Need Tlif

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buzman

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New to boarRAB, Neuro doctor visit this week, he said L-3,4,5 disc are shot. L-4 is almost bone to bone. Yes I have pain all the time, not shrap all the time, but nurabing pain, really hurts sometimes. recommenRAB a fusion. at all 3 levels L-3,4 & 5 -- 7 HOURS!! Yikes. and I have scar tissue from previous 6 year old left lurabar discectomy at L-4,5 - so that might take longer to remove if it is in the way. Guess I am toast. Has anyone had this type of fusion before at this degree. I have tried epidural's, Physical therapy, exercise, weight loss. I have DDD really bad, he said.
 
I wanted to take a minute to say hi to you. I haven't had a 3 level fusion tho I have had 6 spinal surgeries. Three levels is a big deal, so I hope you are planning to get a second opinion just to be really sure. It sounRAB like you have tried a lot of more conservative treatments and that there isn't much left to do other than this, but it's a good idea to make sure that another doctor agrees.

Please stay in touch and let us know how you are doing and when the surgery will take place. There's lots of support and information to be had here. At the top of the posts, there are some "stickies" pertaining to care tips after surgery that you might want to read. There's some really good ideas in there.

Carol
 
Hi Buzman,

That will actually be a 2 level fusion. The disc space between L3 and L4 is fused, and then the disc space between L4 and L5 is fused. When they refer to L3, 4, and 5 they are referring to the vertebrae. If your doctor is also fusing L5 to S1, that would make it three levels.

I just had L4, L5, and S1 fused, and that is a 2 level fusion. I am 5 weeks post op, and doing pretty well. There are lots of folks on here who just had similar surgery as well, and most are also doing pretty well at this point.

I also have very bad DDD, and L5 and S1 was bone to bone on one side, so I know what kind of pain you have. I can tell you the only pain I have left is specifically from the surgery site. Leg pain is gone, etc. I do have some back aching if I sit too long or stand too long, but I've been able to sit for more then 2 hours at a stretch and can stand about 20 minutes before the ache gets too bad. For 5 weeks post op, that's pretty good. Doctor is okay with my sitting as much as I can tolerate as long as I get up about every 45 minutes and walk around or lie down for a bit.

My surgery took 4 hours. Don't worry, you'll be asleep through all of it :D It's definitely harder on those waiting for you to come out of surgery. I tolerate anesthesia pretty well, so my only reaction to surgery that long was a bit of throat congestion that just took some coughing to relieve. For me, the worst part of the first night after surgery was the position they kept me in. They had to keep the bed absolutely flat and would tilt the whole thing to raise my head up a bit. I wanted my head higher but they would not permit it until my brace was put on the next day. I also wanted my head higher for the ice chips they kept giving me instead of a sip of water. Oh well, I survived it, and I cheated a bit with the ice chips, letting them melt so I could sip water through a straw when they weren't looking.

You will be given really good pain meRAB as soon as you wake up. I was given a morphine pump that allowed me to self-administer as I needed it. They program it so you can't OD yourself. It did a wonderful job of keeping the pain under control.

Lots of folks here who can both give you advice and hold your hand through the procedure.

Paula
 
David,
My daughter had a two level TLIF when she was 15 but for different reasons than you are having one for. Her dr did put her through therapy prior to surgery. She had worn a turtle shell brace for three months to see if it would help her spondylolisthesis. It didn't but her muscles were left weak from not having been used for three months. She went through ten weeks of pt three times a week. then she had surgery a few months later. I feel this therapy helped her get through her surgery. Her back and core muscles were so much stronger than they were before that I think it helped her recovery. Best wishes and I hope you pt and surgery goes well. cas
 
Carol
thanks for your post and sharing. My name is David. Dr. ordered some P.T for 6 weeks pre-op to strenghten back and lose a few more lbs. started yesterday. I can remeraber from my discectomy having P.T after surgery, not before. The ice and electro fealt good.
 
Well two weeks before surgery. Things have changed since last post. It's now a lurabar lami -- not a fusion because of pain being 90% in legs not back. Dr. had a hard time convinving me to do only lami right now. Whatever I said. I am so over this. At least he did not lie to me when I ask him if I would need surgery (fusion) in the future, after this lami. I"ve read the Lurabar lami can take just as long to recover from, and can take as long of a surgery to do.
In any case, I am in this to get some kind of relief. I'll try anything at this point.
Keep in Touch.
David
 
Hi Paula - that makes more sense. I guess I was looking at it in terms of the nuraber of discs and not what is getting bolted to what. Thanks for sharing. I started P.T. for next 6 weeks. Dr. wants to get my back stronger before surgery. I"ve found so many sites with detailed information on this type of surgery. Some good and some bad. I guess it is the same with anything, it depenRAB on an individuals particular case, their health and degreee of back problems. My biggest concern is the amount of scar tissue I might have from the previous surgery to remove, and where he might have to remove it from. I mean I want to walk when this is all done, Dr. said it might be grown on the nerves, etc.
I need support. I do have life partner, and close family ties. Mom is retired Mid-Wife, my sister acutally works with my neuro, so that is a big plus in the trust department for me. Sister works in O.R. as scrub tech. (whatever that is) She has told me to not worry, her and the "girls" will look at for me. Wonder what they are doing while I am asleep all that time.
Thanks- I will keep everyone posted.
 
Hi David ~

Are you still in physical therapy?

I guess I don't understand your surgeon's thinking. How is he planning on treating the bone on bone pain you are having? And since you were worried about scar tissue from a previous surgery, I wouldn't think he would want to put you through this surgery, feeling that you will need fusion at some point. As far as my knowledge goes, the decision to fuse or perform a lami only is not based on where your pain is located....it is more a stability issue. Either surgery is statistically more successful if the patient has leg pain rather than back pain only.
 
Yes I am in physical therapy - 2x / week. I acutally enjoy it. Sometimes it gets bad though. Well I really do not understand my surgeon's thinking 100% either. I've known him personally for years, so I do trust him. I guess my L4-5 that is almost bone to bone, isn't as bad as he says according to the MRI, it looks pretty thin to me. He even agrees, but my pain is more from nerves being compression due to the disks bulging. It is not just at L-4 either, it's L-3,4, L4-5 and S-1. I had 2nd and 3rd opinion, they agree to decompress first, then single level fusion later down the road. It is like they are saying wait until you have more back pain before do anything about it.
My surgeon is being conservative, which is fine. I would prefer more preventive measures. He feels the fusion is bit aggresvie at this point, reminding me that he does not what my spine to become unstable. So I guess I will go with this decompression and see what happens.
 
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