Has anyone had a spinal fusion?

bodumene

bodumene

New Member
I had a compression fracture a few years ago, and now I have another. I will begin treatment for osteoporosis, but in the meantime, if things get worse I will probably have to have a fusion of L-3, L-4, and L-5. What's that like?

Here's a picture of my crumbling L-4 vertibra from the last MRI.

Compression Fracture.jpg
 

My wife had her L4 and L5 fused last year. She had a procedure called MASPFLIF (an acronym) which resulted in an approximately 3" incision. Operation took about 3.5 hours, which included time needed to remove a cyst that had formed on one of the vertebrae which was impacting the nerve. She was in the hospital overnight and home the following afternoon. Incision took about 4 weeks to close, but my wife was up and walking the day after surgery. She was on pain killers, but didn't need them for more than 3 weeks or so. The operation included a cage (four bars and two screws) to hold the vertebrae together. Just about a year out and she's doing well in terms of recovery from the original surgery. It's healed well. Biggest obstacle afterward was the drainage from the incision. Know that there will be frequent bandage changes. I think that's what caught me off guard. We were sometimes changing bandages 2-3 times per night. Make sure you have someone who can do that for you.
 
No, But I had a laminectomy about 20 years ago. He (the neural surgeon) scooped out copious amounts of disc "stuff"

and I've been fine ever since. No fusion necessary.
 

Falcon said:
No, But I had a laminectomy about 20 years ago. He (the neural surgeon) scooped out copious amounts of disc "stuff"

and I've been fine ever since. No fusion necessary.
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The MAS PLIF may be less invasive, newer technique with less scarring and faster recovery. Stands for Maximum Access Surgery Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (MAS PLIF)
 
My L4 & L5 were fused about 16-17 years ago. The procedure sounds similar to what I had. I didn't have any drainage, but I didn't have a cyst removed either. Mine was for pain reduction and it didn't work. But I knew that it was 50/50 going in. The only problem I have is backing up in my car. I can't turn my body to see what's directly behind me. Wiping your butt may be hard at times, too. Otherwise I'm OK from the surgery. BTW, I thought they would use small delicate screws. My doc was building a deck with metal plates and big 4 inch screws. Why did your wife need the surgery?
What problems are you having, bodumene?
 
fuzzybuddy said:
My L4 & L5 were fused about 16-17 years ago. The procedure sounds similar to what I had. I didn't have any drainage, but I didn't have a cyst removed either. Mine was for pain reduction and it didn't work. But I knew that it was 50/50 going in. The only problem I have is backing up in my car. I can't turn my body to see what's directly behind me. Wiping your butt may be hard at times, too. Otherwise I'm OK from the surgery. BTW, I thought they would use small delicate screws. My doc was building a deck with metal plates and big 4 inch screws. Why did your wife need the surgery?
What problems are you having, bodumene?
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My wife needed surgery because the nerve running down her leg was impinged by vertebrae and the cyst. That caused pain and numbness down her leg if she stood or walked for any length of time. She was pain free after a good two years of living with it on a daily basis. She's not experienced any mobility issues since the surgery, but has started to have pain again in her leg. We are looking into it with her doctor. Thus far we're not thinking that her surgery wasn't successful. She's healing well. It was amazing how quickly she was able to resume walking.
 
Your wife sounds as though she had a very successful operation. I didn't. But it was obvious right from the beginning, while I was laying in bed hours after the operation. I was made well aware there was only a chance the op might work. Well, I took the chance and don't regret it. Happily, your wife had a very different outcome. Unfortunately, that's a decision Bodumene has to make. The surgery part wasn't bad. After surgery, I had to wear that clam shell thing. All I can say is that there is a chance to live life as Bobw235's wife.
 
fuzzybuddy said:
Your wife sounds as though she had a very successful operation. I didn't. But it was obvious right from the beginning, while I was laying in bed hours after the operation. I was made well aware there was only a chance the op might work. Well, I took the chance and don't regret it. Happily, your wife had a very different outcome. Unfortunately, that's a decision Bodumene has to make. The surgery part wasn't bad. After surgery, I had to wear that clam shell thing. All I can say is that there is a chance to live life as Bobw235's wife.
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Just so you know, we saw two different surgeons before making this decision (one for a 2nd opinion). Both agreed that this specific approach was right given her specific circumstances. Also, this procedure she had is fairly new. The surgeon thought she was a good candidate for it, otherwise a more invasive procedure would have been recommended. There was quite a bit of testing beforehand, including a procedure where they were able to see which nerve was causing the leg pain (she had no back pain). After the operation they had her on her feet for a short walk later that same night. Within days she was walking up to 1/4 mile and in fact was a bit too aggressive in her efforts.

The surgeon could not guarantee that her leg pain would not return, but seemed confident that it might be as long as 10 years before any additional treatment might be necessary.
 
Thanks to all who responded to my question.

What problems are you having, bodumene?
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fuzzybuddy, if you look at the picture of the MRI I posted, you can see the disintegration of L4. There are at least two compression fractures. Actually, it is called a "Schmorl's Node", after a Dr. Schmorl who described a situation where the disc invades the vertebra. My understanding is that I will need the operation if a piece of the bone presses on the nerve. I'm going to see the doc tomorrow to find out more.
 
Saw the doc today. There's good news and bad news -- as usual. The good news is that it is very unlikely that I would have to have the fusion surgery any time soon, if at all. The bad news is that there is so much wrong with my spine that it probably will never get fixed: stenosis, facet joint arthritis, compression fractures, Schmorl's node, disc degeneration, etc. I am philosophic, though, since I am pretty old and can live with some level of disability and pain. It is relatively minor, and I kind of expect it at this point in my life. But in other ways I am very lucky, because I don't have any life-threatening ailments ... at least not yet!
 

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