Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Northeast Kansas
Posts: 1121

I am scheduled to have back surgery the 22 of May. I was just wondering for those of you who have had fusion surgery, was it worth it, and would you do it again?

I have been putting up with the pain for the last five years and decided it was time to try something more invasive.

I have read plenty of horror stories on the internet, so do not hold back....

Scott

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Registered: Not Yet
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Posts: N/A

Scott, I dotn know any of the details, but my welding instructor back when I was in school had 3 discs fused, I saw him a year or so later, he looked and said he felt great...

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Registered: Sep 2007
Location: Kentucky
Posts: 2713

My uncle was in a car wreck and had to have it done. He still has problems and the doctors want to go back in and do more surgery. He doesn't want to let them because they messed it up the first time. Make sure you get a good doctor if you have it done.

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Golden Woods Bo
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Registered: Sep 2003
Location: OXFORD , MS
Posts: 351

A co worker of mine had 2 discs fused , he does just about anything he wants to , it does get stiff and sore on him from time to time more like arthritis symptoms but the pain is gone .

I have had 3 back operations myself but havent had any fusion done , i have lots of scar tissue and arthritis type problems too but i work everyday and am glad i can walk as good as i can and dont suffer from the relentless pain like before , I have lost a lot of the feeling in my left leg and foot , a lot of numbness but no pain .

Good luck with your surgery .

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JAMES MOONEY

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Northeast Kansas
Posts: 1121

I am having a one level fusion in the L5 region. The success rate is much higher for a one level fusion versus a multi-level fusion. The doctor told me it would not get rid of the pain 100%. The way Class described his friends condition is the way the neurosurgeon described it to me. The end of May is a good time to get it done because I do not work June and July. Salary protection will last me six months, and if I need the time to heal I am going to use it......

I am going to keep a positive attitude, send a prayer or two upstairs, and hope for the best.

Scott

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Registered: Aug 2006
Location: milan,mi
Posts: 1379

Wife had it ten years ago. they took a piece out of her hip bone to fuse in her back, DO NOT do that, she has more trouble from that than the fusion in her back, She is much better off than what she was JMHO

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Registered: Nov 2005
Location: New Market Va
Posts: 4670

I had a L3-4 and a L4-5 Discectomy and Lamectomy Done and I could hardly walk when I went in for the Opp. After the Opp.
I could walk prit well and still do.. But I still have about the same pain level as I did Prior to the Opp... I haved lived on Methodone and Sleeping Meds. for 8 years now .. I have reg. the amount of Methodone down to the very least level I can bare.

Good Luck with your Opp. Results are all Different with Different Fokes !!

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Registered: Feb 2006
Location: BRIGHTON, TENNESSEE 30 miles north of Memphis
Posts: 2169

I am not sure if they call Sam surgery he had a fusion or not..But he had a titanium cage type thingy put in where they took the disc out...2 titanium rods and 4 titanium screws and artificial bone marrow, L4 & L5. He was good to go...He does still have muscle problems around the area. He just can not figure out his limitations basically..He keeps stressing the muscle that was cut around the surgery area. He has NO REGRETS what so ever. He is still scared to go to the woods coon hunting at night...Massive fear of reinjuring himself again.

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR SURGERY !!

SAM / SABRINA

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Registered: Nov 2005
Location: tupelo ms
Posts: 505

not sure about the fusion thing but I had a disc removed from my neck and a bone from a dead guy put in its place and screwed in. apparently he did not coon hunt because it kicks up a bit when I look up for a long peroid of time, or maybe his hound was more accurate lol.

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Registered: Jan 2006
Location: winfield, wv
Posts: 78

I had a L4-5 discectomy laminectomy last may. I still have nerve problems all the way down my right leg. I was in work conditioning therapy with a guy who had some type of fusion, he got around good. I couldn't tell anything was wrong with him.

Lance

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Registered: May 2004
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1253

My mother had degenerative disc disease, and I do now too - turns out it's hereditary! She had a cervical fusion, and they took bone from her hip. She said it was terrible, and the hip pain was worse than the neck - when they wanted to do another one about 6 years later, she said absolutely no way, she would live with the pain, no matter how severe, rather than go through that again. On a more positive note, a fairly recent study found that (at least for disc disease), there is no difference in outcome with fusion vs non-surgical treatment, so I won't be doing the surgery anytime soon.

A co-worker had an L5 fusion last year, and other than limiting carrying really heavy stuff, she is 1000% better off than she was, and is very happy with the results.
From talking to a lot of different people, it seems like the lumbar fusions have a much better outcome than the cervical ones.
Laurie

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Registered: Mar 2005
Location: Washington State/ Alabama
Posts: 604

I had back surgery when I was 27 years old L3, L4 and L5 with Fusion. I'm now 41 years old and never gained strength back. The only thing the operation will help with is take the pain going down your leg away. If your doctor will be honest with you he'll tell you that your back problems and pain will always be there. If it was me I would seek out other means such as physical therapy and also get two other doctors advise.
Always remember doctor's make there money by operating on you and there interest is usually in themselves.
Good luck because I've sleep on the floor many nights and fell in the woods many times doing what I love...chasing those crazy hounds.

Dee Powell

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Registered: Jun 2008
Location: southwest,pa(greene co.)
Posts: 352

my dad had it done about 6 years ago.it helped alittle,but not what he was told it would do.might help you,he's not doing any kartwheels.mike

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Registered: Mar 2004
Location: nw Iowa
Posts: 1582

This is interesting. I just got back from seeing a neurosurgeon. I have bulging discs AT C4, C5 AND C6. He suggested an epidural flood. If that doesn't work then disectomy with fusion. he said they don't use a bone from your hip anymore. They use a polystyrene net and fill it with ground bone and stem cells to grow new bone.Says it is much more successful with no hip pain. I had the epidural today, we will see if it helps. I was told it would be a few days before I would notice any change.

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Tim Hickman

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Registered: Jan 2007
Location: Texan by Birth---Virginian by Choice
Posts: 1375

I had L -5 fused in 99....i had degenerative disc disease...i knew from age 19 some day id have to have somethin done..... at age 30 it started given me problems.... i went to the chiropractoes off and on for 15 years....... they helped me along and kept my pain down fora long time..... then in April of 99 i had a severe cold and went into a sneezing fit. on the forth one i sneezed so hard i was bent over and could not straightened back up.... went to the chirodude on monday,,,,, he sent me tot he hospital for an mri,,,, l-5 had completely disentingrated......after months of shots and test. In Sept of 99 they did the surgery......i woke upwith intirley differnt pain.... from the surgery....in 4 weeks i was walkin 4 miles aday..... and my pain level was gawn enuff in 2 weeks i was off pain meds........if i had known id have done it years ago when they wanted to when i was 35......... if your able and have hood INs id do it and not put it off......becuase of it i was left with nerve damage in my left leg.... no it doesnt hurt just have a numb feeling in my calve and smaller toes................. good luck with it........

I do get the back ache now and agin if i over do....but the constant pain is gawn,,,,,,,,im one of the lucky ones who hasnt had all the problems after....

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Last edited by crossbblues on 04-29-2009 at 04:26 AM

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Northeast Kansas
Posts: 1121

Thanks for the replies. They do not bone graft anymore, they use synthetic protein to fuse the disk. It is supposed to fuse faster. I am going in to this thing knowing that the pain will not completely go away. The weird thing is, sometimes I do not have any pain, but almost always some nerve stingers or numbness in a foot, at the back of my knee..... Then there are times it hurts to walk, or to be on my feet longer then 5 minutes. It is easy to say I do not need the surgery when I feel good..... but I am pretty willing when I hurt......

My surgeon did not push me into this at all. He gave me all my choices and then let me decide.... I am just looking for some relief.

Last edited by Scott S. on 04-29-2009 at 02:58 PM

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Registered: Apr 2009
Location: NC - alexander County
Posts: 62

scott im sry to hear you mush have this
here is what was told to my father from the cleavland clinic in Ohio
who is suposed to be the leading back sergery place, if its works it is gr8 , but there is a good change that even after the sergery there will be the same or even more pain to live with,, just depends on how well it goes, again my quite sry this is something your going through

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Registered: Feb 2005
Location: western nc
Posts: 469

i have had two fusions the first was very good the second hasnt went as good. but i would do it again. just dont get caught up in the pain meds. take the very least you can get by on.

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