It is only my opinion but, I feel it is always important to seek another opinion regarldess of how much you like or trust your surgeon. Surgery is a serious business as you know and, since you feel you will need it anyway, you have nothing to lose. I waited a YEAR and had opinions, procedures and more opinons before I had my fusion surgery.

I think it really makes a diffrence as far as your state of mind to know you did all you possibly could before you go back into the OR. Again, just MY opinion.

I have a cage in my fusion. My xray is small, but if you look between the screws at my T10-L1, you can see the cage.

I have a cage in my fusion. My xray is small, but if you look between the screws at my T10-L1, you can see the cage. If you click this link, you can see a better photo of the cage. Its the picture to the right and I think clicking on the actual photo makes it bigger: http://dailystrength.org/people/294196/photos-videos

ahhh, i'm so sorry...that really sucks. i had my second back surgery in december...first fusion though. it is strange because i could swear that my doc put in a "cage" between the vertebrae and used the screws and rods to hold it all together. he didn't have to go in through the front but the scar on my back is about nine inches...for just L4-5! anyhow, i think a second opinion is always a good thing...there are lots of different techniques, etc and another surgeon may have other ideas for correcting the issue. another thing i find frustrating is why did your surgeon not do a bone density test? mine didn't either and didn't tell me he was concerned about it until afterwards...what the heck? why go in to figure out the bones are too soft to hold the screws? my bones ended up being okay...though i haven't had my follow up x-ray yet, but i was still a bit surprised that they didn't investigate that prior to slicing me open. good luck!

I didn't get a fusion, I got an artificial disk replacement. They went in through my stomach. It was my 2nd surgery. I would get a second opinion, it never hurts. Good luck.

What about going to the ADR site and posting specific questions and things there. The site is pretty much for ADR and they may be able to offer help. I may be having ADR in the future in Germany. Where did you have it done? in the US?

Thank you all for the comments and advice. I am trying to set up for a second opinion. I do want you all to know that I(and my doc)knew about the osteopenia before the surgery. I had a bone scan in the summer of 2007 that showed this problem. I was prescribed Actonel and have been taking it once a week ever since. I do wish that there had been some precautions taken ahead of time for this. (Hindsight I guess) Keep the advice coming in....
Thanks again everyone,
Shelly

I had my ADR done 8/19/08 in norwich, CT. It is the reason I am disabled - biggest mistake i ever made. Many turn out good, but mine didn't and the longer this is being done, the more the long term success rate is going down.

Dear sb57 Well Ive been there done that and I do know what your going through I just had my 8th back surgery it sounds like you dident fuse at all it took me 2and 1/2 years to fuse from my neck fusion and I was in the brace all that time. did thay use your bone or a cadaver? I think people should stick with the Dr that did the last surgery atleast he knows what he did last time he was in there I hope you do well Im always hear if you need a sholder good luck Joyces30512

Had L2-L4 fused. It caused L-5 to become unbearable and now I am going back to have it fused. I had anterior posterior fusion with cages. They used artificial bone graft material, my Dr. said it has better success than cadaver material and of course is much safer. The incision on my abdomen herniated and I just got that repaired and now they tell me more fusion. :o( In my opinion L5 should have been fused during the first surgery too.

Hey,
As far as the bone they used for the fusion, they used my bone from the laminectomy and then injected a horomone that draws stem cells to grow my own bone. I will say that I was only supposed to have L-5 fused but when my doc got in there he decided to do L-3 as well because it was too unstable as well. Tridge, was your anterior/posterior fusion your first surgery? I just want to know why this surgery wasn't done first when he knew I had osteopenia. I was wondering if it had anything to do with insurance protocol. I will find out when I go to the new surgeon. I don't know if I will use the new one yet, but I might. I have an appointment on April 16th.
Again, thanks for all of your comments.
Shelly

Yes it was my first operation. I also had the laminectomy done at L1 & L5. My mom had fusion done many years ago and she said where they removed the bone from her hip, hurt many years after the other surgery pains went away. I am trying another doctor for my next surgery and he doesn't plan on any anterior opening. I am excited to have all this old hardware removed so I can see the difference. My hardware itself doesn't hurt but all the surrounding tissue does when pushed on, not really sharp pain more like a throbbing cramping dull pain.