I haven't posted a whole lot on this board lately but looks like here I am again.
Short version of my mess!
I had L5/S1 fusion in October of 2000. Two years later, December 2002, I had L4/L5 fused. Both were with hardware and my own bone. I recently had some tests ran as I am having horrible sciatica and tailbone pain. The CT scan and x-ray both say I am not fused at L5/S1. This shocks the &&&& out of me since the doctor that did the second fusion on L4/L5, took out the hardware on L5/S1. Both surgeries were done by different doctors, in different states. I called the doctor who removed the hardware and asked "why" if I wasn't fused. He said there wasn't room for both sets of hardware. I was floored, he took out what little bit of stability I did have, even if I wasn't fused. I think he acts like since he didn't do the first fusion, he is not responsible for "not fusing". That part is fine but WHY did he remove the hardware. No room and to leave me in this mess, doesn't sound like much of an excuse to me????
Now I am being told, I need to be fused from the front with a cage. More chance of fusing after a failed fusion. Uggh, what next??? I told the doctor, don't call me, I'll call you. I am throughly disgusted :(
Elaine