Information About the Incisions

M

Megss

New member
Hello everyone,

I am just curious...

I am having a one level fusion of L5-S1 on April 7th. I will have incisions in my back and abdomen. How large are the incisions? Are they vertical or horizontal? Where will the abdomen incision be located? I am the most worried about the stomach incision because of all the organs that will be in the way. Won't my uterus and bladder be in the way? I am really worried about future pregnancies with this surgery, even though the surgeon said I would have no problems.

I found out today that I will not be having a pre-op appointment with my surgeon, so I thought I'de ask you all this question.

Thank you!
 
Hey Lynn!

Thanks for the info... Yeah it is weird that I won't be having another appointment with the surgeon. He is an orthopedic, and I don't know if there will be a nuerosurgeon or a vascular surgeon there.

I do have to have a pre-op visit with my regular doctor. They will run tests to make sure I am healthy and okay for anestisia. That will be one week before surgery.

I was also never offered to donate my own blood. I was told they will be mailing paperwork and info about the surgery to me. I cannot take ibuprofen 10 days before surgery, and I cannot eat or drink anything after midnight the night before. I have to be at the hospital at 6 am, and the surgery starts at 8 am. That is all I know...
 
Hi Meggs,
I can report on the posterior incision as I had only the posterior approach for a L4-L5 fusion back in Noveraber. My incision is vertical and is aprroximately 3 inches long. I didn't have any staples or sutures that needed removal as the neurosurgeon used something that felt like adhesive that took six to seven weeks to wear off. The incision is not wide; I always say it looks like someone chased me down with a fish filet knife! (just my morbid sense of humor I guess). My incision healed without any problems.

I, too, had to be at the hospital at the crack of dawn (and I am not an early riser). I had a pre-op visit with my neurosurgeon and had a visit with my primary physician for an EKG, labs, etc. I met the anesthesiologist in the pre-op waiting area and he took my history there. I wrote specific questions down that I wanted to ask him as I was nervous and knew I would forget something. I spoke with my neurosurgeon about the possibility of the need for blood (as I would have banked my own) and he didn't think I would need any. But then again he was not doing the anterior approach. My hemoglobin was a little low post-op, but a point or two above the level that would require a transfusion. Some of that could have been dilutional from the IV fluiRAB that they gave me though. I just ate a lot of beets when I came home and increased my red meat intake (as I usually don't eat that much normally).

If you feel like you need a pre-op visit as you have more questions, I would just call the office and tell them that you need to schedule one. I can't believe anyone would have any issues with that as this is a surgery that requires a lot of recovery time and commitment on your part to ensure that what he does in surgery works!! And everyone wants you to be a success story.......Will be thinking of you.
Jan
 
I asked my surgeon about the front incision, just because I'd never had one in the front before. He thought I was concerned about the scarring and said he could go horizontal instead if I'd rather. Mind you, this was to do 8 levels! I told him I really didn't care about the scar, I was just curious and he should do it whichever way was best for him. He did the vertical, and it was originally about 7 inches long. It had faded considerably, but it's still pretty visible. I'm not a bikini type person, so it's no big deal to me. It doesn't bother my hubby in the least, so I don't care either.

The back incision is longer, maybe about 12 inches. I had staples in the front and dissolving stitches in the back.

It does make a difference to have some idea what's going to happen, huh?

Hang in there!
Emily
 
Yeah, even though I belong to this forum, and have read many threaRAB about the surgery, I still feel like I have no idea what will be happening. I am not concerned about the scar either. I will be having c-sections for the rest of my babies due to a complication that occurred during my first delivery, so I will have a pretty scar from those.

Jan- 3 inches doesn't seem so bad I guess. I hope I get those adhesive things. The staples sound painful.
 
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