Hello Board,
I know a few of you have helped me through some hard times! Well I saw my third opinion last week and he recommends I go through with having a fusion. He says since I have so much leg and back pain, that discetomy plus fusion on my L5-S1 will be the only thing to stop it. And since it is effecting the quality of life, I should go ahead and do it. He said I could just do the lami/discetomy again, but feels I will be back under the knife in 6 months to a year getting a fusion. I think I am going to go ahead and do it together! I was wondering what everyone's thoughts are on fusion? What does it feel like? How long till I am back to normal? (I know everyone is different) And most importantly, how long will it take to go back to work?? Please any responses will help. I am very nervous, I know this is such a different surgery than a lami/disc. So please help!! Thanks.
Mandy
Mandy
I am sorry you are having such a hard time. Back pain is no fun. I had a fusion (kinda different as more of inserting the rods and stabilizing the pars defect they left the disc) on Feb 26th. It is a major surgery. I know it can take a long time to completly fuse.
I feel my surgery was a huge success. The recovery is not easy and there are days that you feel real well but must remember to take it easy.
As far as work I am not sure as I was not told. I know that their are a few people on here that has had fusions and will be willing to share their view points.
Hello ,sorry you are having a bad time. I had a PLIF L-4,L-5 with rods and screws on 10/31/05. It took me from 10/31/05 till 1/15/06 before I could go back to work . I had a great fusion and did well .Was in the hospital 4 days . Hope this helps. If you need anymore info just ask? Hope all goes well !
If its one thing you can be sure of- Every doctor of various practices: orthos, chiros, neuros, pain controllers, etc.... They all believe their way is the best. They are all correct at times. The fact here is that almost all surgeries and treatments all come down to one thing.... the disks. Instead of removing the disk and fusing, they can now repair the disks and keep the joint mobile.
Next Monday, I am having my first disk decompression treatment. Its non invasive, supposedly 80-85% effective and looks pretty good on paper. I could not find any boards here that talked about that. Its the DRX 9000 machine.
If that fails... I am still scheduled for artificial disk REPLACEMENT, in Germany on April 20. They are going to replace 4-5 and 5-1 with Maverick prosthetic disks, keeping the joints mobile. I am not cancelling my schedule on that until I see if the drx helps any.
Almost all fusions lead to more pain and surgeries. ALMOST ALL. If anyone reads this and has any experience with drx disk decompression, please reply.
Once fused, all other treatments for that joint are out. If other treatments fail (like the ones I am doing) then you can still get the fusion.
I hope this helps... good luck... let us know how you do.
Paul
ps If anyone has nightmares from taking Ultram or Percocet, I take Lunesta at night and works pretty good. Dr said there is little risk at regular dosages.
I can tell you this much; it was the best thing that has happened in all the treatments that I have been thorugh in the last 3 years or so.
After my surgery on the 12th my legs feel great; my back does not hurt at all. I am a little on the sore side in the front where they had to go in and put the cage in so that they could screw in on the back side. It is no joke. The back had no prolbelms on healing and I have had no signs on infection at all. The front is sore and no sign of infection. The hardest part is getting out of bed. My fusion was S1-L4-L5; one cage and 6 screws. I even have pictures to prove that it happened. IT is kind of neat in its own way.
It is some times a little on the sore side from trying to adjust your sleeping positions as well. One does it very carefully.
Sir, I wish you nothing but the best and a great and non complicated recovery.
Hi, I am 5 weeks out on my second fusion and if you look I have posted my first 4 weeks under Diet Dr. Pepper Fusion L5/s1 - 1st Post Op for a day by day play of my recovery.
I'm sorry you're having such back problems. I'm having a ALIF fusion March 27th after many years of needing it. My doctor wanted to first do a disectomy because it is less invasive to see if it would help. I had it in 2003 but it did not help me at all because I really neede a fusion. My disk is completely collapsed. I wish I had just gone ahead and had the fusion to begin with. That is my situation - I know everyone is different.
My best to you!
Hey thats is awsome ! Are you really doing great ? If so your one of the few that ever return's to the site to talk about it. What kind of work do you do ? Please share your story in your own thread for people to read ,I'm interested.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gettuit
Hello ,sorry you are having a bad time. I had a PLIF L-4,L-5 with rods and screws on 10/31/05. It took me from 10/31/05 till 1/15/06 before I could go back to work . I had a great fusion and did well .Was in the hospital 4 days . Hope this helps. If you need anymore info just ask? Hope all goes well !
Mandy,
I have heard from other's if your vertebra completly collapsed onto your disc it would probably fuse on it's own. Not the case with you huh?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Harmony5
Hi Mandy!
I'm sorry you're having such back problems. I'm having a ALIF fusion March 27th after many years of needing it. My doctor wanted to first do a disectomy because it is less invasive to see if it would help. I had it in 2003 but it did not help me at all because I really neede a fusion. My disk is completely collapsed. I wish I had just gone ahead and had the fusion to begin with. That is my situation - I know everyone is different.
My best to you!
I think this is the hardest decision to make...and when you are ready your ready. I think alot of the people who are healed have moved on and not still hanging out on the boards all day cause they are working etc doing the stuff we use to do.
You have to do alot of research and only you know your own quality of life to know if your ready to try. I am not minimizing this, because when I made the decision I was in tears and crying. That being said, since i have felt great optimisim and have heard alot of stories of sucess.
I've done tons of research on my own. I don't know exactly what your spine problem is...it might be my meds... but, I was convinced that I was going to go for the artificial disc replacement and had been waiting for it for a year. To find out later I am now not a candidate. If I had a choice I would have chose that.
So I don't, my choices are live like this the rest of my life or try to see if this fixes it. And I decided I just can't not try.
I am two years out of a three level fusion, front and back incisions. I am totally fused and the surgery was a success.
I had complications that occured that had nothing to do with the fusion. My back broke the day after the surgery when they got me out of bed. Because my doctor was out of town at a conference, no one was tracking me too close. They got me out of bed twice a day to walk with a broken back. I lost use of my left leg and feeling in it. I ended up with another surgery for another 5.5. hours and now have two 15" titanium rods and 20 screws.
Healing for a normal fusion is 6 months...this is major surgery. My surgeon originally said it would be 6-10 weeks before I could go back to work. What you will need to remember is that you will look better on the outside than you will feel on the inside.
You will also be given some sort of brace to wear. What type will depend on your surgery and your doctor. Wear it as he prescribes. You don't want to mess up the work he has done.
I am still living with pain, but it is from the back breaking, not the fusion. When you decide you can no longer live with the way you are, then it is time.
HI Mandy - I am 10 weeks out of a L4 - S1 fusion. I am still in the healing process. I am now just starting to feel really good.
I was in the hospital for 5 days. I have had a few ups and downs. I have to say the last few weeks have been really good. My doctor and I so far feel that this surgery is going to be a success! I am still not ready togo back to work, maybe in a couple more months.
I am glad I had fusion, my back is feeling sooooo much better! I know my quailty of life is going to be so much better! I can not wait for the rest of my life!!!!! I am already getting back out there and it feels so good!
This is a major surgery. Lots of planning and thinking to do. Not a walk in the park, very painful in the beginning. But it does get better. I am not pain free, but I am getting closer everyday. Hope this helps. Take care.
Hi Mandy, I am almost 8 weeks out of L4/L5-S1 fusion w/6 screws and 2 rods. My surgery was not 100%. My intial pain was relieved and still is, but I now have a new pain in my left leg and foot. I have swelling in my left foot and burning pain from my knee to my foot. Do not know what it is caused from (most likely nerve damage), but the pain was there since I woke from surgery. But I believe my situation is rare and fusion surgery is usually successful in relieving most nerve related pain. I have been unable to work since the onset of my severe pain in September 06 and my Dr. said I will not be able to return to any work for 6 to 9 months post surgery. I doubt that I will be able to return to my career in Corrections due to the physical demands of the job. I wish you the best and a speedy, uneventful recovery.
I wish people would have read my post from here a year or so ago, I had NO sucess , at first I thought I was better ,but after a couple months I was back in the same boat . PAIN !
PORTER, I think your done being a prison guard , a few months ago I applied for a job at a new facility close to my hone , I have a good work and criminal record , I even have eight years in the U.S. Armed Forces and they would hire me because of my fusion..Nice huh ? Serve your country and they Poop on ya when ya get hurt..
I wish people would have read my post from here a year or so ago, I had NO sucess , at first I thought I was better ,but after a couple months I was back in the same boat . PAIN !
PORTER, I think your done being a prison guard , a few months ago I applied for a job at a new facility close to my hone , I have a good work and criminal record , I even have eight years in the U.S. Armed Forces and they would hire me because of my fusion..Nice huh ? Serve your country and they Poop on ya when ya get hurt..
