Where on hip/front or back is bone harvested and related information PLZZZ? - Spinal Cord Disorders Message Board

nero · 10-24-2003, 02:20 PM

November 10/03 is fast approaching. The choice of bone graft is mine but dr. prefers own for better fusion. I may be having two levels done and won't know till November 4/03.

I already have a lot of rightsided hip pain from l5-s1 herniation especially seized up a.m. or sitting yet I can treadmill for an hour with small incline once I get moving.

Should I tell them to harvest from good hip or leave myself one good leg to stand on and have them harvest from hip that already gives me problems.

I am concerned as I am 5'6 120 lbs. losing weight by the day with anxious stomach and don't want to get too under the weather with the lack of food yet to experience after surgery...i love my steak YIKES

NERO

KeithEugeneW · 10-24-2003, 07:30 PM

I've never had the surgery, but from what I've read here for the past year or so on the board is that there really is no difference in fusion rates with donor bone or your own bone. Some doctors seem to have a preference for your own, but from what I've read, there's no scientific data to support that being better. I have heard that many people end up with lingering pain in their hip for even years afterwards by using their own bone. Just my 2 cents worth. I know if it was me, I'd use donor bone, and I was one who had been convinced initially that your own was the only way to go. Good luck on making your decision, I hope you get plenty of opinions here to help you make a well educated choice, and I wish you the best of luck with your surgery!
Keith

Beeyes · 10-25-2003, 10:16 AM

Use your own bone! I did it, with a lot of hesitation. I talked to both of my surgeons about it. The fusion is faster and better with you own bone. In their experience of over 1000 ACDF's....fusion rates were about 90% on donor bone and 98% with your own bone. 8% is enough to convince me. Also, collar time is cut in half. I am already out of my collar for 5 hours a day afer 3 weeks. And i will be out of it for good in 1 more week.
If you are in decent shape, you should not have problems. I asked my surgeon and he said he only had a handful of problems with the hip, and they were either unhealthy or elderly people.
I have said this before, but the pain is not as bad as I epected. Yes, it was very sore the first 5 days when I walked, but I wasn't walking around much anyway. Now after 3 weeks, I feel like I could play golf if the docs let me. I definitely would not move my head a lot! Again this morning I did a set of squats and lunges without weights. No pain at all!
All I can say is that if I had a fusion problem and used donor bone, I would really feel stupid for taking the easy way out. Of course many, many people have success with donor bone. So the question is how much are you willing to gamble on you spine?

Brett

Beeyes · 10-25-2003, 10:18 AM

Eat now!!! I was 155 at 6' tall before the ACDF. 1 week after the surgury, I was 145!!! Thats a lot of weight. Now I eat as much as possible and have gained 4 pounds back. I was back to normal food in about 5 days.

Brett

Deborah2003 · 10-25-2003, 08:30 PM

My Orthopaedic Surgeon has done over 12,000 surgeries. He does about 22 surgeries a week, 50 weeks every year.. and has done them for 11 years. So I guess we can say he is very experienced.

He only uses the patient's own hip bone for fusion. He says, based on his experience, you heal faster and the bones fuse better when using your own bone. There is a chance when using donor bone from a cadaver that the fusion won't take or fuse 100%. and a small chance that your body will reject the donor bone.

I had two level fusion which required two bone grafts from my hip. so my recovery was a little bit longer than Beeyes. Everyone heals at their own rate. I am 7 weeks post op and I still have an ache or two once in a while in my hip.. but nothing that prevents me from getting around as I see fit. I did have to use a cane for a while after the hospital. In fact, they had a phyical therapist make sure I could get around with a cane before they would permit me from leaving the hospital. I was up and around the second day after surgery with my cane.

I had a metal plate as part of my fusion so I was not required to wear a collar. I was given a soft collar to use in situations where I felt I might need a little bit more support but I was not required to wear it at any time. The metal plate acts as a collar.

Based on the current hip pain. Ask you surgeon what he prefers to do based on what is best for your condition. And then follow his advice.

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Deborah
ACDF C5-C6 & C6-C7 Own Bone and Plate Sept 2003

[This message has been edited by Deborah2003 (edited 10-25-2003).]