Wallis Ligament Stabilisation - Anyone Had It?

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back2backpain

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Hi
I've had nerve root block, facet joint injections and physio with a spinal specialist, all to no avail. I have DDD with a herniated disc at L5 and a hypermobile disc at L4. I can't have a fusion because of this hypermobile disc, plus my consultant will only attempt this 'when I retire' - as I'm only just 50 now, that's quite a way off! But I've got to do something, as I am my husband's carer and I need to have less pain and more mobility (don't we all!) in order to look after him effectively.
My consultant has put me on the waiting list for a Wallis Ligament Stabilisation operation. All I know about this procedure is what I have read on the web, e.g. what the splint looks like, how long the op takes, and that it's meant to make a 50% improvement (although my consultant said to take that with a pinch of salt, so I'm not getting my hopes up!).
What I would like to know is how long will I be in hospital and how long is recovery - I need to know these things so I can make arrangements for my husband.
Has anyone got any first-hand info please?
 
Hi

I am a 47 female. I have had severe sciatic and back pain on and off since the age of 26 when I slipped a disc (L4/L5). I had a Wallis Ligament fitted in Feb 2007 at the age of 43 after a very bad impingement left me almost bed ridden for 3 months. I was very lucky in that I had private medal insurance and was able to get the operation done quickly and it is the best thing I have ever done for my back. I no longer have constant pain all down my leg and in my right butt cheek and no longer have that feelng that I can not do something for fear of my back going (I even do Wainwrght walks in the Lake District).

I was in hosptal for about 4 days after the operation - I wanted to get out as soon as poss because I have 2 children. I couldn't see you being properly mobile or being able to fetch and carry for at least a month but its certainly well worth having the ligament put in especially if you back gets any worse and leaves you unable to do anything for your husband.
 
I hope all goes well for you on August 18 - it would be the best present ever if it works for you as it has for me. I was 47 when I had it done and I feel like I have a new lease on life. Have crossed my fingers and toes for you - only someone who has back pain really understanRAB what you are going through and I truly hope you get some relief.
 
By the way, would you (or anyone else) be able to tell me what it was like post-operatively, for instance how long you were in hospital, how long to recuperate, etc. I can't find anything like that out from anywhere!
Also, what was the post-operative pain like, did you have an epidural (and also, if you don't mind answering, did you have a catheter?)
 
Hi Elliebaggy, and thanks SO much for coming back to me - I was getting so desperate for info that I have just written to my consultant's secretary to see if they can help! (I asked my GP and she said, 'What's that?!'

I feel a lot happier now that I have read you post and, whilst I know that everyone's different, there is at least a glimmer of hope that it will help me, plus the recuperation time is do-able with help from family merabers.

Thanks again, and I hope you continue in good health.
 
I had a wallis implant in May 2008 and I couldn't be happier with the result - I have only very mild sciatica now whereas before it was unbearable. Plus, added bonus is I can now get straight out of bed every morning and stand up straight - hadn't been able to do that for 10 years. I can also go for long walks and have no back pain, and am back riding my bicycle as well - I'm not sure if it would work for you, but my experience to date has been very good.
 
Hi,

Was in hospital for 6 days and I think I recovered pretty quickly, and yes I did have a catheter, although I wasn't aware I even had one, but boy did I know when they took it out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. First week out of hospital (ie 1 week after surgery) I walked for around 10 mins three to four times a day, but by end of week 2 had built this up to half and hour erach ti9me, then week 3 I could easily walk for an hour or more - I had a general and recovered OK from that, and pain killers - oxycodone - only for pain for the next week ro so, but had to stay on these and gradulally come off as I'd been on them for 4 months prior to surgery and had become addicted - hated the oxycodone and how they made me feel, no euphoria or anything like that, just not quite with it and a bit dull and depressed. Yes
 
Hi pezzaa
SounRAB life-changing, I hope it does the same for me! Having mine done on 18th August, the day before my birthday :(
I WAS in two minRAB whether to have it done, but I've given it a lot of thought and I suppose any chance of improvement is better than being left to get on with it. The sciatica has come back with a vengance these last few weeks and it's the most awful pain, as anyone who has ever had it will know.
I'll let you all know how I get on.
 
Hey folks,

Im just out of hospital from having this done, I had Lurabar desectomy around a year and a half ago which helped my sciatica pains but not my back, I asked to be refered to an orthopeadic surgeon who done a few scans, facet injections then a discogram. The options for me was a spinal fusion or wallis ligament surgery. Because of my age (25) he wanted to stay away from the fusion as thats a last resort. Anyway i had a lurabar decompresion and wallis implant on 2 levels, L4/L5 and L5/S1. I was in hospital a couple just over a week ago for this and was in for 5 days.

Its still early days to tell if its worked but certainly my back pain seems to be a bit better at the moment. Though im getting really bad left leg sciatica pain, dont know why but i hope to god it goes. My left foot and side of my leg has been left nurab but the surgeon says this should come back. I had alot of scar tissue from my first operation so thats why.

I was in theatre for a few hours (i had basically 2 procedures in 1 operation) and woke up with a spinal drain in my back as well as a morphine pump and drips etc. I was up within a day or 2 with the nurses/physio. Got home after 5 days and was told to move about as much as possible, but taking it easy obviously.

I will keep you posted on my recovery but fingers crossed this should work in the mean time. I was told by my surgeon this is a reletivly new thing so a long term outcome isnt known. This is also the second generation of the implant as the first one wasnt that great.
 
Well, my operation in August was cancelled at the very last minute - I was waiting to go down to theatre, all gowned and tagged, when the consultant came out of theatre, took me to one side and said he couldn't do my op (as well as two other Wallis Stabilization patients) that day as the Wallis implants hadn't arrived! I wasn't best pleased, but it was re-scheduled for 13 October 2010 (I was offered an earlier date, but I had commitments inbetween).
I went in on a Wednesday, was last on the list so I eventually went down at 12.50am and remeraber coming to in recovery at 4.30pm. The pain wasn't too bad, but I had breathing difficulties so didn't get up onto the ward until 5.45pm.
At that stage, even hotching myself up to a sitting position in bad was painful, but no worse than the pain I was experiencing back in 2008, before they got my meRAB worked out (BuTrans, Amiltryptiline, Diclofenac, Paracetamol). I had an evening meal - which went down very well after the nil by mouth bit! - the only downer being that I had to use a bedpan, which I hated! (I didn't have a catheter and wasn't allowed out of bed). I had one dose of Oramorph after my food, then it was just paracetamol all the way, although to be fair I DID have my BuTrans patch on throughout (20mg).
When the night staff came on, I asked if I could try a commode instead of a bedpan, which I did with the help of a zimmer frame to balance on - I'm only telling you all these toilet details because it was all part of my "getting myself moving and getting out of hospital" plan! I should add that, during the night, I made myself try lots of different sleeping positions, e.g. lying on side, back, foetal, on tummy, etc, in order to give my spine a very gentle work-out and also to prevent the dreaded morning stiffness from spinal arthritis.
Having managed the movements in bed ok, when the Physiotherapist came round at the ungodly hour of 9.10am, I asked if he would help me walk to the toilet at the end of the ward. He gave me some crutches and I walked there with him by my side. After using the loo (unaided) he walked me past the men's ward (at which stage I wish I had worn my dressing-gown to some stairs and asked if I'd like to try, which I did, successfully. On the way back to the ward, he took one of my crutches away, which was ok, then asked if I wanted to try the last few steps without the crutch, which I did, although I felt a little uneasy and somewhat vulnerable as I have been using a stick for over 2 years. We then repeated the whole procedure with just my stick, and he cleared me for going home!
The OT came along next and also cleared me for home, as did my consultant. So I "made my escape" on the Thursday at 1.30pm - just over 24 hour since the actual operation. I had two home visits from a district nurse to change my dressing and am receiving fortnightly physio as an outpatient (with exercises to do at home). I am carer to my husband, so I needed to get home asap, I'm not saying it would be right for everyone. I also had my daughter coming in daily to look after us both for the first week.
I am still on my 20mg BuTrans, and have had a few really bad days with either sciatica or localised back pain, so I am not sure whether it has "worked" or not, but my consultant did emphasise that I could expect only 50% improvement on my pain levels, and even to "take that with a pinch of salt" so I am not expecting great things. But you have to grab at straws when they're offered, don't you? And I'm also having a fair few "good days" too, so maybe there is light at the end of the tunnel, it's early days yet.
Good luck to anyone who has had this procedure or is about to have it done - I found it far less traumatic than I had built it up to be.
 
Good to hear that you are on the road recovery. It's 2.5 years since I had the Wallis Impant and so far so good - just slight sciatica and occassional twinges, but nothing like I was experiencing before - I'm so happy I had the implant - don't even want to think about where I'd be now if I hadn't. Anyway, hope you get some relief and can get on and enjoy a better quality of life. All the best.
 
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