Axialif Procedure/Trans 1 procedure

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I had the AxiaLif procedure on March 19th. I think so far the recovery has been OK. I have had more left leg pain since the procedure but the back pain is much better. I was also told the pain in the leg would take time to heal. I just want to get off the pain meRAB, but every time I try to cut down the pain increases to the point where I have to go back on them.
 
Hello, my name is Janiee and I have Failed Back Surgery Syndrome. This is the term we use here in the states when one has any kind of fusion surgery and comes out of it being worse than before (me), or the same as before surgery. This evening, I read this entire thread and noticed something missing. I could be mistaken, but I did'nt notice any of you who posted being on a med for your peripheral neurapathy pain. These meRAB are usually anti-seizure meRAB and the most popular one's we use here are Lyrica, Neurontin(Gabapentin), and Topamax. Sometimes a corabination of Cyrabalta and a low dose of Neurontin is also being used. This is what worked best for me; but everyone is different. They all give you side effects in the beginning, but gradually lessen over time. Most of these meRAB have to be titrated (increased) up every month to a certain therapeutic level for them to help the pain that many of you have in your rear end, legs, feet, and toes. Narcotics do very little for this type of pain. Well, just a thought. Maybe you are on these meRAB but just didn't mention it. I also notice that most of you are from the U.K., so I'll send you a wave:wave: from across the pond....janiee;)
 
Thank you very much for your reply! I believe you are giving much insight to the actual recovery. I, like you, read all the testimonies on the website and have high expectations. The closer it gets the more "real" it gets! I am trying to prepare my husband and daughter that this might be a bigger deal than what we have been lead to believe. I have told my employer I will be back to work in 15 days, (which is what the website says) and I am now doubting that I will return in that time frame. Again, thank you so much for your time in posting. I am not chaning my mind, I am trudging ahead! As bad as I feel today, I would let them do the procedure today! Keep up posted with your recovery!
 
Hi Grundy, I have tried finding a way of PM you, but unable to find a way of doing it. My Name is Plaza Player on here because its easier for me to remeraber. Its My poker name online.
Thanks for taking the time to reply, and I was unaware of you being in the UK. Basically I have to wait now till the 26th Feb to see the surgeon/consultant ( same person ).....
I did try and get the doctor to authorise a MRI to try and safe a bit of time, but he phoned yesterday to tell me he can not authorise one. Its got to come from a specalist.
I refuse to get dependent on the pills to kill the pain, and often refuse to take them 3 times a day. I dont want to just waste my day feeling drowsy all day which is what happens when I take them 3 times a day.
The amitripalyne I have been taking from before the op, and I think its to help with the depression side of things, and I have been told its to help me sleepas well. The Diazepan is not really a problem for me, It does kill the pain and would not have a problem coming off it.
I must say your last post doesnt read good for my next 10 months though, but I am glad you took the time to reply. Of course I will know more when I have spoken to her on my next visit in 2 weeks. But you know the NHS...... I wont be holding out for a miracle too soon.
I just carry on and see what happens, until that time. I just carry on taking the medication and reading posts on here. Least I know I am not alone though.:)
 
I'm new to this board, but wondered if you ever had the Axialif procedure done. Were there replies to your message a year ago? How can I see what others had to say? I can't seem to find any replies.

Thanks. Johnwr
 
Hi LeAnne, It seems you have the same problem I have. You have 1 month more recovery on me, and from what I read and with Grundy's post I am really not looking forward to the future....
I have my Hospital appointment on the 26th and I assume I will have another scan pretty soon after this date. I will point out all the pains, and there very sim to yours. I feel I am in double the amount of pain than before this op. But I had to seen to be doing every I can to get better because of the claim from the accident at work. I was hesitent and didnt really fancy anything done.
I did all the research before hand and refused the Plif I think its called, but then heard of this AxiaLif, which is a small cut and nothing can really go wrong......
The worst part for me at the moment is the amount of painkillers I have to take, the side effect of course I feel like a zorabie all day..... I can not win.
Hopefully I will find some more answers in 2 weeks. But there are few Nurosurgeons in the UK that have the experience in this OP.
I have now been off work 20 Months, so you think you have money problems....
But I promised myself at the start of the year not to be to down hearted on things, and at the moment I am doing just that. I have good days I have bad days. Bad days I take the pills and then the days goes by because I sleep most of it.... Good days I struggle along maybe missing 1 lot of pills so I can have some sort of normal life.
But I have now got my heart set on the 26th Feb when I go back. So nothing will get me down till that day......
 
Thanks for the updates. Glad to hear things are progressing reasonably well. I am scheduled for the Axialif surgery this Friday (Oct 2). I will post on my experience as soon as I can.
 
well, well, well...much more than what i expected! Keep in mind that my dr. said I could leave the hospital in less than 24 hours...no one told me that I would have a pain pump, catheter, oxygen for 24 hours after my surgery! I ended up staying in the hospital 3 full days and was thrilled to be there! The pain is not bad, but the exhaustion is exhausting! My surgery was two weeks ago today. I am up and about and actually drove a car today! I am pushing to gain strength as I am planning on returning to work next Monday. As far as back pain,it has been very tolerable. I tried to stop the Percocet on day 10 & that didn't work. I still have to take one every 4 hours. I am taking a muscle relaxer at bedtime. As of now, I am very glad I had the procedure done. I will see my dr. at 3 months & they will check for bone growth. Thanks so much for asking about me. You are the only person I have talk to that has had the Axialif procedure. Let me know how you are doing too. (Sorry if I rarable...it seems I sometimes have hard time putting a coherent sentence together and typing a sentence is even harder!)
 
Hey,
No, infact since that last post, the last 3 weeks have been hell.
I started going down when walking, like I been shot.
1st week just the once, 2nd week twice and last week was at least 20 times.
Anyway on the Saturday just gone, I went to the chemist to get my medication and the chemist told me to go off to hospital, because I should not be collasping like I am.
I went to Physio this Monday and had already gone down 4 times during the day, and explained this, and she also told me to go to the hospital.
So I did, and 2 hrs later I was back home. I was told this is not there problem but Orthapedic's.
I was then told that my MRI was missing from the files and no-one knows where it is.
I emailed my surgeon only to find she is on leave now till next Thursday.
Went to docs today, and was told that I had to keep moving, regardless of me collasping, because the worse thing in the world to do was lie in bed and seize up, because then the problems really start.
I have been referred to a pain management clinic now, so waiting for that to come through now.
I have my normal appointment with my surgeon on the 30th so have to grin and bare it till then.
Grundy who did your Op plz?
 
I posted the same message today. I didn't see your post. It doesn't seem that many people have had this procedure. My neurosurgeon has done approx. 220 procedures. I would like to hear from someone who has gone thru the procedure. Was there a lot of pain after the surgery? What activities were they allowed? Those type questions.
 
Has anyone had episodes where they feel good (anywhere from a day to a week or so) and they wonder why surgery and then something happens and you remeraber why? This week I am scheduled to see a pain manager and of course I feel good. I walked, did things around the house, but I know this can and will change depending on what I do and how. Been through this before.
 
I have degenerative disc at L5/S1 and my doc wants to do AXIALIF but my insurance is denying fusion surgery. I was curious of those who had it done as to the state they live in and the insurance company they use. I need ammo for my appeals. I have heard very good things about this new procedure and really would like my life back. Any advice on how?
 
I finally saw my surgeon for the first time the end of August (my choice because of the 5 hours drive) I had xrays done and he said that everything looks fine. I asked if the bone fusion was starting and he said they cannot tell from an xray that I will have a CAT scan in 6-9 months. I was real concerned that I am having low back pain. Before surgery my main pain was in my leg and hip which is for the most part gone. I have had some burning in my leg that scares me to death. He seems to think that the nerve is inflammed. He is not concerned about the low back pain. He thinks everything is right on track. He did order me PT for four weeks. I had to confess that I am not walking as much as I should. He is ordering more xrays the end of October and said that unless I am having problems there is no need to drive out to see him. He told me to be patient, walk more and lose weight! I'm not good at any of the three! He also told me to give this procedure a year before I start getting panicky about the low back pain. Overall, I am still glad I had the procedure. I feel much better than I did before surgery. I just need to get my act together and get movin! Hope this finRAB you doing better!
 
Hi Am and others.
I have just had the 2nd Op to correct the defect which I mentioned in my previous post.
All is not well, and it looks like its been a total failure.
I had the Bi Lat Micro-surgery to remove the leakage of cement, only to be told after, that they only removed a fraction, and should no way of been the cause of the pain I was experiencing before the op.
I was told, that no further op will be done, and the next step would be chronic Pain Management, which is how to carry on with your life with the pain you have.

I hear what AM14 is saying, but I have to disagree somewhat.
The reason we read these threaRAB is because we are the unlucky ones with the Op. I was told this AxiaLif is 95% successful and for every 5 it does not work on, there are 95 it does, and of course would never know about the people that the op was a success with.
We are just the unlucky 5%, and no way do I blame my Surgeon. She come to see me 2 days ago, and told me sorry Darren, but your one of those that this Op doesnt work on and there is nothing else we can do for you.

I am still sore as hell from the Op to correct it, but such as life...............
 
Well MRI day tomorrow, and to honest this week has been pure hell for me. For the first time I almost collasped when my legs give. I managed to grab onto something to stop me falling, but thats the first time thats ever happened.
The pills are not working and the last resort tonight was to take all the pills with a dose of Morphine, and it did ease it off. Bu the pain this week has been murder. It feels like I just come back out of surgery. I know time is a great healer like but this is getting to be a joke now.

I know Grundy has not been back on lately, but I sure hope they find something on the scan I am having. What happens if nothing turns up. I already feel like I am screwed for the rest of my life, and to be told your scan is ok, will no doubt tip me over the edge.

I can not understand why I am getting worse when I am clearly doing nothing different. I still have Physio excercises which are clentching both Butt Muscles 10 times a day, but after the 1st session and I was in such a state they told me to reduce the pressure to 30%, which I still do although I dont see the point, so after 1 session I have not seen her the physio since and have now got acupucture. But not loaRAB of needles just 1 in each hand and 1 in each foot. They did increase them last week, and the day after I felt like I wanted to sleep for 24hrs. I dont know if its suppose to work, but when the pain I would say now is getting to Cronic stage.

Anyways fingers crossed for tomorrow, and it takes about the a week for the results to arrive back, and I will be scared stiff when I go back to see them.

Hope everyone else is coping :)
 
Hi JDon,
If you run back through this thread you will see that I have had some problems, and now I gather I have a broken facet screw. I am having an MRI done on 16 July, and will probably speak to the surgeon on the phone some time the following week, and post an update here at that time.
I think we are all anxious to hear how others are faring.
Of course all our cases will probably differ to varying degrees, but I will continue to subscribe to this thread for a while yet, and hope that others do too.
I think that my current advice would be to thoroughly exhaust all options, particularly a structured physiotherapy program, before risking surgery. It is still major surgery, and once it is done, there is no going back.
Grundy56
 
Hi all,

I am sorry everyone has been having such horrible issues with this surgery.

My father had the Axialif surgery 9 months ago. He is now much worse than before and very much regrets the surgery. So much of what everyone posts here is so familiar. It's been really tough. Has anyone on this board had any improvement in the past months since these last posts? Any advice? Anything he can look into or try? Any feedback is greatly appreciated!
 
I accidentally un-subscribed to this thread!
I went to see my physio yesterday in the evening, and she and my surgeon have come to the conclusion that I have had unrealistic expectations for my recovery, and that I have been doing too much. This is a relief in some ways, because it means that there is still hope! On the other hand, I would love to think that I was further down the road of recovery than I am.
Sabertiaume, did you have the pain down the left leg before the op? Are you also trying to do too much?
 
:wave: Hi all,
I am so glad I have found this site, and I have read all of this thread.
I had the Axialif op 9 weeks ago, after having 3 epidurals over a course of 6 months to my S1/L5 which all failed. I was told about this brand new op called the Axialif. I live in the UK and over here its like I said brand new. I had an accident at work 3 yrs ago, and have had constant back pain ever since.
Yes its classed has D D D, but the accident brought it on. Anyway, I was told about this new op, and its less intrusive, amd with a 90% success rate. I opted for the op. My Surgeon had performed the op once b4, in Germany, and I had and still have total faith in her. She was overlooked by a guy from Spain, who had done this op several times, so was not that worried.
Anyways things went from bad to worse straight away for me after the op. I was discharged late Nove after 3 days in Hospital. Now I didnt know anything about this op other than it was 90% success. So yeah I was still in a lot of pain but I give it a bit of time, and did the gentle excercises like I was suppose to do. During x-mas I could no longer handle the pain, and then went to see the DR, who sent me for a x-ray. My out patients appointment was close 25th Jan, so the DR wanted me to make sure I had everything ready for my return date. I went back, and she say me, and asked if I was ok, of course I told er no, and spilled it all out.
The x-ray was fine, and so were the blood tests to see if the screws had become infected. I have another appointment now on the 26th Feb, and was told to start a course of Physio.
The physio lasted 2 appointments, with the physio telling me she could not work on me, because I was in so much pain. She wrote to my surgeon and has explained this to her.
At the moment I have to take 2 Diazepan, 2 codeine based painkillers, and 1 Dicolfenic 3 times a day, with 1 anatripleyne before I go to bed.
I am 41 so I am not that old, and like mentioned somewhere in this thread, I was hesitent, but thought no its 90% I cant be that unlucky......
So like mentioned, its now 9 weeks since the op, and I can hardly work, I cant bend, and I scream out in pain, everytime I move basically. The drugs do help a lot but of course the side effect is I sleep proper for about 12hrs a day, I just cant wake up.
I wanted to find if anyone was experiencing massive amounts of pain since the op, and if there was any answers and sturabled on this forum.
I have been so down since the op, and have recently parted from my partner, due to all this, cos I cant do anything, and not being able to return back to work. But thats not a concern, its a problem I can deal with.
But reading all these posts, makes me realise, I could be screwed for the rest of my life.
My pain is like have a 200LB man, sat in the middle of back all the time, and with shooting pains, going up down sideways whenever I move. Personally I think I am getting worse as well, but that could be just me, feeling down on myself. I dont know what the answer is, or why I am posting, because it looks like there is nothing really that can be done.
Maybe there is an answer, but I dont know what it is, and how is the best way to cope with it. I will prob get sent for another MRI, but this takes time in the UK, and with the Diazepan being very addictive, I cant see them giving it all the time. I have a bottle of Morphine but it takes too long to kick in, and there not going to be giving me that 4 ever.
If there are tips, or if someone knows something I have missed, please reply. I will save this site to my favourites, and will return.
I forgot to mention I didnt have the leg pains before the op, just in my buttocks, but now the pain goes down both legs as well.
I had a real good cry yesterday, because I can not see a solution, and yeah a 41 yr man crying, is something I am not proud of. But I have hit rock bottom.
Thanks for reading, its 3am now, so I best go and do my 12 hr spell asleep.
 
THANK YOU for sharing this information. I am having the procedure the end of April and am very anxious! The nerve pain down the leg scares me, because I already have it! Where is the pain, down the front or the side of your leg? Mine goes from my hip down the side and burns like fire. The dr. thinks this is from a problem in my hip not from my back. Again, thanks for sharing with us. Please keep us updated!
 
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