Back Pain Support Group

I had L4-5, L5-s1 fused. As I told you in my earlier post, I would think very carefully before considering surgery. I am stil in chronic pain 8 years after the surgery. The actual surgery sidelined me for abour a year. It was very painful.

So, if I understand correctly, you had the surgery, you were sidelines for a year and now you remain in chronic pain but you are no longer as sidelines as you were initially. Do you think anything has changed in 8 years in terms of improved procedures? When you say you were sidelined, does that mean you could not get out of bed? Or walk? I am sorry for all the questions, I suppose I am scared and information makes me feel better equipped, even if I do not like it. Than you. M

What I mean was for me the recovery from the surgery was slow. Also I spent quite a bit of time in physical therapy. For the first few months I needed someone to put on my shoes and socks for me. I had to use a walker for a while, plus I was in bed most of the time for a while after thesurgery. It did not take care of my pain after all that.

I see -- it sounds like you suffered quite a bit. And that you still do. I wish you good luck and hope that things will improve for you. M

Hi, I am so sorry you are having so much pain and are concidering fusion. I had L5 S1 fused in April 2008 and it is still giving me lots of pain and discomfort. I have basically been left living on the outside because I can not function most of the time. I also need help shaving my legs and putting on my shoes. Sometimes if something falls it will stay there until someone gets home that can pick it up for me. It really sucks because I was so hopeful that this surgery would help me and it has only made things WAY worse. In April of this year I had a spinal cord stimulator put in and that helps some but has also left me with another surgical area that has not healed. It is very frustrating to go through and I cry all of the time because I am not able to function and have gone through so much to "fix" my back but its only making it worse.

Now this is only my experience and not everyone is the same. I have talked to many people that are fused or have had a Spinal Cord Stimulator put in that feel complete relief. So please dont think that this is the end all.

Keep asking around and dont give up hope. Make sure you educate yourself as much as you can and talk with your doctors in length about their plan for you. I did all of this before my surgeries as well but was still suprised both times by different things I didnt expect. One place I found alot of information from was www.spine-health.com. This might be a site you find very helpful,so check it out.

I know I didnt really give you alot of answers but I hope it helps to hear from someone else that has had fusion. Sorry I couldnt tell you that it was the "fix" that we all hope for. If you ever need anything just send me a message and I will be here for support. Also dont forget to keep us posted on your decision. Lots of gentle hugs and blessings,Christine

I HAVE HAD ABOUT THE SAME AS #5 BUT MINE HAS HELPED A LOT.BEFORE SURGERY I HAD TO HAVE TO GO TO THE BATHROOM OR I WOULD BE ON MY HANDS AND KNEES AND PULL MYSLEF UP AND GO. AFTER A SURGERY , A spinal cord stimulator AND TWO YEARS I CAN WASH MY TRUCK ON A GOOD DAY. I AM ON MEDS THAT I COULDN'T DO WITH OUT. I CAN WALK PRETTY GOOD A LITTLE FUNNY BUT, I WILL ALWAYS BE IN PAIN. I WOULD THINK ABOUT IT VERY CAREFULLY TOO. BUT SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO DO WHAT YOU TO DO. DO EVEYTHING ELSE 1ST. I WILL NEVER WORK AGAIN. GOOD LUCK. BOB

I'm very interested in this thread because I am at the end of my tether and have no other hope now but an L5- S1 fusion. A friend of mine here had the same thing and had a neurosurgeon do her fusion, and her surgery was 100% successful and she is pain-free. Once we have health insurance again, I hope her Dr is on our provider list!

So I want to ask those who have responded about their fusions (I hope you return and see this question): Who had an orthopedist and who used some other type of surgeon? Thanks!

We have our problem in the same part L5 S1. I also am at the end of my rope, but was wondering also if the operation should be none by a neuological person or an orthopedic person. I also look forward to hearing more on this topic!

The success of failure or spinal fusion, it really, really depends in a whole lot of factors, if I was you, I will see at least 3 surgeons, get 3 different opinions of the pros and con's of having a fusion.

I had a 3 level/360 fusion in 11/15/07, and 4 more Laminectomies due to the failure of my original procedure. I use a cane to walk, lost my very good job and I am now on SSD and live by myself with my dog, in a very, very small efficiency apartment because that is all that I can afford on SSD.

I have a few friends that had 1 level fusions and are doing fantastically well! I do not know if having a multi-level fusion has a higher degree of failure, but IMO it does! Do your research, come into your appointments with a list of questions for the surgeon, and after you do all of that, you feel comfortable having a fusion, go for it!

Surgery is a very, very personal decision, and just because it didn't work for me, it doesn't mean that is not going to be successful for you. Good luck,

I just celebrated my 4 year anniversary sine my life came to an end all due to having that fusion done, and stilll live in constant pain. I can stand up long enough to cut up 1/2 of a cantelope, and then have to go sit down.

17 months after the first surgery, I had another surgery to remove the hardware as it was driving me insane, loook it up online so you know what it's going to look like once it's in there.
It has taken me over 2 1/2 yeras to learn how to walk. Yes I too had to crawl on my hands, and knees to just go to the bathroom, and to get something easy to eat out of the referigator.

Also it has to be a neuro that does the surgery, not just an ortho, your talking about all the nerves that are near the spinal cord, and they did snip my L5-S1 which has left me numb on my right butt, right bak area, and from the waist to my pubic area. It also left me with a neurogentic bowel/bladder, and the nerve ther is the one that controls the feeling if you have to go to the bathroom, or the ability to do so. I also now am bone to bone, which I am sure so many others are, as the tissue becomes so scarred, so that cause so much pain, and no matter what they giv you for pain it will not stop the pain.

Then one ends up with Pain Cycles, and those are so much more involved. One first reacts with anxiety, from the pain being so bad, much worse than usual, and then depression sets in as a result of this as no one can live in pain, and it not get to you mentally.

I have, had been a nurse for over 30 years, and all I ever saw with back surgeries was that the same person kept coming back to have more of them, and up to 6. Some just end up getting hooked on the drugs.
I knew better, but was just in such a mental
mess, that I did what I know I should never have done, and just stuck with physical therapy, but now I can't ever work again as a nurse, and life is very hard.

I would never ever have a fusion, also know that once you do you no longer can move that part of you body, it's like you have a rod shoved down your back, and you can't bend, or when your driving, it's impossible to look over your shoulder.

Think again!! Keep you life, and stay happy, this really will ruin you.

What ever you do do I just wish you the best.

Love,
Debbie