Out of all of you,after having lumbar fusion

  • Thread starter Thread starter bailey07
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too bad can't regrow new discs like they trying to do with knees.Too bad can't fuse naturally.has to be something wrong why so many getting fusions,just not normal.My grandparents,my parents,their kiRAB etc had none of this.crazy
 
Most of the people posting on here have had their surgery in recent years. On average fusions help you for about 5 years after that it is the roll of the dice. It always amazes me how people with unresolved pain issues keep thinking that yet another surgery would help. Such is the way of the modern world where everyone seems to think that there is a magic cure out there. I have never heard of anyone with lurabar problems requiring a wheelchair. There is not even a spinal chord at the lower lurabar levels. Cervical issues are another matter as chord impingement is possible. Fusions are used everyday to treat DDD and long term outcome is not that great. I have a very old fusion use a cane or a motorized scooter when necessary.
 
Hi, bit late chiming in but as it was mentioned, folks with good outcomes tend to drift away from the boarRAB.

I am almost 2 years out from my double fusion and it was well worth it. most of my pain is gone and although I have a permanent 25 lb weight restriction I would have had that even if I didnt have the fusion.

its not a fun road to go down but in the vast majority of cases its worth it in the end. just read up here, ask questions, get 2nd or even 3rd opinions and choose a doc youre comfortable with.
 
In a few short weeks, I celebrate my two year post op anniversary. Yippee! WORTH EVERY BIT OF TIME SINCE THE SURGERY TO THIS POINT. I have quality of life now. I lost over 3 years of quality before the surgery. I would do it all over again!!
 
Its more than likely too soon for me to say whether or not, positevely that I am glad or wish I never had the ALIF. I am almost four months post op, no fusion yet. But I was told I could still fuse.
What I have learned: Fusion surgery is MAJOR, even more so than I ever realized going in, the recovery time is long and you have to patient.
There are no gurantee's, a fact that all surgeons need to make clear ahead of time, my surgeon gave me odRAB in the upper 90% that I would fuse and it would help my pain, now he is saying 70's..big difference. He never told me about the nerves in my legs being affected for months afterwarRAB. I think this information neeRAB to be a prerequiste for anyone thinking of undergoing a fusion, but thats just my two cents worth!

Lori
 
I have no way of verifying this information, but my former pain mgmt doctor told me that 70% of all fusion surgeries aren't successful and these patients end up being "failed fusion syndrome" statistics and are eventually booted to pain mgmt doctors by their surgeons. I think surgeons should be required to be upfront with patients in pre-op consultations about the risks of failed fusion syndrome...in pre-op consultations surgeons are giving patients the best case scenarios only, which is very bias and unfair to the patient.
 
Nope, it was not worth it. I am NOT experiencing an improved quality of life. I would have rather let things be :(.

I would not recommend fusion surgery to anyone. I am over a year post-op and am in much more pain now than before surgery...as a result of my decision to have surgery, I will have to live with chronic pain and be on pain meRAB for the rest of my life. I am a "failed fusion syndrome" statistic :).

Surgery is no guarantee...it is a big garable...anyone considering surgery really neeRAB to heavily weigh the pros and cons before making a decision.

Scrappin'
 
I Had A 4 Level Fussion L-2-s-1. April 06, Two Yrs Now After Surgery I Had Major Sacrum Pain And Left Foot And Ankle Pain Which I Still Have. I'm Still On Alot Of Med From My Pain Dr. 20mg Methadone Every 8 Hrs Plus A Couple Of Different Nerve MeRAB. Still In Alot Of Pain. My Dr Can't Tell Me Exactly What Causing This Or Will Time Tell. Ive Tryed Pt, Accupuncture, Cordazone Injection At Pain Med Dr. Office With No Luck, Now Schedueling Mri And Eppaderral Injection. If That Doesn't Work I Don't Know What Else. If I Would Do It Again? Yes. Before My Surgery My Low Back And Left Leg Was Killing Me, So I Took A Chance. No Better No Worse Off. Now I Need Help!
 
In the beginning I didn't want to participate in this post; I don't like to discourage anybody of making his/her decision. But than I saw Diet's post and agreed with her: this is a board for people who have problems too, so I will share with you my story.

After my first fusion in '06, the first 3-4 month I was improving every day, I was so happy I had surgery done to improve my life.
My surgeon told me (locally in NJ) I will be back to work in 6-8 weeks and when my husband asked him what is the % of sucsess with this type surgery, he answered 95%. I was so happy.

Well, after 3-4 month I started to experience more pain, more problems. The foot I was told will improve due to nerve damage during surgery finally started to drop. More weakness, more pain, more problems. 8 month of PT did nothing to improve my situation.

To make matter worse, due to "domino effect" which happens after fusions my upper levels herniated causing so much pain that I couldn't stand, walk or seat anymore.

I had to have another fusion in 12/07. I leave now under PM DR care, my meRAB are stronger and higher in doses since your body adjusts and stop working. I "inherited" the worse condition possible after either surgery (when blood goes in a sack) or Myelogram or steroid shots - all this can cause Arachnoidities, which is not curable nor treatable.

Would I go for surgery again? Even though my surgery is the result of a car accident, I am not sure if I would ever agree on surgery now, I would wait and see what happens. As someone mentioned here results of fusion surgeries is a long term, not a short one. Nobody goes for such a major invasion to be fixed for a year or so, you want to feel good for life and sometimes it's just doesn't happens.

I have to say that when I went for my second fusion to HSS in NYC, my Dr told me straitgt forward that I will never leave a pain free life, that each next surgery weakens your spine and the sucess rate is falling with each surgery, that more scar tissue is growing causing more pain and that a very high risk with fusions that upper/lower levels may collapse eventually.
He told me that first fusion surgery usually opens the door for more surgeries and problems in a future and that everyone has to give it a really good thought before agrees on having fusion. He told me that sucsess rate on all fusions are very low; I asked him than why they still do it. He said that when people agree on surgery, Dr and patient both hope to get in that low % of sucsess. So did I.

I am pretty sure that people who had a very good outcome and leave a good quality life, they are not on this board, they are out and about.:)
So please forgive us for being honest; after all we are here to share, is in it?

Best of luck to you, keep up with good work!:angel:
 
After 6 months I decided it was worth all the recovery!! I had l5 s1 issues with several laminectomies which solved the problem temporarily. I kept slipping the same disc over 4x. I saw 6 drs 5 said fusion was my only solution. Injections worked for me temporarily but still kept going out. I am 45 and teach PE for a living so I could not stand not being active especially with 3 sport playing kiRAB. The inital operation was good I just had one level of fusion and was in the hospital for 2 days. I could walk and do steps when I got home but it took about a week till I could manage at home by myself and I stayed out of work for the end of the school year. I returned to work at 4 months and by 8 months was back to everything but running(swim, walk, wt lifting little wts, eliptical etc)
I would recommend that you see several doctors for opinions but the recovery time for me is worth the quality of life I now have back. In my case it worked. Use all the information you can and do not be afraid to do it if that is what you feel you should do.
Hope this helps. There are success stories out there and I feel I am one of them.
PEmom
l5 s1 fusion april 2010
 
If I could turn back the clock, I would have more injections or whatnot prior to deciding on the surgery because and only because, I am worse now than before the surgery. That happens to some, not to all and there is no magic looking glass to see which category you will fall into. One of my best frienRAB had the surgery too and she is back to living a full life with zero changes to her lifestyle. Because of the nature of my failure, I am very limited in what I can do and I am always searching for a cure. Do lots and lots of research, try all exercises and other things prior to and if your quality of life it really bad, then that should give you your answer. Do ALOT of research on the physician doing the surgery. I think that is the most important thing of all. Not where you are having it or even where your surgeon works, check out the doc himself.

Good luck!
 
As Pepper and Moldova pointed out, people with successful outcomes and no complications aren't hanging around here anymore. They've moved on and have gotten their lives back. Most fusion surgeries are successful.

My back issues are unusual, and pain-free wasn't even on the radar. I'm very glad I had a second fusion, even though I sill have pain and will be on pain meRAB forever. It has kept me out of a wheelchair, where I was quickly heading, and although I have lost a lot, I've also been able to keep a lot that I would have lost had it not been for the surgery. I would do it again in a heartbeat! For me, it was definitely the right decision.

Emily
 
Well I had fusion 26 yrs ago. Complications of infection and bleeding almost killed me. Slow painful recovery of 1 yr then improvement for 6 years. Six years after surgery chronic sciatica came back with limping and some walking difficulty. Now after 26 yrs I have been disabled for the last three to the extent that I have to use a scooter and walker. I am now under the care of pain management and even with medication I still suffer on a daily basis. Several levels above the fusion are herniated as often is the case because of the load transfer placed on the levels adjacent to the fusion.

Fusion should never be taken lightly. It is the long term not the short term improvement that is important. In my case I suffered with my back for 16 yrs prior to surgery and only had surgery when I was bedridden most of the time. It is a serious step and it should never be taken unless absolutely necessary.

Back in the old days when I first had a back attack that landed me in the hospital surgeries where never done unless serious permanent nerve involvement. I wonder now if they are done just too frequently. Failed back syndrome is a very real consequence of fusion surgery.
 
My daughter had her two level fusion at the age of 16. In June she is approaching three years post op. This surgery made a world of difference in her life. She is back enjoying a life of a 19 year old. She is back to skiing (snow and water), bowls, plays tennis.... She is living the life of a college kid now. Her dr was very up front with us. He is hoping she will get twenty good years out of this surgery but that only puts her in her thirties. As one of the drs we saw said that a fix is a fix. I'm sure hoping for that, but am very realistic. My daughter doesn't regret this surgery at all. cas
 
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