Has a fusion helped your quality of life?

[peekawho]

I have 4 bulging discs now, 2 annular tears, severe foraminal stenosis, facet degeneration, arthritis and DDD.
(wow.  Now I'm depressed!).

Seriously, I've been managed medically for 11 months now with a series of 3 epidural steroid injections (last one 6 months ago), RF ablation of the lumbar and sacroiliac region, yet last week was absolutely incapacitated at work and had to go to the ER for Dilaudid (yuck--talk about a puke fest.  Not enough Zofran in the world to make me want it again).

My pain management doc says NO WAY to considering a surgical approach to this now.  He implies that a fusion will leave me in "permanent pain" and far worse off than I am now.  Of course....his bread is buttered by bringing me in again and again and again for procedures.

To be truthful, there are times when I am in very little pain.  If I am resting at home or puttering about the house, I'm actually pretty fine.  I cannot sit at the computer though, for any length of time.  

At work, where I can't lay down to rest, is where I am having the most problems.  I still want strongly to continue working.  It was devastating to  me to have to go to the ER the other night, and I don't want to do it again.

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Any thoughts?  If you had a fusion, is your life, overall, better now than before?    Or have you traded one set of problems for another?

Thank you,
Peek

[lkoivisto]

I have had three spinal fusions since1997 with my last in Sept. 09 and I am having my next one next week.  After my first fusions I did great and had no problems. I was able to start riding again (I train Horses) till I was in a head on collision last March.  The one thing that you need to do is make sure you goto a very good surgeon that knows what hes doing.  I don't know where you live but I go to the Twin Cities spine center in Minneapolis MN.  They are the largest spine center in the world and thats all they do.  Even after all that I have gone through my surgeon says that I will be back on a horse within a years time if all goes well healing wise.  If you go to a well known surgeon and that is what he rcomends then by all means go for it.

[SageRave]

Where would your fusion be?

IF you have a fusion, the discs and vertebrae above AND below the site will have to compensate for your fused vertebrae.

I may be that your doctor sees something about your problem that he hasn't shared.

Have you looked at your medical records?

Have you read through results of any medical imaging?

[peekawho]

Thanks.  I have to get a first opinion, first!   Have to go through my primary first, to get a referral to a surgeon to even look at the options.  

During some fusions, it seems that they remove some of the facet joints.  Mine are very arthritic.  

I have no idea--this is totally out of my area.   A doctor I know did actually speak of opening the stenosis, and was surprised also that I'm being actively discouraged from getting a surgical opinion.

Thanks, all!

[Mollyrae]

Hello Peek:

With the spine problems you describe, I'm surprised that your Doctor didn't recommend surgery. Now, I'm not sure that a fusion would benefit you but when you have stenosis, it's recommended that you have the area that's causing the most problem "cleaned out" so to speak. Steonisi creates a build up if unwanted tissue in the spine and after that is cleaned out, generally a person feels much better.

Now, I don't know anything about facet degeneration...I have never had to deal with it so I don't know if that usually requires a fusion. I do know that when you have Herniated discs (not bulging) and it's bad enough, it requires a fusion.

Bulging Discs believe it or not, are the most common problem in the back and generally heal themselves. Doctors or Surgeons never operate on that.

I guess I'd get a second and even third opinion as to what you should do.

I hope this helps,
Mollyrae

[onenamilliongirl]

I've had a fusion if by that u mean discs removed in neck replaced by cadaver bone & titanium plate w/screws. I had no choice, two different neurosurgeons a year apart told me it was a miracle I wasn't already paralyzed. I had lived for over a year in constant pain, couldn't even turn my neck, etc. I was afraid of the surgery. As soon as I had it, the surgery,  the pain I had lived day & nite with, was gone. Unfortunately in my case I ended up months later with all over pain, instead of just neck, shoulder pain, they said I have Fibromyalgia that can be brought on by a car accident, or surgery, which I had both! If I wouldn't have went into fibro, I would have been so much better off completely. I had a good doctor who knows his stuff & is a Christian. I didn't go with the 1st dr who diagnosed me, I didn't like the way he disrespected me & I was right to listen to my instincts. Hope this helped some, I feel its an individual decision.