Who here has had back surgery. i am looking at L4-L5 and L5-S1 fusion. What is there to expect? How is recovery. What are the realistic expectations afterwards? I want to get back to work as soon as I can. Any suggestions or advice. The surgery approval has been over a year in coming since it is workers comp.
I have had 14 surgeries on my knees, back and neck. If you have confidence in your doc, go ahead and do it. I had the same L4 L5 S1 area done a couple times, and am probably going to have to have more done. Medicine keeps advancing in technology, and they are finding better less invasive ways of doing things. A former neighbor of mine used to call me the "Six Million Dollar Man in Progress" due to all the surgeries I had. I'm sure there will be hip replacements in the not to distant future for me also! And I'm only 51
i guess back surgery is not near as popular as knee surgery based on the amount of reply comments.
gotta think some of you have been cut on and would like to sahre your experiences. i am really scared of this but at the same time quality of life is crap.
I had a cervical fusion 2 years ago. It helped but didn't fix the problem.
I also have a problem in my thoracic spine, but the surgery would require colapsing a lung. The Doctors advise against doing the surgery.
My dad broke his back in an oil well explosion about 20 years ago. He went through extensive back surgery and have to wear a back brace for years. Now he works out about 2 hours a day and doesnt need to wear the brace. But if he stops working out then he is SOL and can only lay on the floor.
cant believe no others on this site has had any experience with this.
please offer advice on what to expect, good or bad.
thanks
Just make sure to follow the Doctor's instructions to the letter.
Some of the surgeries are fairly simple, and some are more complex. The Doctor may tell you not to do anything for x number of weeks, or he may tell you to go to your normal activities. Back surgery is one that you don't want to screw around with. If you have a bone fusion, you have to be inactive long enough for the bone to build the calcium around it to hold it in place.
Who here has had back surgery. i am looking at L4-L5 and L5-S1 fusion. What is there to expect? How is recovery. What are the realistic expectations afterwards? I want to get back to work as soon as I can. Any suggestions or advice. The surgery approval has been over a year in coming since it is workers comp.
I have known quite a few who have had it and know ONE that was actually totally successful. I don't say that to discourage you, only that you have realistic expectations. I have had back problems for the last 40 years and have always relied on a VERY GOOD chiropractor to keep me going. (actually several different ones) From the experience of those I know, I decided a long time ago, I didn't ever want a doctor to cut on my back. What kind of damage do you have? Spinal decompression has claimed to greatly help those who have even had back surgery that wasn't very successful. God bless you and Good Luck with whatever you do.
Just make sure to follow the Doctor's instructions to the letter.
Some of the surgeries are fairly simple, and some are more complex. The Doctor may tell you not to do anything for x number of weeks, or he may tell you to go to your normal activities. Back surgery is one that you don't want to screw around with. If you have a bone fusion, you have to be inactive long enough for the bone to build the calcium around it to hold it in place.
EXACTLY. Hopefully you have a good doctor that you trust? Don't go along with one that after the first visit or two, wants to do surgery. The only reason for that is, they don't know what to do, and generally, they aren't going to be the ones doing the surgery anyway, so they refer you to someone else...pass the buck. I've been down that road more times than I care to remember. You HAVE to trust you doctor, if you do, you will listen to him. Be prepared for ALOT of inactivity for a while, and don't push it!!!
i was sitting here having coffee watching the news this morning with my heating pad on y back and saw that they have pushed the health care bill through the house. every expert says that care will get alot worse. i herniated 5 discs at work and have been in the workers comp system for over a year. i think that i am getting a good example of what our new insurance system will be like. the doctors dont make the decisions. its left up to a person in a cubicle that i am sure is greatly over worked due to budget cutbacks. i was limited to the dr that i went to. he was limited as to what he could do. i had a month and a half of physical thereapy and then they approved an mri. when he saw what was wrong he stopped the PT and asked for approval for an epidural shot. that took a month and a half to get approved and scheduled. now after 3 of those and 2 facet blocks and a change to a neurosurgeon it looks like surgery once the dr submits the request and workers comp approves. despite extreme pain i make it to work every day. im no kind of hero, just have bills a mortgage and a family that depends on the check. the ironic part is that the doctor gave me the option of staying home. that goes no where towards future longevity with the company.
IMO ,I don't think, even our Government could design a system as bad as workers comp. Their primary job is to cut company liability, and to increase their on profit, not to heal the sick.
Workers comps job is to prove you caused your own problem, by not following company policy. If you had followed company policy, you would not be injured, therefor they would not be responsible.
5 disc's and only 2 facet blocks? Did they help at all? Did they do Radio Frequency after the facet block test?
I've seen several people deal with workers comp, they appear to just jerk you around until you give up. When you talk to your Doctor again, ask his opinion off the record as to how much they are limiting him.
Depending on his answer. Get a lawyer.
they did 3 epidurals on different levels. the 2 facet blocks that they did were in many areas. there were a total of 8 to 10 needles in my back at each block. the facet block did not give any relief. the pain dr that did it said that she would be unable to reccomend the rf burning because of the lack of relief and then 5 minutes later the orthopedist who owns the practice comes in and says lets do the burn and if that does not work we will talk about surgery. thats when i said its time to see another dr. i cant give up, the pain is to much and the effect it has on what i can do is to great. the neurosurgeon i am seeing now diagnosed the problem and made his reccomendation based on the mri and history in 10 minutes. he sent me for a discography or also know as a discogram followed by a catscan. that proved out his diagnosis. the cat scan showed the dye escaping from the 2 discs as quick as they pumped it in. kind of like a leaky pan gasket. so now its a waiting game. so far with this doctor since it is the second he has not had trouble with workers comp. in fact he said the discogram is usually difficult to get approval for cause they know or suspect whats coming. even after a year i keep getting up and hoping that the problem goes away. thinking that i will roll out of bed and stand up and the legs wont hurt and the back will be good.
a note to anyone that is going thru back problems...or if you do in the future....the discogram involves injecting fluid and dye into the suspect discs. they also do a couple others that are not suspect. you cant see what they are doing so you dont know when to scream. and let me tell you when they hit the bad disc you do feel it. theres no faking that test. i think waterboarding would have been more pleasant.
I know how painfull these things can be. I have gotten to where I can take epidural, with just taking a zanex, and then driving myself home.
If the Doctor gives you a choice between a bone graft from your hip, or using donor bone. I highly recommend the donor bone. That is one less surgery you have to recover from.
I will bet you things move faster now that you have a proven need for the surgery. Good luck!
I know how painfull these things can be. I have gotten to where I can take epidural, with just taking a zanex, and then driving myself home.
If the Doctor gives you a choice between a bone graft from your hip, or using donor bone. I highly recommend the donor bone. That is one less surgery you have to recover from.
I will bet you things move faster now that you have a proven need for the surgery. Good luck!
the epidurals and facet blocks were a piece of cake. the discogram and its recovery now thats another story.
the dr says that he has to remove some bone to gain access to the disc or whats left of it. he cleans that out and puts in a "porta Power" and spreads it. then he uses the bone removed, grinds it up and mixes it with a growth material. they stick that in like 2 part epoxy and hope it grafts.
my hope now is that i dont have nerve damage in my legs that keep them hurting or the dr screws up
This forum is owned and operated by Internet Brands, Inc., a Delaware corporation. It is not authorized or endorsed by the Ford Motor Company and is not affiliated with the Ford Motor Company or its related companies in any way. FordŽ is a registered trademark of the Ford Motor Company
The only reason for that is, they don't know what to do, and generally, they aren't going to be the ones doing the surgery anyway, so they refer you to someone else...pass the buck. I've been down that road more times than I care to remember. You HAVE to trust you doctor, if you do, you will listen to him. Be prepared for ALOT of inactivity for a while, and don't push it!!!
Linear Mode
