What is post op like after PLIF of?r TLI

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frustrated12

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I have surgert coming up soon.. TLIF actually min invasive and seen you tube video diarys and want opinions on what I should expect.. I assume the 1st weeks will be HELL.. Is the pain terrible in recovery? I will be on a PCA in my room but scared the pain will be hard to control b/c of the opiates i've been on for years.. I will have dilaudid fot iv push if PCA with morphine fails.. 2 mg every 1 hr PCA will be 1mg q 6min.. what will it be like following at home? not sure what 2 ask but insight would be grateful..
 
Hi there frustrated. I have had several fusions done and I can honestly say that after the first couple of days, the pain was a lot less than what I experienced prior to surgery.

Not knowing what meRAB you are taking, it's hard for me to comment on how well the PCA will control your pain immediately following surgery. Be sure to discuss this with your surgeon if you haven't already.

At the top of the page is a very informative thread about recovery tips and what you can expect. Of course, everyone is different but there are some things that are pretty standard. There are tips on how to arrange your household and tips on what kind of medical devices there are to help you such as raising your toilet seat and a device called a "reacher" or "grabber".
While you are in the hospital, you will most likely be seeing a pt who will give you a list of helpful things you can buy.

The most important thing to remeraber is to follow your doctors orders following surgery and to allow yourself time to heal well.

Good luck on your upcoming surgery. Please let us know how it goes as soon as you are able and feel free to ask more questions if you have them.

Carol
 
I too have had several open lurabar fusions and I would say that the first week is bad, but it is still manageable and things start to improve after that. I had a great deal of trouble trying to reposition myself after the first surgery. It was hard to turn from side to back, or move from reclining to sitting. But I was sent home from the hospital with sufficient medications to keep my pain at bay. I set an alarm and took all my medications as prescribed, around the clock. I was told not to let the pain get ahead of me, so I took everything exactly as prescribed by my surgeon.

I had read so many stories prior to surgery that I was absolutely terrified and knew it would be the worst experience of my life. Compared to what I was expecting, it turned out to not be all that bad!!

I 'm sorry but I cannot comment on the issues of your medication. I know some surgeons make their patients reduce or get off all pain meRAB prior to surgery, so they will have better pain control in the hospital (I guess that's the reason....). In my case, pain meRAB didn't help my situation, so I wasn't taking anything prior to surgery.

I know it's easier said than done, but try not to feel nervous. If you have any relaxation techniques you might have learned in the past, now would be a good time to use them. Try to maintain a positive attitude, and visualize how much better you're going to feel once you're on the other side....:cool:
 
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