FUSION SURGERY EXPERIENCES

[dakmba]

Hi All,

Most of your know my story - failed laminectomy surgery in Jan07.  On 6 Norcos a day and that is hardly managing the pain anymore.  Not taking anything else but the Norcos and OTC stuff

Anyway, I know alot of folks here ended up addicted to pain meds through no fault of their own.  Most got hooked as a result of surgery or trauma related incident.

Anyway, the results of my mylegram and a high quality MRI with contrast resulted in my surgeon wanting to do a fusion on L5 in July.

I would love to hear (both negative and positive) stories from those of you who have had a lumbar fusion.  Most of the stuff I have read about failed fusions has scared me enough to think that I would be crazy to let them get me into the OR again.

I look forward to hearing someone, anyone tell me that it is worth (or not) worth the risk.

I know after being here for a few months that I have alot of support when the time comes for me to get off the heavy duty narcs (if I do choose to have the fusion surgery).  I am so miserable now with pain and depression that I feel like a different person than I was even a year ago. Now I know why people jump off bridges and to think that I even could understand that to some degree really scares me.

Peace to all,

dakmba

[oxynot]

Hey dakmba,

I, too, got addicted to pain meds because of a lower back issue.  With my experience getting off, my first reaction was " nothing is worth this - I should have stuck it out without narcotics."  However, that isn't very realistic.  No one can really do that.  And if I didn't have the surgery (fusion of three vertabrae) I wouldn't be walking now.  So, I'll wean off the oxy and go on.  May even have to go through this again with future surgeries.  What it comes down to, I think, is that you can't change the cards you're dealt so you have to do the best you can with the cards you're dealt.  I know how back pain can be.  You can't just put up with it forever and become an invalid.  If I am understanding your condition correctly, you really don't have a choice but to try a surgical option again.  So do what you have to do and keep fighting. Don't give up.  However, it might be worth trying a different surgeon?  Was your failed fusion at a top-notch facility with top-notch surgeons?  This can make all the difference.

Best of luck to you,

oxynot

[dakmba]

Thanks so much for responding.  Prior to the laminectomy I had tried all the conservative therapies.  I was diagnosed with spondylolithesis (slipped vertebrae).  I guess what I am asking is do you feel better having had the surgery?  How is your quality of life?  Any limitations or is it too early to tell?  When did you have your fusion done?

dak

[Mis Take]

Hi Girl.  As you know I had a fusion on L5 S1 in November of 2003.  It was hard, very hard.......but the leg, hip and lower back pain were gone almost immediately.  Before coming off my meds, I would have told EVERYONE not to have the surgery b/c it didn't work and I am still in so much pain.  However, much to my suprise and a little embarrassment, I feel really good.  I really believe that on the meds -- I felt worse than I do when Im off.  The surgery was successful for me, but I know that this is not the case for everyone.  The first two weeks were pretty rough.  The first, I was in the hospital and the second - at home, on only Lortab (b/c my doc at the time doesn't believe in anything stronger).  They made me sick to my stomache, so I puked into a bucket and held on for dear life b/c it hurt so bad.  Now, after the first couple of weeks, I was quite a bit better.  I had a bone growth stimulator b/c I smoke and it is suppose to help where the nicotine hurts the re-growth.  BUT....being the idiot that I am, I didn't ever wear it - luckily, everything still worked out fine (and I did smoke).  Anyway, a few years and another child later (along w/ quite a bit of metal in my back) ,and Im in pretty good shape all things considering.  

Do your research (I know you already have done a lot) and talk to as many ppl as you can.  Then make sure and sit down w/ your surgeon and get all the facts!!!!  If u decide to go through w/ it, I know it will be the right thing for you.  The pain when that kind of surgery is needed is nothing short of A *****!  And the depression due to the pain just adds to the fun, hu?  I will be praying for you and please keep me up to date on your progress.  I hope this helps some.

sincerely, tracy

[dakmba]

Thank you my friend for answering me.  I am so exhausted from researching fusions (and alternatives to fusions) over the past few months. Did you have a posterior (back) or an anterior (front) fusion? Did you have an ortho or a neuro surgeon do it? Are you around 80-90% pain free?  God, I will have to remember that bone growth stimulator as I too am a (stupid) smoker!  I know there are some surgeons that refuse to do any lumbar surgeries on smokers.  I think you knew I worked in healthcare and I thought you did too.  So you KNOW I am doing my due diligence in researching everything I can. My surgeon is highly regarded in the community and also is very conservative.  In fact, when I first went to him he said he wouldn't do a laminectomy without fusion.  A few days later he called me back and said he had spoken with his partners and told me he would do it.  I even had a second and third opinion from an ortho surgeon and a neuro surgeon at the Univ of Washington.  Both said laminectomy with fusion.  In fact,one of them told me that if anyone did do just a laminectomy that it would be cause for medical malpractice.  Jeez-I just want my life back not a lawsuit.  I was the oe that begged him to do just the "lammy" so I could not in good conscience take this doc to court.

Sometimes I wonder about the pain meds making you feel worse.  There are days that I think I do feel more pain when I take them.  The norcos don't get rid of the pain like they used to - obviously I have built up a tolerance to them.

I did discuss pain control with my ortho doc since I was concerned that the post-op pain would have to be handled differently than the normal protocol after almost 5 months on norcos.

Jeez-how did all this happen???  I really appreciate your sharing your experience with me and I will certainly reach out to you throughout my ordeal.  I set up ***@**** for e-mail, specifically for sites like these.

dak

[oxynot]

Hey, sorry so late getting back.  I'm pretty busy trying to keep a business going while weaning off this oxy nonsense.  

I had my surgery done about 2 months ago.  L4 to L5 to S1 fusion. It went quite well and was very worth it.  I do have an "enflamed" nerve bundle which causes numbness and some loss of function in one leg.  It may go away or not.  Even if it doesn't, it is so much better than the alternative.   I'll just have a little bit of a limp, but at least be mobile and pain-free.  I would be in a wheel chair and in terrible pain without the surgery. Good chance I'll have to have one or two more vertabrae fused in the future and I will do it.  My biggest concern is the chemical dependency thing.  I'm sure it will return very quickly now that I've had it once.  But I'll deal with it.  Hope you are still checking this thread. I hope to hear back from you just to know we connected.

Best Wishes,

Oxynot