spine fusion

[huckster]

have you or any person you know have? what was the recovery length? ie return to work??did it help. how long in hosp?did you or they have proir back surgery before the fusion?
many questions i know sorry just getting a little panicky
thanks

 

[taekwondo mom]

I had a fusion L3& L4 in 2002 ..( posterior & anterior) I'm still having problems.. unable to walk for more than 20 min at a time then have terrible pain..
as for the hospital stay : 1 week
no prior back surgies 9 ( some of the Dr's are wanting to fuse L5 & S1 now and other don't)

I understand why you are nervous .. I don't know if I would have the first surgery if I knew what I know now...

Good Luck...

 

[Dan Murphy]

's huckster.

 

[LindsayDunn228]

I don't really know if I can help you since my surgery was 20 years ago. But I was injured at T5-6. I never had pain after recovery and have none now.

This is a very scary thing to be going through. I mean who wants to have their back operated on?

 

[Kitty 34]

I had a spinal neck fusion 20 some years (C5 and C6) which was successful. I was in the hospital for 6 days. I didn't have any problems with my neck until a couple of years ago when arthritis started setting in which the Drs say is normal. A little PT now and then helps that.

Good luck with the decision.

 

[Denine]

Things are different now than when I had my spinal fusion back in '85. I have L4 to S1 fused due to spondylolisthesis. I was in the hospital for 10 days and a body cast for 3 months. I was in so much pain, that I was in less pain just a few days after surgery than before. I will always have an abnormal back and it does hurt and ache at times, but the surgery was a Godsend.

Good luck!