Discussion
Anyone have any personal experiences of this procedure to share?
The Wife is probably going to have to have an l4-l5-s1 fusion done in early 2014. Starting to try and plan the recovery with family for childcare (and wife care) and we are just wondering about realistic recovery times etc.
The surgeon told us about 3 months before walking unassisted, 6months before doing any lifting and 12 months before she is totally healed. We're hoping that those are conservative estimates, but would like to hear other people's experiences anyway.
Many thanks.
The Wife is probably going to have to have an l4-l5-s1 fusion done in early 2014. Starting to try and plan the recovery with family for childcare (and wife care) and we are just wondering about realistic recovery times etc.
The surgeon told us about 3 months before walking unassisted, 6months before doing any lifting and 12 months before she is totally healed. We're hoping that those are conservative estimates, but would like to hear other people's experiences anyway.
Many thanks.
I had an L4/L5 fusion done in 2011.
Mine was done as a minimally invasive op leaving me with 2 vertical scars appx 2" long either side of my spine.
Recovery wise, my op was Monday pm, by Thurs am I was in the village shop buying a newspaper albeit with my crutches as backup.
I was walking unassisted within 3 weeks.
2 months post op I could comfortably ride a quad around the local shoot and I'd say total recovery was at a max of 3.5 months, as I managed a 4 1/2 hour flight with no pain meds and no ill effects at the far end.
I suppose a lot of the recovery is down to the operation method, with mine, my surgeon took a lot of time slowly retracting muscle out of his way, preventing bruising / scarring on the way in, then once he began to close up, again he took his time slowly returning the muscle he'd moved back into place giving me a better recovery time.
He likened this technique to a warm up / warm down before and after exercise to use an analogy.
Repair wise, I have a spacer replacing the disc with two pedicle screws in each vertebra, two plates between upper and lower screws and then a cage around the pair of vertebra which was supplemented by bone fragments between the vertebra to aid fusion.
Post op I was about 1" taller after spending 3 years bent forward and over to the right, I began to have un disturbed sleep again for the first time in 3 years and personally am 100% glad I had the op done.
HTH and good luck to your OH,
Mine was done as a minimally invasive op leaving me with 2 vertical scars appx 2" long either side of my spine.
Recovery wise, my op was Monday pm, by Thurs am I was in the village shop buying a newspaper albeit with my crutches as backup.
I was walking unassisted within 3 weeks.
2 months post op I could comfortably ride a quad around the local shoot and I'd say total recovery was at a max of 3.5 months, as I managed a 4 1/2 hour flight with no pain meds and no ill effects at the far end.
I suppose a lot of the recovery is down to the operation method, with mine, my surgeon took a lot of time slowly retracting muscle out of his way, preventing bruising / scarring on the way in, then once he began to close up, again he took his time slowly returning the muscle he'd moved back into place giving me a better recovery time.
He likened this technique to a warm up / warm down before and after exercise to use an analogy.
Repair wise, I have a spacer replacing the disc with two pedicle screws in each vertebra, two plates between upper and lower screws and then a cage around the pair of vertebra which was supplemented by bone fragments between the vertebra to aid fusion.
Post op I was about 1" taller after spending 3 years bent forward and over to the right, I began to have un disturbed sleep again for the first time in 3 years and personally am 100% glad I had the op done.
HTH and good luck to your OH,
Hi,
No personal experience but I am looking into having a XLIF fusion on L4-L5 after two failed discectomies.
My advise will be to search the internet for outcomes/experiences, in your OH case I will guess the op will be done via the back instead of XLIF or via the front. 12 months is the maximum amount of time expected for the vertebrae to fuse, if it has not happened during that time then a revision op is needed.
One site I have found useful is adrsupportuk.com, although its main aim is artificial disc replacement there are people who have had fusions that talk about their post-ops and you can PM them.
Good luck.
No personal experience but I am looking into having a XLIF fusion on L4-L5 after two failed discectomies.
My advise will be to search the internet for outcomes/experiences, in your OH case I will guess the op will be done via the back instead of XLIF or via the front. 12 months is the maximum amount of time expected for the vertebrae to fuse, if it has not happened during that time then a revision op is needed.
One site I have found useful is adrsupportuk.com, although its main aim is artificial disc replacement there are people who have had fusions that talk about their post-ops and you can PM them.
Good luck.
Another vote for ADR UK, but they are quite conservative and can sound pretty negative. ALso people tend to go to forums like that when things are going bad, not when they're going well !
I had an L4/5 fusion 2 years ago (2 years on 12th Jan next year), after a discectomy which worked for 6 months, then everything got worse and the bone crumbled away. The bone crumbling (from rubbing on each other or something) precluded me from an artificial disc, and I ended up with a fusion.
The cut was through my stomach, horizontally, roughly in line with my appendix scar and about as long (appendix was removed about 30 years ago). I have a spacer cage, which had artificial bone stuff inserted, which encourages your body to grow bone very quickly and fuse the joint. They didn't use any bone splinters from my body or anything like that.
I didn't get on well with the drugs etc. after surgery and was in hospital for about a week - kept passing out, couldn't get off the catheter etc. Was home after a week and recovering. I was off work for 3 months, and then back to work gradually. In reality I felt better much quicker than after the discectomy (small incision in the back), but had to take it easy to start building strength etc.
2 years later and things are much improved. I have taken the 7 back on track, but decided racing was a bit too much for it at the moment (mostly the pit & paddock work rather than the racing itself) so will be selling up for a bit, but instead am learning to fly. I can stand for long periods of time (e..g trade shows, train into London etc.) if I have to, and can walk much further than before. I'm also mountain biking (full suss helps), pilates, yoga etc., and generally having a normal life.
If you want any info/advice etc., them just PM me/mail me - happy to help.
If they put you on Tramadol, be careful. Nobody warned me about withdrawal and I just stopped taking it one day (after the surgeon told me too). Had to go back on it and wean off slowly! Also don't be afraid if things seem worse after the surgery. Nerves and stuff get upset when people invade!! I had to go on Gabapentin temporarily after the surgery as my leg felt like it was being squeezed in a vice, in the bones. It subsided after a little while (few weeks if that) and came off the drug after with no problems.
I had an L4/5 fusion 2 years ago (2 years on 12th Jan next year), after a discectomy which worked for 6 months, then everything got worse and the bone crumbled away. The bone crumbling (from rubbing on each other or something) precluded me from an artificial disc, and I ended up with a fusion.
The cut was through my stomach, horizontally, roughly in line with my appendix scar and about as long (appendix was removed about 30 years ago). I have a spacer cage, which had artificial bone stuff inserted, which encourages your body to grow bone very quickly and fuse the joint. They didn't use any bone splinters from my body or anything like that.
I didn't get on well with the drugs etc. after surgery and was in hospital for about a week - kept passing out, couldn't get off the catheter etc. Was home after a week and recovering. I was off work for 3 months, and then back to work gradually. In reality I felt better much quicker than after the discectomy (small incision in the back), but had to take it easy to start building strength etc.
2 years later and things are much improved. I have taken the 7 back on track, but decided racing was a bit too much for it at the moment (mostly the pit & paddock work rather than the racing itself) so will be selling up for a bit, but instead am learning to fly. I can stand for long periods of time (e..g trade shows, train into London etc.) if I have to, and can walk much further than before. I'm also mountain biking (full suss helps), pilates, yoga etc., and generally having a normal life.
If you want any info/advice etc., them just PM me/mail me - happy to help.
If they put you on Tramadol, be careful. Nobody warned me about withdrawal and I just stopped taking it one day (after the surgeon told me too). Had to go back on it and wean off slowly! Also don't be afraid if things seem worse after the surgery. Nerves and stuff get upset when people invade!! I had to go on Gabapentin temporarily after the surgery as my leg felt like it was being squeezed in a vice, in the bones. It subsided after a little while (few weeks if that) and came off the drug after with no problems.
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