I have been living with severe back pain for almost 2 years. I've have therapy, pain blocks, you name it I've have it. I was told last week I need fusion surgery to fix my problem. Has anyone had this surgery?? Do you have any suggestions??

Hi, splitter...welcome to the board. YOu haven't given us a lot of information to go on here so I will just make some general statements.

Yes, I would say that many of us here have had fusion surgery or are fighting NOT to have it. Please get a second opinion before having this done as you are talking very major surgery and once done, you cannot go back. It isn't the answer to all back problems though sometimes it is unavoidable. You want to be as certain as possible that there is no other choices left. See another spine specialist and find out if there are any other options open to you such as injections or other non-surgical procedures.

If you do have surgery, you will want to be sure and take plenty of time to recover. Is this a one-level? It will take at least 3 months to recover enough to go back to work providing your job isn't strenuous. Before you go into the hosp, get some grabbers from walmart so that you don't have to bend or stretch to reach something; rearrange your cabinets and fridge so that the most commonly used items are at arm reach. Also, you might want to be sure to have some food frozen and ready to thaw made up ahead of time. A toilet seat extender is helpful to a lot of people too.

Hope you find some of these suggestions helpful. I'm sure others will come along with some more ideas. Good luck.

Carol

Just make sure you get a second opinion. I suffered for 16 yrs before a fusion was done. Many years ago fusions were done a lot less frequently. It still is a very serious operation as many doctors believe it hastens the degeneration of the levels above and below. So go slowly and be certain. There is no guarantee that it will help your problems over the long term.

Second opinions are a must in my opinion......surgery should be the last resort....as mentioned earlier, it may cause a chain effect in the future......i just had a two level fusion done l4-s1 anterior and posterior...i went through pt that did not help and 3 opinions that all said the same thing....I had discs that were just deteriorating and it would only get worse over time so I chose surgery....don't let anyone force you into anything...

Thank you all for your advice. I have had back problems for almost 2 years. I have been to 3 different therapists, I have had 2 pain blocks, a series of MRIs, x rays,nothing has helped yet. I saw a Dr. Zogby in Syracuse, NY. He is a sepcialist in this field. I also went to another orhro. who basically said the same thing. I have a stress fracture in L5 and DR. Zogby said PT or pain blocks will not help a fracture. I am a very phyical person, I own a carpet cleaning business, I play golf,softball,and I'm a long time bodybuilder. Lifting weights is my life. I have set 2 state bench press records. Even with my back as bad as it is I still go to the gym every day, I just alter my routine due to my back. I am scared to death of this fusion surgery. My DR said my only limitations would be running long distances and bending to touch my toes. I would love to hear from people that have had this surgery and the out come. Again thank you all for your responses.

I am glad you have faith in your doctor because that is very important. However, I would still get a second opinion to be sure that surgery is necessary, number one, and also to get another opinion on limitations after surgery, number two.

Spinal fusion should be a last resort; it does sound like you have tried to avoid it though. Once fused, your back is never the same and you are more prone to further damage more easily. I'm not sure that a weight-lifting program is good for anyone with a damaged back. You see, the discs above and below the fusion will be taking more of the stress, therefore more easily damaged. You may have heard of the domino effect...fix one disc and the one above or below starts to crumble so to speak. I'm not trying to be discouraging, but I am encouraging you to be informed and realistic. I'm sure that there are those who go on to lift weights and do alright....I'm just not sure for how long.

I'm sorry you find yourself in this position and sure wish I could paint a bright picture of surgery, recovery, and pick up your life where you left off. Unfortunately, in many cases, that doesn't happen....we have to make adjustments, find other goals and pleasures.

I wish you the best of luck in your decisions.

Carol