Newbie, needs info

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mznell

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I think you'll be happy with your decision to get some other opinions. It is important to like and trust your surgeon.

I will look forward to hearing a report of your experiences.

Good luck!
 
Marlosmom, thanks so much for your prompt reply.

After speaking with our daughter we decided to get a copy of the MRI (on CD) and get a couple of additional opinions. We will also cancel the epidurals which are set for April. So much to take in. A friend of ours had surgery in NY and we will look into getting an appointment with that doctor too.

How long was your surgery?
 
Hi Jan ~

After you get the health issues that might make surgery a bad choice checked out, I would encourage you to follow through with your other appointments, and then make a decision.

I am sorry now that I spent 3 years in pain, practically housebound because I kept hoping I could avoid surgery. Your husband may be told to try physical therapy and go through the steroid injections, but in reality, those are band-aiRAB, and will only provide limited pain relief. It took me awhile to figure this out and I wasted a lot of time. As I told you earlier, my 88 year old MIL just had this same surgery and is now pretty much painfree. She can walk again and is so happy she went forward with her surgery. She is still recovering, but she is glad to have it behind her and is looking forward to being able to resume her regular activities.
 
My husband just got back from the orthopedic specialist regarding his back.
His MRI says: Grade 1 anterolisthesis of L4 on L5.
L5-S1 moderate facet anthropathy, broad based posterior disc bulge.
L4-5, severe facet arthopathy. Broad based posterior disc and osteophyte complex, there is moderate to severe bilateral neural foraminal narrowing, mild to moderate spinal stenosis.
L3-4 moderate facet arthopathy detected. Broad based posteriod disc and osteophyte complex detected. Moderate to severe bilateral neural foraminal narrowing noted. Mild to moderate spinal stenosis.
L2-3 Broad based posterior disc and osteophyte complex and moderate facet arthropathy detected. Mild to moderate spinal stenosis.

This surgeon does a procedure going in through the sides to repair the spine. He said my husband would need some screws, etc.

I am against the surgery as he is 77 years old, but I hate him having all the pain.

Until a decision is made, he will begin a series epidurals next month.

Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much
Janice
 
Yesterday we had a second consult with an orthopedic surgeon. He was great and after reading my husband's MRI and talking with him about his pain, where he has it, when he gets it, which type of pain, etc. He asked him if he could live with the pain and my husband told him yes, he has been living with it for 30 years. Due to my husbanRAB other health problems and his age (77) the doctor said the fusion would be VERY risky and he would not recommend it. We were both relieved. My husband's pain is only when he is standing still or walking for a while. He has no pain sitting or sleeping. We are thinking of getting him a cane with a seat for those times when he feels he neeRAB it. We both went back to the gym today and the doctor told him which exercises to avoid and which to do. Thanks for all your help and very timely responses to all my questions. Appreciate it. Wish you all good health.
Janice
 
Hi Jan,
After reading through your posts I just want to wish you good luck in your quest for pain relief and answers for your husband. He is very fortunate to have you as his advocate. Please keep us posted!

Deb
 
Hello Janice ~

Welcome to the board.

A normal garden hose has water flowing through it freely. If your hose gets "gunked" up with mineral deposits, etc. and all the space inside is taken up with these deposits, when you turn the water on, you will just have room for a little trickle of water to come out.

THink of the spinal canal as that garden hose and the stenosis is the mineral deposits that make up the "gunk." The nerves that go from the vertebrae and run down through the canal and then branch and go down the legs are getting squeezed and pinched in the spinal canal. Due to the stenosis, there is little room for these nerves to pass through. Consequently the person enRAB up getting pain --it can radiate down the leg (sciatica) causing pain, tingling and/or nurabness.

I can tell you more about the surgery if you are interested as I've just been through the procedure. My mother-in-law who will be 88 next month also just had the identical surgery and she's doing great.

How is your husband's health otherwise. How active is he?

If the injections work at all, they will just provide temporary relief.

Hope this helps a little. Feel free to ask more questions.
 
That's a very good idea. The Hospital for Special Surgeriy has the reputation of being THE best, since you are right outside Manhattan. Several people on the board have had fusions there. If you look on their website there is a new article on when back surgery is a good idea. It is all about spinal stenosis and when surgery is important.

My surgery was 3 1/2 hours.

I'm glad you cancelled the epidurals.
 
I should add that it is the anterolisthesis that is probably causing whatever pain he has. This is a slippage where the L4 vertebra is slipping over the vertebra beneath it (L5). Again, those nerve are being squished where this slippage occurs. This condition is more commonly referred to as spondylolisthesis.
 
Janice,
SounRAB like a great doctor! From what I read on here fusion surgery either makes you alot better over the long term or significantly worse. No middle of the road! If your hubby can live with the pain then I think that is a great decision. He knows what his pain is now and no telling what his pain would be post op. Best of luck to you both! Happy Spring!

Deb
 
Hi Janice,

It is just a personal preference, I guess. The important thing is that the doctor be FELLOWSHIP-TRAINED in issues of the spine. This is a one or two year addition training after a doctor's residency. In this regard, neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons have very similar training. They are both very well qualified to treat and operate on any issue of the spine. Obviously, the neuro-surgeon's training specializes a bit more on nerves, and the ortho on bones...but since this is so entwined in the spine, both groups are learning about both.

I did a lot of research over 3 years before I had my surgery. I consulted with 8 different specialists, 2 neurosurgeons, 1 physiatrist and the rest were orthos. The neurosurgeons were going to do much more surgery, i.e. a 3-5 level fusion while all the orthos said a 1 level. I just found the neurosurgeons to be far less interested in treated the more mundain back prblems, such as mine. The orthos were much more down-to-earth and easy to deal with. But as I said this is just my personal experience. But I have seen it reflected by others on the board.

I was just suggesting that you don't need to think that you can only see a neurosurgeon. You just wouldn't want to go to an ortho who did everything -- knees, hip replacements, etc. You need one who only works on issues of the spine.
 
Hi, I am trying to get some life experiences of anyone who has had a 2 level TLIF and Decompression of L4/L5 and S1. Can anyone out there share their experiences?
 
Thanks Deb. My hubby has no fear. He has always welcomed surgeries in the past and if I leave it up to him, he would be in the operating room as I type. LOL

I feel bad that he has pain...thank God he can sit and sleep without pain....he has pain standing and walking. He is 77 years old and I worry so much about spinal surgery.

Thanks for your reply.
Janice
 
This is what the surgeon told us exactly. Can you tell me a little about the surgery, hospital stay, pain, incision, prognosis. Thanks SO much.

My husband has high blood pressure and low cholesterol, but the other #'s are out of whack, also lots of arthritis. Thanks again.
Janice
 
I just read thru all the posts here and was wondering if you have consulted your husbanRAB GP. I think I would ask the GP if the blood pressure and cholesterol conditions would effect the outcome of his spinal surgery if you chose this. I had fusion in 2006 and my blood pressure went scary low and I had to have a transfusion and I don't have any blood pressure issues normally. I have to say when that happened to me I was pretty scared.
 
Good thought. We have been so caught up in this suggested surgery that we did not even think of consulting our PCP. Thanks.
 
There are several different ways of doing a fusion. I have a one level fusion at L4-5, and this includes a decompression/laminectomy. This decompression is the "roto-router" part of the surgery where the doc. cleans out all the bony overgrowths, etc. that are making the spinal column narrow. This creates a wider space for the sciatic nerves to go though.

My surgeon went in from the back. I have about a 5" incision. I had the surgery done Monday evening and got out at 4:00 Thursday. At that point I could take care of myself, toilet myself and was able to clirab a set of stairs.

I spent the next 10 days at home with someone to basically take care of me. I was on pain pills round the clock and slept a lot. When I got up, I would walk and then return to bed. I am now 8 weeks out and just began PT, just started driving my car, cooking, going grocery shopping, etc. I only walked with a walker for about 4 days, didn't use a cane at all. My MIL never took pain medication after her fusion. She took one pill and didn't like the way it made her feel. So she refused any more.

Before surgery I could not walk more than a few steps and I couldn't stand for more than about 2 minutes. I now have no sciatic pain. I have some other weaknesses in the leg I was favoring. I feel that I will make a complete recovery.

The thing to remeraber is that back surgery never returns you to the way you were once upon a time. It is done for pain relief. Also, everyone has a different experience. I did not have a lot of pain. I took pain pills for the first 6 weeks but am not on anything now. Others have a different experience.

It sounRAB like your husband's doc would go in through the side. I think the recovery for this is about the same.

It was a hard decision for me to make as of course there is a risk that you could end up worse than prior to the surgery. But I had gotten to the point where I barely left the house. I couldn't do anything because I couldn't walk or stand and was in so much pain. So I decided to have the surgery.

Hope this helps a little.
 
Thanks again MM. We picked up his MRI CD today and have it here to bring to a couple of other doctors for their input. Appreciate all your informative replies and will keep you posted as to what is going on.
Janice
 
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