why spinal fusion and not disc replacement?

[STILLINPAINATHOME]

Hello everyone, every since my dr. recommended a spinal fusion for my problem, i have been reading up on disc replacement, and it seems like a better success rate than spinal fusion. 3/26/08 i had a discectomy bc of the herniated disc, now my mri shows herniated disc and swolen nerve at l5-s1. my pain level is pretty hign, in fact i ate lorcet plus 2 every 4-6 hours for pain and now i have to wait 48 hrs to get refill. (i was taking them because it was necessary)i really need some input about the disc replacement if anyone has any.

(discectomy with pain in the butt immediately after surgery, 03/26/08 pain with moving a certain way, while laying down, constant pain in leg)

[LisaSchlauch30]

Oh, My heart goes out to you, I developed a herniated disc L5-S1 about 3 years ago.  I saw a doctor and it was miss diagnosed.  I was told it was O.K. to get pregnant and I did.  Oh, the pain, I was chair ridden for months.  I took so much pain medication, doctors could not believe I could still function.  I was unable to sleep lying down and I could not walk up stairs.  My husband had to remove the back seat from the van and put a recliner in it so I could be transported to doctors appointment.  I was hospitalized for over a week to find a doctor that would take my case on.  NO one would touch a pregant lady.  Depression is an understatement.  My 2 1/2 year old daughter, really missed her mommy and there was nothing I could do about it.  She had to be care for by everyone else, I was not able to.  G-D it breaks me up inside to remember how pain and agony that my whole family went though.  I delivered my baby girl early at 30 weeks.  Then suddenly doctors would touch me.  The pain was unmeasurable.  I tried steroids, injections and Neuro drugs, Nothing really helped.  I had back surgery May of 2005, then guess what? Reheniated and had second surgery Nov 2005.  Since then I have never truely been pain free, and I will get the leg pains here and there.  Unfortunately a few months ago I developed a different feeling back pain.  Located in the flank area.  I am being tested for Kideny stones now.  This pain though different, when I have it, it drops me to my knees.  No pain pills, just learning to live with pain all the time.  If I take pain pills then I can't be the mother that I want to be.  What makes me cry a little is when my younger daughter asks me to carry her and my oldest daughter tells her "Mommy can't her back hurts her".  Oh **** I'm crying I've got to go.    

[JennaDeuel]

Thanks everyone for the support.  It usually takes me a while to get back to everyone.  I dread sitting in the computer chair, it hurts!  I have thought about having more sugery because they said that when you have a fusion it puts pressure on all the other discs and bones to make up for what the one won't be doing anymore.  So I know that I have at least 3 other discs that are deteriorating like the one I had fused so that ***** knowing that.  

stillinpainathome, I know EXACTLY what you mean about taking things for granted before I hurt myself.  What I wouldn't give for a good, painless night of sleep with no tossing back and forth.  Sometimes I get so frustrated that I cant get comfortable, I get up, fix the sheets, blankets, pillows and then get back in bed and try to give it a fresh start.  Sounds kinda silly but I never know what else to do.  Right up until I found out I was pregnant I had decided that I wanted to wait because I have so many unsolved problems and am in so much pain, and then I found out I was pregnant.  So that has been hard because I am a pretty strong person but this is really starting to test my strength and I am only 4 months along.  I know that it is going to get alot harder but I dont know how I am going to deal with it.  They are sending me to a special perinatologist to keep a close eye on me because I have started taking Norco because I am in so much pain.  As for support from my family and friends, sometimes I get the feeling that they don't believe me because none of them have ever had a problem like this before.  It is hard for me.  My husband tries to understand but I can see when he says he does but he def does not.  I have been crying alot lately out of pain and frustration.  I am headed back to my bed right now, where I spend alot of time these days.  I hope that you feel better.  For me, it helps to know that there are people out there that feel the pain I do and that it isn't all in my head.  Hope to keep in touch with you all.  Let me know how you are all feeling!

[STILLINPAINATHOME]

Thank you for your replies to my post. Believe it or not, i am still waiting on the insurance company to aprove the spinal fusion bc my back injury is workers comp. It seems that the spinal fusion might be my best bet. I really don't look forward to it, so i am not complaining much about the time that i am waiting on the insurance company even though i am in pain. Before i hurt my back i didn't know how to appreciate things like laying down in the bed and going to sleep, without all the pain, an up and down, sleeplessness. Now i know how good i had it, and may never have it again. Jenna i wish you strength. At one time i wanted to have a baby, but i know i couldn't do it now. I wish you strength, and i hope you have support from your entire family and friends.

[summer39]

Jenna,
I'm also just 20 yrs old. I had spinal fusion last year that was unsuccessful. It didn't fuse, & now the disc above is problematic.. Now the doctors are recommending another surgery.. Have you conisdered having another one? I'm really worried I'm going to make a bad decision with all of this. Everyone says I need another surgery to fix it but I'm getting different opinions on what I need done.. I hope you start feeling better soon.

[JennaDeuel]

I like you was recommended spinal fusion over disc replacement.  I read up on it as well and it definetly seems to have a higher sucess rate.  I have degenerative disc disease of my lumbar spine and alot of SI joint and tail bone problems from a car accident.  I am only 21 and I had the fusion in june 2006.  I asked the same question beforehand and my doctor told me that I would not be a candidate for that because all of my muscles, tendons and ligaments that support the spine are all torn and out of place because of the car accident so if I had a artificial disc put it, it would have nothing to hold it in place and all it would do is slide around.  I completely understand the pain aspect.  My fusion did not provide any pain relief and I also have so many other unresolved problems and to add to things, I am now pregnant.  I have been on every pain medicine in the book and nothing touches the pain.  I completely understand where you are coming from.  

Basically what it boils down to is you have to really think it over in your head what is important to you.  For me it was if I don't have the surgery,  I am going to be in constant pain.  If I do have the surgery there is a chance that my pain may be minimized.  But also with spinal fusion surgery, it puts more stress on other discs and vertebrae because they are picking up the slack that the fused one can no longer do.  In a few years you may be in the same boat as you are now.  For me, that was a risk I was willing to take.  Everyone is different though.  If I could go back I think I may have waited but maybe that is because I am in so much pain now.  Who knows.  For me, it helps to know that I am not the only one who feels like this.  No one around me understands and they make me feel like I need to get over it and deal with it.  I am depressed alot of the time.  I hope that what ever decision you make you are happy with and I wish the best for you.  

[STILLINPAINATHOME]

thank you!

[LLWB]

I was just reading about disc replacement. There are several critera for to have that done, one of them being no disc degeneration at other levels. This may be why your dr recommended a fusion. You can go to SpinalHealth.com and rad about this procedure. This is a wonderful site for any spiney questions. Good luck, hope your fusion heals your pain. Best Wishes LLWB