I had all the epidural injections and the diskogram as well. I have a L6,weird I know, my Dr. said I am a good candidate for the 360 at the L5. I have degenerative disk disease, but I don't feel pain all the time just in the morning but not all mornings. I don't want the 360 just to have it, I think I should wait awhile. I am 51yrs and I am still working and it's a workmans comp issue. Has anybody not had the operation and recovered or got better thru exercise or any other treatment?
Thx Roy :eek:

The only question you asked that I can answer is about the Worker's Comp issue.
My Surgeon told me my Fusion will have a 70-80% success rate, but if I were Worker's Comp, that would drop to 50%. I asked why and he just said that they have thier own rules as to what he can and cannot do. Where private insurance does not limit what he does to fix everything.
But I am sure that is not in all States.
Stardust

There are several people who have not had success from their fusion surgeries (as they will come forward and tell you on here), but please keep in mind that everyone is different and their reasons for not having a successful surgery is not always their fault or not always their doctor's fault. There are so many variables why someone doesn't recover well or have a successful surgery.

If/when you decide on surgery you have to be of the positive mindset that you'll be one of the success stories. Everyone is afraid and nervous pre-surgery. I for one only wish I had done it years ago so I hadn't suffered so long.

I, too, am contimplating fusion (L4,5 - L5,S1)- I'm six months post op hemilami/micro which failed. I wish you luck in your decision - no matter what you decide make it based on YOU, no one else! Everyone (not here on the board) just people in general have something to say... what's that saying, opiniones (sp?) are like A**HOLES, everyone's got one?! :)
~M~

You should exhaust all non-surgical options before you even think of having surgery. Spine surgery, especially fusion, should always be a last resort. Have you tried ESIs (epidural steroid injections) or physical therapy yet? There are a lot of people who are helped by PT. Also, if you do decide to have surgery, make sure that you seek a second opinion before you have it. Good luck with your decision!

Jessie

be careful, if it is wc and you decline treatment now, later down the road you may not get treatment by WC if they deem it pre-existing. I understand where you are coming from though. This is a hard decision and I don't envy you the choice you have to make. DDD doesn't get better though and that is why at 27 I opted for my 360 degree two level fusion. I wish you the best in whatever you choose.

Roy,

There are a lot of time issues when it comes to WC. If you file in the allotted amount of time allowed and keep them apprised of what is going on, your job should be safe and you should have adequate time to come to an informed decision.

Surgery is the last resort unless you have immediate nerve issues such as incontenience or loss of bowel control.

Once you file an injury report, they either accept or deny it. It takes awhile. But, if you let it go, and don't file an on the job injury report in a timely manner, then if you want to later, they can deny your claim.

L6 means that at some time, while you were forming in your mom's womb, part of your lumbar decided to try to become more than it was. This is what they doc told me about mine. It is more common than most people realize.

As for DDD, at age 51, it is common. What is your WC claim for? DDD? They will call that a natural part of the aging process unless you can point to an injury.

I wish you the best of luck with this matter. I would report it as soon as possible if you had an on the job injury. When in doubt, report anyway.

People lose their jobs over reporting injuries but you only have one body.

sending positive thoughts your way,
:)

Thank you for all your replies.
Roy