Fusion...

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inkjunkie

inkjunkie

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...was not what I expected to hear yesterday. Went to see the Orthopedic Surgeons PS yesterday for the follow up on my CT guided epidural I had a couple weeks back. We talked about how I was feeling after having the injection. She studied my MRI some more. She explained to me, using the images how much nerve area is being compromised by the disc. We talked some about my hip pain, and the sciatic type of pain slowly returning (I had an SI joint injection about a year ago) and what effect fusing the 2 vertebrae would have on it. She studied the L5-S1 disc images...and said she thinks that one more diagnostic epidural is in order. Looks like hip pain MAY be related to the stenosis in the L5-S1 disc area. So....I am going for one more shot to see how it effects my hip/leg pain. Depending on the outcome I may end up getting L-4 to S-1 fused. She is not real sure that the L-5-S1 fusion is going to help much but....
So....who here has had their L-4 & L-5 fused? How much mobility in your lower back was lost? She told me that with how much mobility the pain I am in is costing me that I will not notice any real loss after the fusion. She told me that having the fusion done should keep me right about where I am , pain wise, compared to how I was prior to the shot. Told me that my recovery should be relatively quick...be in a brace for 23 hours a day to start out. Therapy will start shortly after surgery. She told me that generally recovery time is in the 3-4 month range.
So anyone who has wen thru this....your input will be greatly appreciated...
 
Ill tell you my thoughts. ok, back 15 years ago i started having this TERRIBLE pain from my neck to my shoulder..long story short, i have a ruptured disk in my neck, c4-c5. I tried chiropractic, and just pretty much dealt with it the best i could. 3 years ago i had enough and did LOTS of researching and really did NOT want a fusion because of the time it takes for the bone to fuse and i couldnt just STOP doing things like mowing the lawn and other things for 8-10 weeks while the bone fused. I looked into disk replacement and talked to someone that had it done in my area and HIGHLY recommended it. I liked the idea because the only thing you have to heal from is the incision in the neck where they go in and remove and replace the disk. The new disk has teeth on both sides that grab ahold of both sides of the vertibrae..not fusing. Would only have to take it easy for 2-3 weeks and then back at it! The person i talked to went back to work 1 1/2 weeks later doing a physical job. SO, i went and talked to the neurosurgeon that did their disk replacement and got the surgery scheduled. This was the only way i was going to have the surgery because i didnt want to be down for 8-10 weeks while the bones fuse. I ended up scaring myself so bad that i cancelled the surgery 3 weeks before the scheduled date. I regretted cancelling it a week later but i still go back and forth with it and decided i would try to just keep going as long as i can before i have to. Probably not the best idea because i have weakness and shaking in my left arm now from it, but i just try to stay active and somewhat fit. SO, i dont know if they have come far enough on disk replacements for the mid and lower back yet like they have for the neck, but you might want to check on that before you make a decision. the last i knew they were working hard on making the replacements strong enough for the back, but that was 3 years ago since i was researching. If they are doing it succesfully now, that would be nice because you wouldnt be down near as long recovering!
 
I had L4/L5 fused two years ago after a microdiscectomy the year before. It did get rid of the shooting pain down the legs, but I still get terrible lower back/ tailbone pain. I also have foot drop in one leg due to the nerve damage from disc rupture. Flexibility wise, I can no longer reach my toes standing up. I now need a cane for balance. I still can’t work due to this( we both had the same employer).
Some people have great luck with it, some end up in the same boat I am in. Definitely do your homework and a good second opinion before going down that road. Good luck on your journey
 
inkjunkie said:
...was not what I expected to hear yesterday. Went to see the Orthopedic Surgeons PS yesterday for the follow up on my CT guided epidural I had a couple weeks back. We talked about how I was feeling after having the injection. She studied my MRI some more. She explained to me, using the images how much nerve area is being compromised by the disc. We talked some about my hip pain, and the sciatic type of pain slowly returning (I had an SI joint injection about a year ago) and what effect fusing the 2 vertebrae would have on it. She studied the L5-S1 disc images...and said she thinks that one more diagnostic epidural is in order. Looks like hip pain MAY be related to the stenosis in the L5-S1 disc area. So....I am going for one more shot to see how it effects my hip/leg pain. Depending on the outcome I may end up getting L-4 to S-1 fused. She is not real sure that the L-5-S1 fusion is going to help much but....
So....who here has had their L-4 & L-5 fused? How much mobility in your lower back was lost? She told me that with how much mobility the pain I am in is costing me that I will not notice any real loss after the fusion. She told me that having the fusion done should keep me right about where I am , pain wise, compared to how I was prior to the shot. Told me that my recovery should be relatively quick...be in a brace for 23 hours a day to start out. Therapy will start shortly after surgery. She told me that generally recovery time is in the 3-4 month range.
So anyone who has wen thru this....your input will be greatly appreciated...
Click to expand...

Mrs. Big John has had L4 - L5 fused. It helped her quite a bit and she hasn't lost any mobility.

That said, she had no brace after the surgery. She also didn't have any "hardware" as they cut off and ground up some of the lamina on her spine, mixed it with some sort of epoxy and glued the two vertebrae together. No screws/plates etc.

In contrast, my ex wife has had the surgery with "hardware" and that's failing now. Obviously, I'm hard on my women, but if I were you, I would talk to a couple doctors about the type of surgery.
 
mopower440 said:
Ill tell you my thoughts. ok, back 15 years ago i started having this TERRIBLE pain from my neck to my shoulder..long story short, i have a ruptured disk in my neck, c4-c5. I tried chiropractic, and just pretty much dealt with it the best i could. 3 years ago i had enough and did LOTS of researching and really did NOT want a fusion because of the time it takes for the bone to fuse and i couldnt just STOP doing things like mowing the lawn and other things for 8-10 weeks while the bone fused. I looked into disk replacement and talked to someone that had it done in my area and HIGHLY recommended it. I liked the idea because the only thing you have to heal from is the incision in the neck where they go in and remove and replace the disk. The new disk has teeth on both sides that grab ahold of both sides of the vertibrae..not fusing. Would only have to take it easy for 2-3 weeks and then back at it! The person i talked to went back to work 1 1/2 weeks later doing a physical job. SO, i went and talked to the neurosurgeon that did their disk replacement and got the surgery scheduled. This was the only way i was going to have the surgery because i didnt want to be down for 8-10 weeks while the bones fuse. I ended up scaring myself so bad that i cancelled the surgery 3 weeks before the scheduled date. I regretted cancelling it a week later but i still go back and forth with it and decided i would try to just keep going as long as i can before i have to. Probably not the best idea because i have weakness and shaking in my left arm now from it, but i just try to stay active and somewhat fit. SO, i dont know if they have come far enough on disk replacements for the mid and lower back yet like they have for the neck, but you might want to check on that before you make a decision. the last i knew they were working hard on making the replacements strong enough for the back, but that was 3 years ago since i was researching. If they are doing it succesfully now, that would be nice because you wouldnt be down near as long recovering!
Click to expand...
I asked about a disc replacement. The doc I asked said that due to me having a pretty healthy amount of arthritis I was not a candidate for it.
I am ok with being "down" for 6-8 weeks or so...as long as it is after drag racing season is over. I really enjoy being track side with my camera gear. The PA I saw the other day said that I could go back to using the camera 4-6 weeks post surgery....but once I told her that one of the lenses I use weighs in at close to 13 pounds...and I drag a cart around with about 30 pounds of crap in it she just laughed and said that camera time will have to wait.
 
I just had an L4 L5 discs fusion in February. My L5 to S1 was naturally fused when I was born, so that is why my L4 L5 disc took a beating my whole life because I was not aware of the fusion until 2012. I I had known about the natural fusion I would not have been bending and twisting the way I had been since I was a kid. My L4 L5 disc was degenerated and was bulging toward my spine and out both sides toward my nerves that go down the sides of my legs and feet. I must have first injured my back when I was in sports in high school, I have had pain since then. 2011 it must have really blown out because I had severe pain in my legs. Tried everything from steroids to physical therapy to melodixicam. Went to an orthopedic surgeon he said I had an 80% chance that a fusion would help and reduce 80% of my pain. Decided to go that way. Insurance company would not cover it. Fought it out with them for a year. Ended up having to get on my own insurance plan to get it covered. Tried to get second opinions from two other doctors. Both said they would not do surgery on me, because I am too young for back surgery. They wanted to put me on Lyrica for the rest of my life. Went through with the surgery. I did nothing but sleep for the first month. There is some pain with the surgery but no more than I had been putting up with my whole life. It is over 3 months out now and I am back to work on my farm and everthing is going well. I still watch what I do, because your back is not fully healed til 6 months. I only took the strong pain meds once after surgery and a few Tylenol after that, now I take nothing. Nerve pain is probably 95% going. Back pain is also 95% gone. It does not limit your bending and twisting much at all. It definitely takes 3 months or more before you start feeling good again. Make sure you find a good surgeon.
 
Moparman1806 said:
Some people have great luck with it, some end up in the same boat I am in. Definitely do your homework and a good second opinion before going down that road. Good luck on your journey
Click to expand...
I had S1 - S4 Done in 2005 have not worked since doc's claimed 85% success rate must be my luck
 
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