabaco, Idiopathic Scoliosis and 3 Lumbar discal Hernias.

All this began to happen to me at Christmas, the days passed and I felt overloaded in the lumber zone, like how I am young, I didn´t give it any importance to what was happening, and having a job that requires a lot of moving and I thought that it was because of a bad gesture that I did, I went to the Doctors that my work provided and they told me it was lumbalgia and the lump that had appeared they told me that it was a cyst with no importance, like usual, they gave me “reflex” and I continued on working. Two weeks had passed and I continued with the muscular overload and with horrible pain in the lumbar zone, I was working and noticed a pinch that left me nailed, without movement, without strength to standup, nothing, I began to notice a pain very sharp that left me without respiration, and they took me to the work Doctors and they stuffed me tablets because how they didn´t know how or what to diagnostic, “nothing” , well the easiest thing is to stuff a person with medication.

Days had gone by, and I took sick leave from work because I was unable with my soul to continue work, I then later mentioned to my mother if it was at all possible if she could accompany me to her Doctor, Dr. Miguel B. Royo Salvador, (a few years ago, he gave my mother her life back) to see if he cold tell me what was happening and listen to another opinion, having already visited other Doctors and they told me that it was only lumbaglia, but when Dr. Royo examined what I had and told me that it wasn´t only lumbaglia, but as well as 3 discal hernias situated in between the vertabrals L4-5 and L5-S1, and a little scoliosis, like my mother, due to Filum Terminal Syndrome ( a form of Cord Traction), a sign bilateral Babinski that indicated an affection of the Spinal cord. At that moment I felt a chill throughout my whole body, he world came on top of me and to see the look on my face, I was left… and Dr. Royo told me not to worry, that what I had was only a tiny problem that he was going to resolve, he told me to what 6 months because being young and swimming that it could correct something, the back, I wanted to wait to see, because what I had was the early stages of the first symptoms.

Six months had gone by, which was very difficult physically and mentally. As from the first pinches my life turned around enormously, my symptoms were the ones that I described before, and I was 23 years old and felt like an 80 year old man, with pain, shakes, trembles, always curved (hunched) over, walked 2 steps and it felt like I was walking for 2 hours, a lot of my daily activities converted into a very steep climb and at last that day long waited day arrived, 13th of June 2006, when he told me that the surgery will resolve all, I told him that, I am in your capable hands. I was totally desperate for him to say yes, and that´s how it went, the following week he operated on me.

Tuesday 20th of June ,2006, that day was one of the best days and that I will always remember it, because at last I was going to get rid of the problem. It was 8 am in the morning when I entered theatre with nervousness and there he was Dr. Royo preparing and coordinating so that all would go perfectly well and that´s how it went. The intervention consisted of a small opening at the tail end of the lumbar zone and from there is where he cut the Filum terminal, for it to be liberated and like that the tension decreased which was produced from the craneo and the spinal cord. The other part of the intervention was to extract the 3 vertebral discal hernias L5-S1 bilateral L4-L5 left, which had pressed the nerves and finally leaving them free.

After the intervention, whilst in the hospital bed I noticed and felt a lot of changes and the first of those was when I stood up that I saw myself taller, like before I was always curved over and I seemed a lot shorter, I walked without being scared, the annoyance I had in the knees disappeared, that overload feeling in the lumbar zone disappeared, the trembles in the hands and the tingling sensations disappeared. In just only a few hours of the intervention, my life did a complete radical turnaround.

Now only two months have passed since the intervention and I am the same boy of before whom had the disease, I can now return to my normal day activites without being scared that anything is going to be in pain and that I feel so much more active and with good humor, whereas before I lacked it, that lasted until the sun would finally be hidden. With this testimonial, I want to encourage all the families whom suffer these diseases like how I suffered and my mother, only to tell them that there is a remedy, because a lot of you don´t have the information necessary.

Don´t suffer any longer and stop letting others (Doctors) helping you, like they did with me. Doctor Miguel B. Royo Salvador he returned happiness back into my life and that of my family, he is and will be a friend of the family. Many thanks. If you need me, or have any questions to do with anything abut the disease and how I have overcome everything, please do not hestitate in asking and knowing..

E-mail: Billy_er_rapido@hotmail.com

ES   Florentina Blanco Rodriguez , Scoliosis

With the years my disease was advancing, every time they prescribed me more and more medicines but the pain followed. I had my first son, with the pregnancy my disease got worse, at 2 months from when i had my son, I had to wear a corset from the cervical to the zone of the sacrum during a period of the 5 years, having worn the iron corset caused many more damages to me than improvements, at evening times when i took of the corset my body faded away leaving me strengthless. They only thing diagnosed was scoliosis and they prescribed me very strong medicine, that when i took them at night, i couldn´t hear my child weeping, which in that time it was my husband who was in charge of everything

Tired to live this, I attended a particular doctor to know if i still had some hope, because I got to the stage of great depression, day after day my body did not respond to my daily tasks. That doctor recommended me to take off the corset as it was atrophying me, and all the muscles,they prescribed me medicines to reinforce my bones and rehabilitation to develop my muscular mass. I had a very bad year, but I obtained that my muscles developed although i still followed on with pains. I had my second son, the same happened just as my first pregnancy, everything got worse, years went by and I was 46 years old, my depression increased seeing myself without strength in my legs and fading away, losing the balance by not being able to control the function of my legs. I went to social security doctors, but nobody found the solution to my problem,that could intervene me doing an operation from the cervical zone to the lumbar zone, putting iron plates with screws, but with that i would lose part of my mobility. There was a waiting list of three to four years, and that if it something terrible happens (it could affect the heart or the lungs) or I would be left in wheelchair, yet to speed up the intervention.
I went to the Plato Clinic to request a second opinion from the other doctors to see if there was another solution to my problem,they did all types of tests on me but they said to me that they were not prepared to do the intervention that I needed and they gave me the contact of Dr Royo..

Dr. Royo did the first exploration to find a solution to my serious problem and he did necessary tests and appropiate to see what intervention I needed. After three days of having done tests, knowing the results and to see the problem that I had (Filum Terminal) they operated on me. After 24 hours the operation I got myself up and walked without hardly any pain, knowing that there were annoyances caused by the intervention, which when my suffering had finished, i found an improvement of “ 10 ”, and good bye to the tablets of pain, to the hours of weeping and not knowing what to do when it hurt me so much.
Today at my 51 years, I can do my domestic tasks, to go for a stroll, it is to say that , in general I am like a normal and current person, and I do not have to depend on anybody.
PS: I desire that God gives many years to Dr. Miguel Royo Salvador so that he continues with his studies and that he can continue helping people who have the same problems that I had. As his last name says, he has been my Salvador - saviour and a great friend ..............................

ES   Joan Sanchez García, Scoliosis

It is for me a pleasure, to express and to show my experience here, my improvement, longed for cures, after years sailing without a course, knocking on doors of which the solutions were mere patches to alleviate, to diminish or to calm the pain.

I have gotten rid of continuous lumbar annoyances and cervical,periodic contractions, permanent sensation of binding, permanent alteration of the tact with a tickling sensation as opposed to any type of contact, friction etc. and aslo logically a future in terms of not a very encouraging quality of life...

I have recovered, of a verified way, between 30% - 40% of force in my legs.

I walk differently, with ease, more relaxed, in such away that is more elegant and even more upright without any doubt. My breathing is much better.

These progressions have been relatively recent, yet in the future everything will settle down and the improvemnents will keep continuing.

I hope that something so good, so useful, practical, fast and benefical can be presented at a world-wide level without vetoes, censorships nor impediments, that can arise from stingy and lucrative own interests front to which it would have to reign like priority in all.....the alturism, the solidarity and the use of common sense and above all and more in a transcendental subject as it is the human health.

Thanks Dr. Miguel........thanks!!

E-mail: joansg@igrafic.com

ES   Dolores Gómez Cubero, Sclerosis, Herniated cervical disc C5-C6-7 and dorsal D8-9.

The treatment, once being discharged from the hospital, was anti-inflammatories and specific medication for the Myelitis with monthly revisions. I was going to daily rehabilitation for the leg and a period of eight months in on sick leave from work. I recovered a little sensitivity and strength in my leg but the pain in my neck were more intense every time, with period of sick leave where the doctors prescribed me anodynes and anti imflamatories with rest and the use of a cervical neck brace.

During this time Syncopes started to appear with fainting and in the monthly revision appeared some kind of stains in the brain that the doctors pointed out could be caused by the multiple Sclerosis. I noticed more as time went by that I was losing my quality of life, the Syncopes were repeated with no specific pattern and the pain was increasing.

Through a friend I got to meet doctor Miguel B. Royo Salvador, which visited me for the first time in the year 2001. He confirmed that I had a herniated disc at level C6-C7 but he, in that moment, considered there was no Multiple Sclerosis yet existing in the Myelopathy. He recommended me a surgery for the Cervical Hernia since I would gain quality of life afterwards and probably the spinal cord would deflate since it would not have any pressure in the cervical disc affected. This on one side supposed a solution to my problems that had started from the accident at work, but from the other, the doubts towards a new diagnosis that did not have anything to do with the previous ones.

I took the decision to be in hands of Dr. Royo because I really saw that my quality of life and my state of mind was seriously affected during these six years and my life was turning into agony.

The surgery was an achievement after having placed a titanium plate and a transplant in the zone. After six months I was able to reestablish at work. I felt like a new lady, with no pain, with no depression and being able to live a normal life.

After two the pain reappeared with the Syncopes, as well the loss of sensitivity and strength in the right extremities. A Myelopathy reappeared with a cervical herniated disc in C5-C6. I went back to Dr. Royo and he suggested me another surgery since the first one had given very good results. In this moment, he commented me he was studying the fact that in a parallel way the showing of the Discopathy there always had been a medullar inflammation.

I went through another surgery with Dr. Royo and his team and this time the surgery came out to be a success. The recovery was a little slower due to personal circumstances at that time made more difficult the fast recovery.

After a year he gave me the discharge and gave me an appointment for a revision after one year since he wanted to follow up on the existing herniated dorsal disc and that in certain moments started to cause some pain.

During this time the same symptoms before the pain came back again and constant pressure in my back, some occasional Syncope and complete loss of strength and sensitivity in my right leg. In the exploration Dr. Royo detected a new Myelopathy at dorsal level together with a dorsal- lumbar Scoliosis. He explained to me that since some years he is practicing pioneer interventions in this ambit, consistent in sectioning the filum terminale to liberate the spinal cord. These interventions are giving very good results and the patients who are operated gain quality of life. He considers that in my case and with my history I am a sure candidate for this type of surgery and proposes me a double surgical operation. On one hand the section of the filum terminale and on the other the one for the dorsal herniated disc. Once again I put myself in his hands and the double intervention is again a total success.

In this actual moment after two months from the intervention I notice a general physical recovery and my mental state. For the first time after 5 years of living with constant pain and discomfort and the effort I had to make to tray and live a normal life but always with limitations. Now I have no pain, I have recovered my strength and sensitivity in my right leg, in other words I have noticed a better quality of life, which is improving day by day.

All this has happened thanks to Dr. Royo who has made find the new me as I was before. I thank him personally for his professional treat, which has made me feel safe and secure about whichever intervention and for his human quality and to all his team because thanks to their dedication, they have helped me improve my life and by the same way, they can do it with other people who are in the same situation.

ES   María Dolores Lopez Viñal, Scoliosis dorsal.

To be able to treat those “PAINS”, I under went habitual treatments(antinflammorties, muscular relasantes, anaegisiacs, local heat, massajes, rehabilitation, highly invasive treatmens), before I was treated by means of surgical staples, they did 2 lumbar rizolosis on me, I was treated with ozone therapy and last they implanted an electric medular estimulater at dorsal lumbar epidural level, and after all these treatments, I didn´t improve.

My lumbalgia problems, evolutionated to lumbosiatics bilaterals, painful vertebral contractions in the dorso lumbar region, cericalgias, tingling sensation in my hands and feet and including urine incontenence.

My life at that time, before this situation of pain just about constantly without a diagnostic with the treatment, I went on with my life at 36 years of age, and 2 children that I couldn´t attend, a husband with certain circumstances at his work wasn´t able to help me in taking care of our children, it was very difficult and with little hope of getting better.

In this sitiuation, I went to visit the practise of DR. ROYO, that after examining the tests that I brought, (RMN, x-rays, Electrographs, scoliogram) and new tests that I did, he gave us adiagnostic (medual traction syndrome or tense filum terminal syndrome), eventhough it seems like something normal after the visit with Dr. Royo, there is a diagnostic, for me that was really important and it was the first time that they had given me a diagnostic and a solution to the problem.

Dr. Royo propossed the section of the coccigeo ligament with his own technique to the liberation of the Filum Terminal, intervention was done on the 26th of April of 2005, it signifiys that after the intervention and time passed by, all the annoyances “pains” dissapeared, I stoppped utilizing medication, and like a miracle my life changed completely, I could take care of my children,walk, go for a stroll and took a rest when going to the bed, en resumen, my family were telling me that “ I have grown”.

Three months passed by and I began t suffer, a lumbar contraction, with a radiated pain direction of the left leg, eventhough I need to say that it wasn´t the intensity of before having the intervention.

Three months passed by and I began t suffer, a lumbar contraction, with a radiated pain direction of the left leg, eventhough I need to say that it wasn´t the intensity of before having the intervention.

I recognise that eventhough I feel much better, continue having this pain, in a way of intermittent in my left leg and my hope was that little by little this pain would remit just like Dr. Royo informed me. Effectively apart from April of 2006 when everything began to get better evidently, today is July 2007, and I am living a tranquil life and being conscious of my limitations, I can live without PAIN and have illusion for life.

ES   Javier Rodríguez Rodríguez, Idiopathic Scoliosis, Syndrome Tethered Cord.

22/05/2001

06/03/2009

After having passed these two years doing tests, the only solution that they gave me for my Scoliosis were antiinflammatory tablets that alleviated me momentarily, but did not solve the problem. I knew that Dr. Royo, had operated of something similar to my uncle and to my father, of the section of the Filum Terminal, and really he gave the solution to my problem and advised me the operation.

Finally to say that as from day 22 of January of the 2008, day of the intervention, I have managed to rest all the nights, and my backaches have disappeared completely.

My contact detail: (+34) 933 591 267
E-mail: drjbcn@gmail.com


IT   Rosa Maria Marra, Dorsal Idiopathis Scoliosis, Traction Medular Syndrome.

Often my legs were blocked, with atrocious pain, and my right arm until I wasn´t able to eat, together with strong vertigos with vomits, and furthermore I always had a pale face, I always felt cold, and often I had a fever. I did physiotherapy and for 10 years I did manipulations which helped me temporarily, during 2 months I was feeling a little better, and later the pains returned however a lot stronger and which made me bed ridden, so then I went to the chiropractioner.

Now thanks to Dr. Royo and to God that gave me the necessary knowledge, finally I can sleep, on the other hand before I wasn´t able to put myself in any position, nor in the bed, nor standing up and nor sitting down, now I don´t have those tremdeous pains. It has been 2 months since I have been intervened, and furtherdown the track I hope to have other improvements.

I am aiming this to the people whom suffer, money shouldn´t be an issue, it is certain that nowadays nothing is sufficent, like it was for me in the end. But if you think in what you spend in medications, visits, physiotherapy, manipulations, etc., that money is nothing, seeing however the results.

Furthermore Dr. Royo is a special person, very good,humble and kind,as well as his medical team, therefore it is a pleasure to allow him to operate on other similar people.

Kindly,

Rosa Maria Marra.

Tel: (+39) 32 00 73 85 36

ES   Jose Juan Jiménez Torres, Laminectomy at L5, partial at L4 and bilateral foraminotomy.

Ok, I´ll start telling you my story and I would like it to be beneficiary to people who have back problems and like in my own case, all doors closed on him/her.
I would like them to know, there is a door that can open and they should contact Dr. Royo because he has the key to this door that unfortunately others do not know how to open.

I started with back problems in the year 1998. I went to the social security, I had tests done and a disc protrusion was found at level L4-L5, Spondylolisthesis I-II grade, well to make a story short, I went to a neurosurgeon in Murcia and surprisingly was rejected by him and sent me to a Orthopedic traumatologist proposing me to have an instrumented arthrodesis done on me.
If I would have had it done, I would possibly be today in a wheelchair.

Even with medication my pain did not minimize or anything; the only luck I had was during one of my painful moments I went to the emergency ward of Cartagena, and was lucky to meet Dr. Victoria, who was the reason for how I met Dr. Royo.
This doctor said to me; José you are only 28 years old and have a whole life ahead of you, I now a neurosurgeon in Barcelona who is a very good specialist. The truth was, I won´t lie to you, I went to Barcelona being a little skeptical, since I continued having strong pain in my back and legs since two years and no one gave me any solutions whatsoever.

As soon as I arrived to Dr. Royo´s office, he sent me to get an MRIs done and as a matter of fact I had everything they had told me I had in Murcia but, Doctor Royo said to me that the problem did not come from the disc protrusions nor the Spondylolisthesis, “you have a Spina Bifida malformation and this is really your problem.”
Logically I was surprised and asked him if it had any solution. Dr. Royo told me straight away with absolute certainty, “you have to have surgery and we can calm this pain you have”, I couldn´t believe what I was hearing, I went from seeing everything black to seeing the light again.

And in the year 2001 I was operated on from: a Laminectomy L5, partial L4 and Foraminotomy bilateral.

The operation came out quite complex and laborious, but the result came out really good. I regained a normal life but of course being careful and had to forget about lifting up any heavy objects.


This year I started to feel discomfort in my thorax, loss of strength in my hands, and a stronger pain than before, this pain was stronger and more intense. As usual, I went to the doctor and told me it was a muscular contracture, so they started to give me massages and punctures (so as usual). I still didn’t get better and worsened every time, and thought it was all related to a lumbar problem.
Logically, I didn´t think twice about it and went with my wife to see Doctor Royo. Already in the physical exploration, I was told that I had a cervical problem and sent me to have MRIs done and obviously confirmed it.

My diagnosis was a herniated disc C6-C7 left medial-par medial that conditioned compression on the medullary cone and left root C7.
In that moment the clock came again to a stop. My wife started crying, I was speechless, and the doctor calmed us down with his incredible patience, since this situation was little tense.

Because this operation was of high risk for the medulla, he started to calm my wife commenting on how he knew everything was going to come out well, and I tell you with all my heart, I looked at him and said: Mister Miguel, I entirely trust you. Two weeks later he operated on me.

On March 24th, 2009 I had a cervical C6-C7 disectomy surgery done with a titanium box.
The surgery came out to be a success; thank god I decided to have the surgery since the doctor told me when he came out of the surgery room that the disc was totally broken. I don´t even want to think about the possibility of becoming stiff from the neck and downwards. I am actually still recovering little by little, but doing well.

The last thing I would like to tell you is about my daughter, which is the most painful thing for my wife and I. My 13 year old daughter, Omara, suffers back pain, cannot stand up for too long and has urinary incontinence during the night. We have had MRIs done and the traumatologist from Cartagena (Spain) tells us she has nothing and besides she didn´t even want to write certificate to avoid her doing physical exercise at school. Well, it seems like the little girl has a tense filum terminale syndrome and must be operated on. Anyone who has children will understand me and of course soon Dr. Royo will operate on her because we fully trust him and we assume he will treat her like if she were his own child.

The intention of telling about my case is to encourage you and that you do not have to be afraid. I wish we had 100 doctors Royo in Spain!

If anyone wants to ask me something or simply talk about this, my email address is: jojujito@hotmail.com

Best regards to everyone and cheer up.

ES   David Mirete, Herniated disk in left L5-S1

Approximately, a year ago before the surgery, I had pain in my back, which affected my left leg. As I belong to a mutual benefit society, I went and visited a traumathologist thinking it was a posture problem, since I work sitting down all day, or an overcharged muscle. The doctor told me then to have an MRI done to see what showed up. With the results in his hands...SURPRISE… you have a herniated disc in L5-S1, but still not ready to be operated on, just like a peace of fruit that needs to ripen, ha ha … According to the doctor the treatment I needed were physiotherapy sessions and that’s it, going through surgery is always the last option.

During the whole year I attended physiotherapy sessions, but the pain persisted. I had many tests done and the painkillers, tranquilizers and physiotherapy was always the ideal treatment.

In June; seeing that this did not work, desperate by the pain, always thinking that it was a simple hernia without importance, they recommend me an Osteopath. The Osteopath made me do a series of movements that made my pain disappear right after the appointment. I thought; this is great! At last, I have no pain! Two days later I almost couldn’t walk, I had to lay on my bed because of the pain and was so strong, I couldn´ t even go to the bathroom. I had a feeling that I would not be able to walk anymore. Three doctors had to come with urgency, each one with their correspondent treatment. I lost count of how many injections I had to calm my pain.

I told my father to make an appointment with Dr. Royo for me because this could not be normal. Curiously, Dr. Royo had already operated on my father three times, also my wife’s aunt and my cousin.
One thing I was sure of, if someone had to operate on me, it had to be him, since he was like my family’s doctor.

I arrived with crutches and my curved back to the appointment, just as an 80-year old man, with incredible pain. The doctor told me this could be fixed only one way and this is what happened. I went through surgery on the 7th of July. I entered the surgery room with a lot of pain, but when I woke up from the anesthesia, the pain was gone, my suffering had disappeared; I could not believe it. The doctor told me I had been in such terrible pain because I did not just have a simple hernia.
Two months later, I am feeling great, I go swimming, I can drive my car and soon I will be riding my motorcycle and living a normal life.

I only have words of gratitude for Doctor Royo and his kind, pleasant and professional team. I wish I had attended him much earlier but sometimes the surgery room frightens us, which should not happen with such team.

I only want this story to encourage people to really take in consideration their quality of life. As you can see, I had been suffering during the whole year I met Dr. Royo. Don’t make the same mistake, if you suffer from similar symptoms or if your doctor diagnoses you a back lesion, you should make an appointment with Dr. Royo, for sure you won´t regret it.

If you have any questions you can reach me on this number: (+34) 617 219 998 or send me and email at this address: dmirete@promas.es

ES   Ramón Borras Iserta, discal Protrusion in left L5-S1, discal Protrusion in C5-6 and D12-L1, Scoliosis.

Light Scoliosis 17/09/2007	Post-surgery X-ray 22/12/2008. A clear improvement is considered in the vertebral column.

ES   Carmen Becerra Barranco, Stenosis of the vertebral lumbar canal and Lumbosciatica.

This patient started 18 years ago to feel many symptoms and pains in her back, mainly in the lumbar zone. Maybe it could be normal, since she is the mother of 5 children and works in the agriculture field and has realized many efforts during all her life. All along these 18 years she attended centers where they pinched her needles or gave her massages, which at first gave her rest and some recovery, she also visited traumatologists that treated her with physiotherapy. She took all kinds of medicines trying to relieve the pain; even a year before the operation they injected her Ozone in the column. The traumatologists had recommended her to have surgery done in a way that they would introduce plates and screws that would make her feel better, but with a high risk of staying in a wheel chair and with some luck, after staying in bed for three months, she could live an almost normal life. They also told her if she did not have the surgery done, she would anyway have to stay in a wheel chair. We have many stories to tell from many doctors, but they all basically come to this same conclusion, “you must go though surgery or you will be in a wheel chair”. My mother did not feel very safe to go through this surgery here, so she decided to wait and be operated when she could not walk anymore.

Time went by until they told us the story about a lady who had gone though surgery on her column in the clinic Corachán in Barcelona by Dr. Miguel B. Royo Salvador. Thanks to her testimonial, my father made an appointment and went to the clinic. She brought all the tests she had and the Dr. saw them and said she had to be operated, but it would not be a complicated operation and the recovery would be also fast.

To tell you the truth, it all happened just as the Doctor told us it would be.

My mother went through the surgery on September 19th, from Lumbosciatic and Stenosis. The duration of the operation took three hours and it all went very well, she felt very relaxed and awake when they took her back to the room. On the 22nd of September she was given the discharge, we took a plane to Almería and with no problems.

Nowadays she is perfectly well, the pain she had before stayed in the surgery room.

The operation consisted in filing the bones in the column canal in various levels that were choking the nerves in the column; this is why she was losing sensibility in her legs.

We recommend to everyone who identifies himself or herself like my mother to attend Dr. Royo, for sure he will find a solution to your problem.

Thank you to all his team.

E-mail: marijero2002@hotmail.com

ES   Antonio Victoria, Herniated disc, Cervical disectomy in C5-6 and Arthrodesis with titanium box.

Date of intervention: September 2006

From right here I wish to thank Dr. Royo. My name is Antonio Victoria, I am 47 years old and I am a doctor as a profession. I work in a service emergency general hospital, with a frenetic and intense activity.

Since a couple of months ago I started to notice the sensation of wearing an armor and squeezing in the legs mainly in the thigh regions, which at first I related to the heat and work excess. During a night guard I started to notice loss of strength in the arm and left leg thinking it was about a vascular brain accident. Finishing the guard I had an MRI done since I previously had some cervicalgias and I had sensibility loss in my first and second finger of my left hand. I was then confirmed that I had a cervical discopathy that protruded the spinal cord. It took me too minutes before I contacted with DR. ROYO from neurosurgery of the clinic Corachán of Barcelona and in a few days he resolved the case magistrally, being totally functional to go back to work.

I encourage everyone who has these problems to not hesitate and act like I did.

Best regards Miguel and THANK YOU SO MUCH.

E-mail: laloba_nieves@hotmail.com

ES   Dolores Castillo,Bilateral Lumbo Sciatica, paresis of the right dorsal foot flexion. Bilateral Radicular compression in L4-L5.

My back does not hurt almost anymore and I have recovered 100% of my leg movement since the day of the surgery.

With these lines I want to thank Dr. Miguel B. Royo Salvador and to his work team for their good work, their big experience in their work, their charisma and the affection they give to people who need it.

If you have any problem related to what I had, do not hesitate in asking him for help.

ES   Pepi Fernández Sola, Herniated cervical disk in C4-5.

As time went by, I kept on going through a lot of pain in the bottom part of my back and at the top part occasionally, this pain went to the head, neck and arms. I got tired of going to the emergency room from these pains and the insurance did not offer me any solution, I then started to visit specialists in the social security:

- Traumatologist: without exploration, he sent me directly to the neurosurgeon (4 months waiting list).
- Neurosurgeon: after the exploration and having seen my lumbar MRI, he said the pain I felt at the top of my back and head was not caused by the hernia, he sent me to the rheumatologist because he thought it was fibromyalgia (2 months waiting list).

As I could not wait for 2 more months as I was worse with my headaches, neck and arms. I went to a private rheumatologist, where he tested me for rheumatic diseases and the result was that I did not have anything wrong.

I was desperate and tired of taking anti-inflammatory medication. I am so grateful for the day that a family member mentioned to me the case of a colleague from his work. The colleague was seen by Dr. Royo and summing-up in two words: “got cured”. I immediately got in contact with the clinic and they gave me an appointment for an evaluation with Dr. Royo.

Only with the physical exploration he diagnosed my problem (he detected that I had loss of reflexes and was losing strength in my right hand). He confirmed my problem with 3 MRIs. My diagnosis was: Herniated cervical disk in C4-C5, which was the cause of my pains and discomfort.

I also have the lumbar hernia but he mentioned that if we first gave a solution to the cervical hernia, the lumbar hernia would possibly get better. Doctor Royo explained to me in detail the solution, and this solution consisted in going through surgery. In that moment I felt very scared of the surgery, but the doctor transmitted me a lot of confidence, since the surgery guaranteed improvement and I knew that this doctor is an eminence in his profession seeing that he has an expanded professional career.

The next week I went through surgery, 17-10-06 and after 3 days in the hospital, I went home to recover. During my recovery I could contact Dr. Royo to consult any doubt as many times I wanted and needed. After a month I came back for the check up where the doctor confirmed what he had mentioned at the day of the surgery, that it had been a success as I gained back my strength in my arm and also my reflexes. I finally don’t have the pains I had in my neck, arms, head and top part of my back. My life quality has gotten much better, although still, according to Dr. Royo, I still have approximately one more month to be perfect.

Lastly, I want to thank Ms. Mara Espino for the service and attention received and especially how Doctor Royo Salvador has treated me personally and professionally.

His human quality made me feel safe and his big professionalism gave me an enormous safety, before, during and after the surgery. I encourage everyone who has these back pains to contact Dr. Royo.

If you want to contact me or consult me any doubt, this is my e-mail address: pepi_1128@hotmail.com

ES   Carmen Godas Román, lumbar canal stenosis and lumbosciatica.

The result of the operation has been extraordinary, I left the clinic on my own after a few days, without any pain.

I’m very happy to have had the surgery and grateful to Dr. Royo as I have gotten back my quality of life and I can look after myself and I don’t have anymore pain.

Thank you,

Carmen Godas.

ES   Oriol Royo Obregón, Luxation and Listesis C6-C7.

Lateral X-ray of the Cervical column with Luxation and Listhesis in C6-C7.	Post-operatory X-ray antero-posterior of the surgical reduction of the Luxation with Arthrodesis in C6-C7
Lateral post-operatory X-ray of the surgical reduction of the Luxation with Arthrodesis in C6-C7

ES   Sandra Lucas, Disk herniation Lumbar L5-S1.

The pain was very strong, it went from my back to my feet. Especially on my left side, which stopped me from doing many things. and neither did I have any strength in that foot. The simple tasks of putting on my shoes or getting up off the sofa or out of bed were unbearable.

This went on for 2 ½ years. IT WAS HELL!

Through the internet I found Dr. Miguel B. Royo Salvador, who explained everything to me very clearly. After giving him all of my tests, we decided to operate.

At last on the 26 of June 2007, Dr. Royo operated on me. The surgery went very well, the next day I already had strength in my foot. Day after day the pain in my waist and legs started going away.

It has been 3 months since my surgery and I’m feeling great, at the point of going back to work. I can’t believe how well I feel. I can do tons of things that were impossible for me to do before.

I recommend Dr. Royo and his team to everyone who has this problem or something similar. He has changed my life.

From here, I thank him.

Sandra

E-mail: annamimo@hotmail.com