L-4 L-5 360 degree fusion

[tinkrtoy]

*transferred over from 'back sugery...help'*

I have a brother, who is 39. He had back surgery a year ago. He was cut open from the front and back in an 8 hour surgery and had plastic inserted between 2 discs that had lost cartilage and had steel screws placed into his discs to keep them in place.

Since then he has gone downhill. He has been on continuous medication and living with my parents who are crying all the time. He is an extreme pain and getting no answers from Dr's. Now, he is so messed up from the continuos medication that he hardly remembers where he is or what he has done and whenever he goes back to the Dr's, they give him more and say "Give it time". It has been a year and 3 months.

He can't even help himself anymore or think straight enough to demand improvement, so I am trying to seek a route to take to help. I think he has indeed become highly addicted to the meds. He has seen specialists, neurologists....name it, he has seen it. He goes back and forth with workmen's comp paying, then closing the case...waiting for it to reopen.

Both he and my parents cannot take much more. I am loosing my family. Does anyone have any advice or anything they can recommend????

He is currently on
Davocet...Valium...and Cyclobenzaprine.

*****Updated
Ok, I talked to my father and got more detailed information.
It started with liquid that had escaped between l-4 and l-5.

The procedure is basically known as a 360 Fusion. A disc was removed between the L-4 and L-5 and a metal piece known as a 'cage' was screwed into these two vertebras to pull them apart again with a gap of 5/8 of an inch. Bone was scraped and removed off of his hip to add to the metal to eventually grow around it. He was cut in the back and in the front for the procedure.

What I need is anyone at all, that has heard of this or knows someone who had this procedure if they were still experiencing the major problems and had it progressively get worse. What did you do? What needed to be done?

He has had numerous MRI's. It shows the screws still in place and the bone developing around them, but the pain my brother is experiencing is killing him. The meds are unreal and the meds were indeed prescribed by a specialist in pain management, so all that seems ok.

They are talking about an epideral and saying that it could possibly be scar tissue that is causing the pain. Again, this was done 1 year and 3 months ago.

Any help or advice is once again appreciated. I hope that the details help.

Thank you so much.


[This message has been edited by tinkrtoy (edited 04-27-2003).]

[tinkrtoy]

~ohhhh and for those of you that responded on the other thread, I did indeed go to search words and put in the appropiate keys, however so far the ones I have read, seem to stop posting after the 2nd week or so post op.

Once again, you don't know what your kindness has done for me in a mere 24 hours, Thank you.

[BAXTER]

Hi Tinkrtoy,

I'm sending you my prayers for you and your brother, he is very fortunate to have such a kind, caring and supportive sister like you

I had a two level fusion in December, and I'm still having major problems. I had posterior (only cut from the back)My signature line explains the specifics.

My X-Rays also show good placement of the cages, rods and screws, but my body is telling me that something is really wrong. I bet your brother feels the same way.

I was told that if a hardware problem is what is causing the pain, the only way to find out is to go back in for another surgery and "take a look" as the metal blocks out the images on a MRI or Cat Scan.

I suspect his hardware is what is causing the pain, regardless of what the doctors may want to admit.

They won't even attempt to help me until July, they want me to get some more recovery time in first.

In my quest for my own information, I have learned that must failed fusions, or should I say continued pain, are usually hardware related.

One of our members just recently had a repeat surgery related to a hardware problem, his user name is L5S1.
Maybe you can do a search of his postings, and see if your brothers complaints are the same.

I wish you both well, and please stick around, you have come to the right place http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/t_up.gif

Please tell your brother that he is in my thoughts and prayers

Take Care,
Baxter http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/heart.gif




------------------
Two level laminectomy fusion L5-S1 & L2-3 done on 12/6/02.
Fifteen inch scar from the very top of butt crack (sorry), to the bra line.
BAK cages, rods & screws.(Titanium)
My pelvic bone was used for grafting.
Praying that the other two discs in between, won't have to be fused later, as I was told it was a possibility, due to the other two discs in between, not being in that great of shape.
Doc didn't want to fuse four levels, unless it is really necessary.
I would hate to repeat the surgery, as the recovery period, is so very painful.
I also have a free fragment in my T11-12 area, that I'm still refusing surgery for, at this point in time.
That surgery is way too dangerous for me to consider, until if affects my being able to walk.

[tinkrtoy]

Thank you so much. I did look up the user name. He sounds like he experienced almost the exact same thing. I called my father (they are not on line) and told him what was going on.

He desperately would like to speak with him over the phone if at all possible. I don't know if that is allowed and since his e-mail is not public, I cannot contact him.

Any suggestions? I can give him my fathers number or he can give me his for my father to call. My family is desperate. They really feel like my brother can no longer cope and are afraid, as am I.



[This message has been edited by tinkrtoy (edited 04-27-2003).]

[successtory]

Hi Tinkrtoy,

See? I knew others would join in and begin helping you out. Since you found someone who is having the same problems as your brother, I will just hang around to see the progress in this case. But if you have questions that I can answer, I'll be more than happy to. Good luck to you.

------------------
successtory
Oct 2000: Repetitive Stress Injury-Inverted Hernia
Feb 2001: MRI. Shows only slight bulge at L4-L5
Dec 2001: Discogram/CT scan shows Inverted Hernia at L5-S1. L4-L5 & L5-S1 ruptured in all 4 quadrants. Unable to walk.
Feb 2002: IDET, Nucleoplasty, Intra-Discal Injections
Sept 2002: Rated in the top 10% for successful patients. Retraining for new career.

[This message has been edited by successtory (edited 04-27-2003).]