old spine injury

[rfsvt]

I'm new to the forums and I'm doing some research on an old spinal injury I had about 18 years ago. I fell 12 feet onto a metal ladder on a 45 degree angel and broke my 11th and 12th vertebrae while I was in the US Army. I was told nothing could be done and it would heal on its own. About 5 years ago I found a civilian doctor that fixed it with 2 titanium rods and 4 screws.

About the same time, I started noticing some cardiac problems. Could the damage to the spine in the 11th and 12th vertebrae cause cardiac problems? I was told by a cardiologist that I have svt arrhythmia and cardiac sudden death (6 second pauses in the heart). My spinal cord is half the width in that area. I was told I was lucky to be alive.

rfsvt

ps I think I posted in the wrong forum (new sci) It should be in the Veteran Forum. Sorry..

[Coleen]

Get your medical records from the VA - sounds like you have a valid claim with the back injury - not sure about the other...

[rdf]

You might post in the care forum also.

[skippy13]

Go see a veteran's service officer and see if you can be service connected. If you are the VA will treat you. The VSO will help get the service medical records for you.

I don't know about the heart stuff. KLD might come on and explain about that.

[SCI-Nurse]

It is extremely unlikely that your heart condition is related to your spinal fractures. I assume you do not have actual paralysis or other symptoms of neurologic damage from your spinal fractures? You have normal bowel, bladder and sexual functioning? It is much more likely that your heart condition is related to your age, life style, and/or genes.

Regardless, you may be able to get some service connection for your spinal injury (not spinal cord injury) and you should see a DAV, VFW or other service organization Veterans' Service Officer (VSO) to get the application process going and track down your old military and VA medical records. Even if you have no service connection, if you had an honorable discharge, you may still be eligible for VA care, esp. if you are low income or have no other insurance. The VSO can help you with the application process and make sure that you get any VA benefits to which you are entitled.

(KLD)

[rfsvt]

sci-nurse,

I do have a 20% dis with the va for for a fractured t11/t12. The spinal cord is 1/2 it's normal width and I do have some neurologic damage. My cardiologist and electrocardiologist can't give me a cause for the svt/bradycardia even after doing an EP study and failed ablation. I've been doing some research and I did find a few articles that can indicate bradycardia after sci in the thoraculombar area of the spine. It is rare but it can happen.

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/322480-overview

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/321771-overview

The second article suggest that bradycardia can happen although rare. " Among patients with thoracolumbar injuries, 13-35% have bradycardia. (Under "Frequency" United States)

[skippy13]

If you think you can possibly get a doctor to write a letter to agree with you that the heart condition can be secondary to your spinal injury, then see a VSO about getting it tied to your SC primary condition when you have said letter.

Be sure that the letter is specific about how the doctor feels that the two conditions are tied together and what the expected outcome of the heart condition is. Include the research that you have found and have the doctor cite the research in his letter to the VA.

You should try for an increase in your SC award if you can. I'm not sure what the percentage of SC that is required by the VA for treatment, but your heart condition if proved secondary to the SCI would then be covered. Either way with a SC of any amount (your 20%for example) shoulf entitle you to treatment of some kind...maybe with co-pays.

[rfsvt]

I'm glad I never throw anything out. I found a doctor's lab work in a file that I had back in Nov of '93. I left the service in July of '93 and my accident was in Dec of '91. What I found was a rather disturbing b/p reading and it kind of goes with my broken spine svt/bradycardia theory... 150/58

[rfsvt]

Update:

I think I found the problem and I will be going back to a spinal cord doctor on the 19th of this month. Other than the t11/t12 injury, it looks like another spinal cord injury exists in the t4/t5 area. There is a picture of a hemisection of that area with a dark "forward slash" going just past the middle of the spinal cord to the upper right and exiting that area. Is that what is known as a lesion? It might be what is causing my bradycardia.

The hospital gave me a CD copy of my MRI. Is there a way to upload it and get an evaluation?