I'm curious who here has had any type of fusion surgery in their lumbar region and how are you now?
I'm definitely having L4-5 fused and likely L5-s1. I'm having a discogram to determine if the L5-s1 disc is causing me pain as well. Discogram's aren't necessarily definitive but my doctor wants to try it.
To go online and look up this type of surgery, there are a lot of dissatisfied people. Sadly, there are a lot of doctors that due unnecessary surgeries which skew the results. Plus, as my doctor pointed out, the people that have successful surgeries, for some reason, don't tend to go online and talk about...Hopefully they're busy enjoying their new found pain free life!
Eventually I'll need C5-6 and C6-7 fused as well. I know Brick had a similar surgery and it was successful. Let me know if any of you have had this surgery and what your results were. Thanks!
My wife had disc fusion on her S1-L5 discs. She developed an injury that went 3 years beforehand. It turned into degenerative disc disease. It was in that bottom disc and then the one above it was beginning to collapse. You could see her whole spine moving to an angle. She did the discogram as well after doing session of cortisol in the back.
She eventually had fusion surgery with an Orthopaedic surgone. It was over 2 days. Day 1 was to remove the disc and replace it with a special protein. 2 days later the dr went in with the screws. It has been a year now and she is doing 80-90% better. She does alot of stretching and walking in order to help the healing of it. She has a massage every 2 months and that lady can tell a difference.
She was originally diagnosed with bursitis.She does have that but it wasn't causing her the major pain. Spent 3 years of medical visits before the surgery.
My wife did go online before all of this so she understand what the issues are in this circumstances and she knew the right questions to ask. Her only regret was not getting the surgery done sooner.
ironically, the doctor said that when you are young and athletic you will heal faster. If you are 300lbs and haven't exercised in years changes are you won't after surgery and will heal slower. Wife is 37 and very slender. She is also Filipino if that tells you anything.