saw surgeon for 3 month check

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hearts4120

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I saw my surgeon last week for my 3 month post op for ALIF. He did an x ray and there is no sign of fusion yet, he claims it could still be too early and it still might fuse. He told me to come back in 3 months and if I am no better, and no fusion he is calling it a failed surgery. He then reminded me that he told me from the beginning that 30% don't get better. Actually thats not what he told me he gave me odRAB of 90% chance I will fuse and get better but that really doesn't matter now because not only am I not better I am worse and he simply won't answer my questions. I took my copy of the MRI report with me to the appt. This MRI was done in Jan. and I literally had to point things out line by line because he just didn't want to deal with it, he wanted to gloss over it, he even told me " I dicatated this in Jan." in other worRAB why are you wasting my precious time asking me questions about it. I decided that he was paid, and paid well for my surgery, I hired him, and he was going to answer my questions about the MRI. And yet I still walked away feeling like I have no clue if my recent MRI is causing my problems and what is going on. My husband said I won't have any clear answers until we find a new doctor, I think he is right. Such a shame and shouldn't be allowed to happen. At this point I see no reason to even go see the surgeon in 3 months.

Lori
 
Hello Lori~

I'm sorry I'm not familiar with what you had done. Did you have instrumentation with the fusion? I gather you are still in lots of pain. Is it the same problem as before or is it pain in a new location or new type of pain?
 
Hi,
I had a cage put in at L5, S1 and screws as well. Same type of pain, somedays are worse. My legs never hurt before surgery and now they do, the nurabness I had in my left leg right after surgery has almost subsisded. But if I walk a little ways (like halfway around the grocery store) my legs get so sore and get very weak and my back hurts worse. This is all new for me. What is really interesting to me and what I can't get the doctor to tell me about is on my new post-op MRI it shows narrowing and Spinal Stenosis, albet Mild but nonetheless. I never had that on ANY MRI's before. I wonder why after 4 weeks post op did it appear and if it is causing some of my pain and weakness in the legs. Its a mystery and I don't like mysteries! LOL

Lori
 
OK, thanks. I had a similar surgery on Jan 7th, only at L4-5, and it was from the back. Do you know what was causing your original problem? Usually stenosis is at least involved in the equation when you have fusion. Perhaps yours was a disc problem instead?

The stenosis narrows the spinal cord, resulting in less room for the nerves to pass through...often resulting in leg pain. But when it is mild, it shouldn't be a problem. Most people over about 25 have a little bit of stenosis. Did the same group interpret both MRIs? Depending on who's reading the MRI, different things are noted. If something is very minor, it isn't always mentioned. So it's possible you had the mild stenosis all along, but it wasn't the issue causing your problem, so wasn't emphasized in the report.

If the cage, etc. is still in the correct position, it should not be causing pain, whether or not you are fusing. I have read results of several clinical trials that indicated some people actually do better when there isn't a complete fusion. The hardware is holding the back together; the bones knitting together is added insurance, so to speak.

I don't know what to think about the leg pain since you didn't have it before. It is usually a sign that the nerve is being pinched. Is the pain on the outside of your leg?
 
Hi Lori. I was doing very well up to 7 months post op and I hit a wall in PT that my physical therapist just couldn't get me beyond and at that stage I should have been able to produce more physically. She was concerned fusion had failed.

Went to my surgeon. He took an xray and not much was showing at all in the space that was the same at my 3 month check up.

He then sent me for a CT Scan to see things better. The CT Scan showed me SOLIDLY fused! In fact, it looked like my spine was made like that from the start!

So try and not to get too discouraged right now and you may be like me that xrays are not just okay but worthless for use on us in this scenario.

I do advocate your finding another surgeon if you have lost trust in him/her.

Keep us posted and keep your chin up. It's still very early stages of your healing right now.
 
Thanks for the replies. I appreciate it.
Good insight about the different radiologist viewing the MRI's, as a matter of fact I did go to a different facility than I usually go to. I went to the facility that my surgeon works out of, usually I went to a independent MRI/CT screening place.
I didn't know that the hardware would hold the spine pretty stable, I was worried that if I didnt fuse it would mean instability, so thats good news that the hardware would keep things stable.

Lori
 
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