Back fusion trouble

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tonigoodman73

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Hi,
I had 360 back fusion in July 05'. I have been getting shots in my back once a year since then to calm the nerves and pain down in my legs and lower back. Well now that I am 4 years out and just had 4 shots in the SI joints on May 26th. The shots did not do much good and I am hurting at my surgery sight like I did before I was cut. I have one cut in my stomach and two cuts in my back (one on each side). My L4 and S1 was fused together. I just had a MRI done and it showed that there were no new dics bulges. But the y-ray showed that where my pain is, is right where my hardware was placed. Has anyone had to have thier hardware replace after having back fusion? If so did it last the second time? The dr is going to do a hardware injection on me on June 30. But he said if this does not help I have to go back to the surgeon that the fusion. Right now my pain on a scale of 1-10, is right between 9-10. Nothing I take helps this pain I am having. Please if someone can enlighten me with some advice:o
Gratefully Toni
 
I totally hear you Toni, although I have my hardware at the L4and 5 and fused at the S1 I can't be touched at the site of the L5 without flying off the table! I was told that they can remove the hardware but there is no way I'm going through all that again especially since they had to do the anterior/posterior (same as yours) I was reading a post early on about a new procedure called the X-Stop may be worth looking into. I too still have nerve problems and am on Methadone and without it my sciatic feels like a live wire but trying to work it out with exercise so lets see how that goes. I have to admit though I never heard of hardware injections have you tried doing a search on it? Try looking it up and see what you find. I know pain sucks Toni and I hope and pray you find your remedy, I'll be looking out for you.

Hugs and Prayers:angel: , Vivian
 
Hello Vivan,
Thanks for your response to my problem, its good to know that there are others out there going through the same thing. Well I had the Hardware infections done on June 30th. I received for needles right thru the incisions of my fusion, there were 4 injections altoghether. I have found out that if these injections does in fact calm down the pain were my hardware is located, that it diffinetly means it's a hardware prorablem. So now i wait till I go back for my check up on July 14. I am still in great pain (8-10 scale), my sciatic nerves are still giving me pain from my lower back thru my buttocks and down both my legs. So for right now I lay and wait to see what is going to happen. I know one question I will be asking the dr is, Is my fusion completely solid after being fused for 4 yrs. I am also going to research the Xstop procedure you metioned. right now with the amount of pain I am in, if removing the hardware will bring you much needed relief, this will be a consideration. Hope you find you relief from your back problems too. In my prayers and please be bless!!!
GoRAB helper,
Toni
 
Hi Tony,
I am so sorry for your pain. Nothing like a back pain, I know it very well. I had my PLIF 360 with so much more fusion on '06 at levels L-4 L-5 S-1 + SIJoint

I did kind of OK in the beginning and about 6 month later everything went down the hill. I couldn't walk, couldn't leave with this amount of pain.

In '07 I had revision surgery and all previous hardware was removed and my upper levels were fused again: L-3 L-2.
Dr can do this type surgery only if they open you up and see that your fusion is solid. No MRI or CT is 100% accurate to show is the fusion is solid or not. Sometimes they think you are fused and during the next surgery they realized your fusion is not solid.
If this happens, I was explained, they would have to take my old hardware off, use the new one on old area + the new levels attached to a long rod. Since I was fused, they just did upper levels for me.

Am I healed? Not by any means. I am in pain 24/7. I am on PK around a clock. Do I walk? Very little. The thing is: since my first surgery did not go well, second surgery will not change it for me. I don't hurt anymore where the new fusion was done, but I am hurting still at the area where the first fusion was done and where I have solid fusion. They all puzzled what can hurt in that area if it solid? But since I have many nerves damages since my first surgery - it not reversable. Plus i got Arachnoiditis - this says all.

But honey, remeraber one thing: what is good for me, may not work for you and v.v. We all so different and our cases are very different.
One thing I can suggest to you and please hear me well. I went through.... and back to come to this conclusion and since I tell this to everyone.

Make sure you take all your exrays and reports from your Doctors and go to someone really good and well known surgeon for second opinion. If I would stay with my first surgeon (who I trusted in the beginning until I was told to go for second opinion) I would be in a worse shape ever.
I went for second opinion in another state (never go in same area where they all know each other) to NYC to the Hospital for Special Surgeries and may say this was the smartest decision I ever made.
I had my second surgery done by this Dr who I saw for second opinion. And never regraded.

Best of luck to you, sweetie. Keep us posted about your progress...:wave:
Hugs and blessings Moldova
 
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