Was Surgery worth it ?

saversano · 04-28-2007, 02:15 PM

Hey all ,
I notice theres a large number of people who have had surgery and a huge number of people considering it.
This question is for all the people who had surgery.. Was it worth it ? If you could, would you go back to square one and take the pain as it was before surgery and live with it or would you again chose the surgical path you did ? I think this your answers will help people alot ...

janx · 04-28-2007, 03:43 PM

YES, YES, did I say YES?

If you are interested, go to page 2 and read my post "1 year anniversary." I don't want to repeat and bore the ones who have already read it, but in answer to your question, was it worth it? YES!!!!
I would definitely do it again, wish I did not postpone it so long, but just had to make sure there were no other options first. I went thru a lot of pain I could have avoided. It is a major decision for anyone. Bren

mamakitkat · 04-29-2007, 02:46 AM

Hi,
YES!!! I would do it over in a heart beat. They couldn't fix me, I have had 4 failed fusion surgeries in the last 3 1/2 yrs. I am permanently at a grade 2-3 spondy with hardware securing things. I have perm nerve damage on my left side and will be on pain meds for life, but compared to the original pain this is nothing. I am learning to live with things and I will. But I could not walk more than maybe 20 feet before my surgeries. I can walk over a mile now with proper planning. I would encourage others to weigh their options and if everything weighs out ok go for it. There are way more success stories out there than you think. More surgeries succeed than fail. Find a GOOD spine surgeon get two second opinions and use common sense when making this decision.

Hope this helped.

God Bless

Carol

kittencaboodle · 04-29-2007, 04:45 AM

Hi Saversano.....

I had a Laminectomy/Facetectomy/Discectomy/Foraminotomy (don't know if there is an abbreviation for that surgery or not) July '06. Prior to the surgery, I had intractable pain in my lower back and pain down the outside of my left thigh, calf, and side of foot. Today, the pain is about 75% reduced in my leg with no pain at all in my foot. The back pain is still present but I knew the surgery would not help with that much. I have also been able to reduce my pain meds by approx. 66%. At one time prior to surgery....if I remember correctly...... I was on 150mcg Duragesic Patch every 2 days; 30mg Roxicodone for BT pain; and 800mcg Actiq for severe flare-ups at work or home. Now I am only on 90mg Avinza once a day (and have up to 60mg oxycodone daily for BT pain but I no longer need those either).

Am I glad I had the surgery? Just being able to reduce my med intake was worth it to me. I had been dealing with this pain since a work injury in '98 and didn't get relief such as this until last year. I wish I had done it sooner. I have missed out on doing things because of the pain and now am finally able to resume some of the things I used to enjoy. I have gradually started riding w/hubby on his new HD motorcycle which has made him happy as well. I can't stay on for too long, but a little ride is better than none at all.

Two different Neurosurgeons told me during their consultations that they would not recommend surgery and to just live with the pain. I could not accept that response and neither could my treating physician who is a Physiatrist. The third Neuro told me he could do a 3-level Fusion since my discogram came back positive on all 3 bad levels but he suggested the surgery to relieve the leg pain to start with to see how I felt with just that. I am so glad I believe in 'the 3rd times the charm'. I am holding off on the multi-level fusion for now since I can still get around with the use of the Avinza. Hopefully, I can get a few more years outta this spine of mine. I am also back to work part-time now and gradually go up to full-time if my back permits it.

Anyone who is ever put off by a surgeon telling them to 'just live with it cuz I can't do anything for you'........walk out of their office and talk with someone else. Make sure you check out the surgeons beforehand to see their qualifications and better yet, talk to others who have had surgery by them. I personally prefer Neuros over Orthos when dealing spinal surgery.

The only drawback to this surgery was the hospital I was in. The surgeon wanted me to stay at least 4 days following surgery. He ordered Dilaudid shots every 2 hrs post-op but the nurses were so slow in giving it to me that I was in tears the first night. I was waiting for 3-4 hrs on average. I was so mad but what could I do? When the surgeon checked in on me the morning following the surgery, I told him I wanted to go home right then. He didn't like that idea, but said he wouldn't stop me if I was that intent on going and had someone at home with me for a while to help with the bandage changes since the incision was a good 5 inches. I couldn't wait to get home so that I could use my own meds in a timely manner. I still get mad thinking about it but it's in the past now.

I guess this is an extremely long post for what should have been a simple short answer. Sorry about that. I hope you have as good of an outcome as I had if you have surgery (or have already had it). I'm sorry, but I don't know anything about your history. I don't post very often and mainly read.

Take care,
~~~Kitt

hessie28 · 04-29-2007, 07:48 PM

The jury is still out for me. I had a lot of pain before surgery and I have a lot of pain after surgery. I'm 7 months post op. At least before surgery I was able to bend and do stuff. If the pain goes away then yes it was all worth it. It changed my life forever. Can't work anymore. Had to apply for permanent disability and disability retirement. I had to have the surgery so there was no choice. So hopefully things will get better.