My husband had fusion surgery last April. Had a cage done on L5/S1. Had a lengthy recovery while off work completely for 12 weeks and has since returned to work with a promotion and very little physical strain(thank goodness). Recently though he has started having quite a bit of pain in the same area and has seen his neurosurgeon every 3 months with fresh xrays every time and the doc always assures him that the xrays look fine and that what he is experiencing is just part of the recovery process i.e. nerves being disturbed during surgery, muscles that were cut through,etc. Any one else out there had similar experience with such a recovery and can the doctor tell just from the position of the cages on an xray that everything is ok when they couldn't see the problem before except with an MRI?

If he is getting worst pain then I would see a differnt DR.
If the surgeon that did the surgery is like the one that did mine, he don't want to here about any problems with his work. It is like an ego thing.
He basicly told me it was my own fault I was having pain a year after the surgery, because I was not doing back excersizes every day.
I went to a different neuro and she has orderd a discogram because she can see other disc bulging and showed me on the MRI.
Besides I don't know how much he could tell just by looking at an x-ray.
Good luck.
CRAZE

Hi Shebe, http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/wave.gif

I'm 9 weeks post-op and have some problems also.

I'm always told it's a time will tell issue, and to be patient.

I hope your Hubby starts to feel better soon.

I hope I don't need to have the hardware removed, as I can feel all of it http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/bang.gif

I was told it may be up to a year before I see most of the improvement.

I have trouble with a buldging muscle, as well as nerve damage.

All I can do for now, is just hang in there.

Take Care,
Baxter http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/love2.gif

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Two level laminectomy fusion L5-S1 & L2-3 done on 12/6/02.
Fifteen inch scar from the very top of butt crack (sorry), to the bra line.
BAK cages, rods & screws.(Titanium)
My pelvic bone was used for grafting.
Praying that the other two discs in between, won't have to be fused later, as I was told it was a possibility, due to the other two discs in between, not being in that great of shape.
Doc didn't want to fuse four levels, unless it is really necessary.
I would hate to repeat the surgery, as the recovery period, is so very painful.
I also have a free fragment in my T11-12 area, that I'm still refusing surgery for, at this point in time.
That surgery is way too dangerous for me to consider, until if affects my being able to walk.