Zeroman...Failed Lumbar Fusion Suggestions please

K

Kate P.

New member
Zeroman - if you're online, will you please let me now how your fusion turned out using BMP? You said you smoked right up until 6 hours before the fusion. My daughter had cut her smoking down to about 1 a day 30 days prior to her lurabar fusion 5/07 using BMP and a bit of her bone. In February '08 the x-ray showed very little fusion. NS seemed unconcerned - said "the cage is intact." Guess the mechanic is always happy when he's done. Daughter's pain worsened in last 3 weeks to where it was pre-op last May. Anyway - how are you doing? Did your fusion work? Did you need to refuse? If so, did you use the same doctor?

Will appreciate any info you will supply.

Kate P.
Wisconsin:confused:
 
Yep sounRAB like a redo to me .. Hey I just heard of this new tech. for a fusion. Its called the TOPS system . Its basically a fusion that allows the verebra to bend and twist . If I could do it over again ( 3 times ) I would . You should do some research on it.. I'd rather have it than this stiff old hardware . Its your body..

I'm still not fused , I been trying since 2004 to fuse and 3 surgeries to correct it and I only have very little bone growth in the gutters where ever that is :dizzy: I have no bone around the screws or hardware. I was told to live with it.. So maybe I'm looking for hardware failure again down the road ? Hope not.

Good Luck and I hope what ever you have done works for ya .

Shawley
 
Hi

my fusion came out perfect. it took about 13/14 months for the fusion to finish. it was about 6 months when the xrays 1st started to show the fusion and went slowly from there. one level fused faster than the other.. no idea why but the doc said it was normal. my doc did not mix any bone into my fusion site, the BMP was soaked into a dissolving gauze placed inside the cage.

I also restarted smoking about the 6 month point. yes, durab I am :) but it still fused fine.

sorry to hear about your daughters pain.. but give it some more time. I was worried too, but my fusion just decided to take its sweet time. I still had some pain at 12 months also. it was about 18 months before I started feeling really good. nothing but occasional twinges now when I overdo it.
 
I had BMP used three times and didn't fuse .. Some people's body just don't allow bone to grow as well as others , Zeroman is right.. It takes time for the bone to grow .. Some people heal much faster than others . Good luck.
 
HI,
First I'm so sorry your going thru this mess. I have had 4 fusion surgeries since 2003, the last one was in nov. 2005. I used the bone growth stim. after every surgery. All of them failed to fuse completely. I do have some fusion on the lower level of L4-S1 and no fusion on the upper level. I have perm. nerve damage that effects my left foot & leg.

I would have to agree with everyone else that you sure sound like you need a revision done. I have had BMP every surgery and it didn't make one bit of difference. Some people just don't respond to it at all, I'm one of the lucky ones that was in the % of failures, yippeeeee!

Now you may fuse just fine the second go around so don't get too discouraged yet. It can take up to 18 months for a solid fusion.

I wish I could give you some great worRAB of wisdom, I guess the closest I can do is:
#1 - DON'T SMOKE! don't even get close to smokers, if you can smell it your breatheing it in and thats just like smoking yourself.

#2 - If your on the heavy side weight wise try to lose it, the less pressure on your body the better it will be.

#3 - Follow your Dr.'s orders to the letter.

#4 - I don't remeraber if your Dr. put you in a brace after surgery, it might help if you are braced after surgery, the less movement the better the chances are you will fuse.

I hope I have helped a lil, I know how discouraged you feel right now. It's the worst news to hear after all you went thru. Hang in there there is a good chance you can fuse the second time round.

Please let us know how things progress with you?

God Bless

Carol
 
Welcome on boarRAB! I am very sorry you are having such problems... I am not a Dr and can't give you any advices here, but I am glad if you have a good Dr who will take good care of you and your health issues.
That is why my surgeon did not want to use donor's bone, he harvested my own hip bone for both fusions and it worked good for me.

I wish you best of luck and hope next surgery will work so much better for you. Take care and God bless...:angel:

BONE GROWTH STIMULATOR - was inserted in my spine during my first spinal fusion. It helps bone growth and believes that fusion happens faster.
11 month later battery itself was surgically removed, but wires still remained in there (they screw them to hardware and it can't be removed). Only during my second fusion wires were removed also.:)
 
My first fusion was L5-S1 with bone graft and no hardware. That fusion failed and about 6 years later I had an L4-S1 fusion with hardware (two plates and 4 screws) along with bone grafts to aid in healing. The second time I did much better.
 
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Mod 08
 
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