How long did you wear the bone growth stimulator after your fusion surgery?
Thanks!
Laurie

Hi Laurie,

I used mine for 3 months, 4 hours a day. I called it my Darth Vader belt, lol.

Rose

I had the other kind, the kind you wear 24/7 except in the shower. I wore mine for 6 months, which was probably longer than necessary, but my doctor and I figured it couldn't hurt. I was fused by 6 months.

Emily :wave:

Thanks for the info! I didn't know there was more than one type. Mine is the one you wear for 30 mins a day. The manual says you can only wear it for 9 months but I didn't know if that meant that is how long you need to wear it.

I'll ask the dr at my next appointment.

Laurie

I wore mine for three months until I started experiencing increased pain and numbness. The doctor thinks I may have grown some bone around a nerve. I posted a question here to see if anyone has ever heard of that but did not get any responses. I have stopped wearing mine until we figure out what what is causing the increased pain.

Are you talking about real bone growth stimulator? I never knew they can be weared this way!!
Mine was inserted during the surgery and attached to my hardware by wires, but batter was one level higher than last fused level. I had this inside me for 11 month and than it was surgical removed during 2 hour surgery.
Wires still there, they can't be removed unless i have another fusion surgery and than they will be removed together with old hardware.

Are you talking about real bone growth stimulator? >>

I'm talking about the machine you wear around your waist, it sort of looks like a belt. The manual says bone growth stimulator.

I just thought it was standard and everyone wore it after fusion. Ya learn something new every day...... I didn't have anything put in me like you explained.

Laurie

I wore mine, which was the one with the big rectangle looking front and back piece for 6 months -4 hours a day. The funny ( not really) thing is that they are not sure that I am fused, even now, 17 months after the fact.
In fact, I will find out on Thursday or on Wednesday, the 2nd of August since I will be having my second back surgery.
My girlfriend just had a fusion of L5-S1 and she has one that has two tiny little pads like a TENS unit, and she has to wear hers 24 hours a day........but hers looks far more comfortable than mine was.
Sandi

Hi Sandi,
What your girlfriend had is what I had. It was no big deal at all. You can't feel it at all. The only thing is that you have to get used to having those wires on you. After a while, it becomes automatic to reach for the wires to keep them from getting caught on things or, if you have a pocket to stuff them in, to pull them out a little or stuff them further in when you have to move your clothing around (okay, bathroom stuff). Who knows if it really did anything, but I fused really fast.

Emily :wave:

Are you talking about real bone growth stimulator? >>

I'm talking about the machine you wear around your waist, it sort of looks like a belt. The manual says bone growth stimulator.

I just thought it was standard and everyone wore it after fusion. Ya learn something new every day...... I didn't have anything put in me like you explained.

Laurie


I was very intrugued about what you are talking about and went on Internet searching this matter. What i learned is: you had bone growth stimulator and i had one too. Stimulator which they insert during surgery must be in your body from 8 -10 month working 24/7, and than surgicaly removed. Since this stimulator has to be surgicaly removed, they use it only in a very comlicated extensive surgeries with a big risk of not to fuse.
The one you are talking about they use in most cases.
Who cares, as long as we fuse, is in it???:)
Best luck on your recovery!