I recently was told by my surgeon that I needed a disc fusion on L-4, L-5, He told me the main cause was unstability of the spine. And that titaniuim brackets and screws are in order to take the pain away.
I don't want to have surgery and come out worse then when I went in.

Anyone out there can tell me about their experiences on this matter regarding to recovery.

Thanks,
Lilpuu

[FONT=Palatino Linotype][COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]
Hi Lil~
I have not had this surgery, but I should be having it! I am trying for the artifical disc thing instead. Anyways, Yes, they do place titanium rods, plates and screws into the spine, to stabalize it. How much pain are you in? Did you have a discogram? Obviously you have had an MRI. I work in an orthopedics office, and I just saw a patient today who is 6 days out of surgery.For the same procedure, and I asked her if she would do it over again? In a heart beat she said she would. She has noticed alot of changes already. But everyone is different.
If you look on the internet for Spinal Fusion Surgery, you will find pictures, and more info to answer your questions. Ask your Dr too. I am sure you will get alot of responces here. Hang in there, and keep us posted!

[FONT=Palatino Linotype][COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]
Hi Lil~
I have not had this surgery, but I should be having it! I am trying for the artifical disc thing instead. Anyways, Yes, they do place titanium rods, plates and screws into the spine, to stabalize it. How much pain are you in? Did you have a discogram? Obviously you have had an MRI. I work in an orthopedics office, and I just saw a patient today who is 6 days out of surgery.For the same procedure, and I asked her if she would do it over again? In a heart beat she said she would. She has noticed alot of changes already. But everyone is different.
If you look on the internet for Spinal Fusion Surgery, you will find pictures, and more info to answer your questions. Ask your Dr too. I am sure you will get alot of responces here. Hang in there, and keep us posted!



Hello ! I just had a anterior/posterior fusion on L4 - L5 on Nov 11th . I woke up with my pain gone . All i have now is muscle and some nerve pain . Of course everybody is different . This is just how mine turned out . I would do it again . Hope i helped a little . You can look at November surgerys and see more of us that have had this surgery . Shauna

I recently was told by my surgeon that I needed a disc fusion on L-4, L-5, He told me the main cause was unstability of the spine. And that titaniuim brackets and screws are in order to take the pain away.
I don't want to have surgery and come out worse then when I went in.

Anyone out there can tell me about their experiences on this matter regarding to recovery.

Thanks,
Lilpuu

Hi Lilpuu
I have just had my third operation. The first involved my L3-L4 and L4-L5 in 1989. I then had problems with my L5-S1 in 1999. My last involved my L5-S1 again but I had a fusion done this time.

I had a PLIF (Posterior lumbar interbody fusion) by the sounds of it. The 'official' explanation on a letter that I have from the Health Region states that I had quote "L5-S1 spinal decompression and fusion with instrumentation with left iliac crest bone graft" unquote. My doctor simply told me that he went in through my back from an older surgery site and inserted two titanium rods with 8 screws and the bone from my hip. One of the nurses was surprised that I didn't have two surgery sites as she said a lot of doctors have a separate incision for the bone graft versus the fusion. However, my surgeon apparently prefers to use one long (8" I am told" incision and do everything from the one site.

As far as the bone graft goes, everybody told me that it would be much more painful than the fusion site. However, I have not found that at all. I don't feel any pain whatsoever from the site where they took the bone graft.

I am doing so much better again today than I was yesterday. I am starting to feel it in my lower back from sitting here and so will have to close this soon, but I am recovering at a much much higher rate than I had anticipated. I am not trying to push it though and am just taking it slow and easy.

There is a lot more documentation regarding a number of people having surgeries under two major posts, one being 'Good Fusion Outcomes Wanted' and the other under November Surgeries.

Take a look through them and if you want answers to any other questions, shoot away.

Cheers,
David

Hey, I had a spinal fusion (L5 to S1) on March 24th and still had plenty of pain in the months that have followed. It is now November and I am having to go back into surgery in a few weeks, this time from the front side so my Doc can insert some kind of wedge in front of the disc where I had the fusion and also insert cages on the two discs above that, and I had pedical screws inserted in the first surgery and he says I could need a third surgery to go back in from the back side to extend the pedical screws? Wow, what a nightmare, having to take lots of pain meds just to ease SOME of the awful pain I am going through, good luck with your surgery, one thing to be prepared for is the constipation from the pain meds you will get in the hospital, no one warned me of that and it was bad having to try and have a bowel movement after not having one for two weeks right after surgery, very, very painful experience and you can imagine how my back felt durring that, so I would sugest getting stool softeners BEFORE you go into surgery just to be on the safe side!! Beleive me, those strong pain meds that you will recieve right after surgery will back you up, so just a heads up! Rlcowboy :wave:

I had L-4/L-5 Fusion surgery in Oct. 2001! Best decision I have ever made! 14 yrs. of suffering till Fusion! Had the bone graph-Hardware-Wore a brace for 1 1/2 mos! Did lots of walking to help the healing process......I'm doing great! Had it done when I was 53 yrs. Old......Now 55 & can do so much with NO Pain.......It's like a New lease on Life for me!