Anyone here have spinal fusion surgery?

i had L5,S1 fused 5 months ago

Go with a neurologist. orthopedic dr wanted to fuse 4 vertebrae.

i’ve ridden twice, slowly getting less pain. still hurts in some movements, but anticipate a year before i can determine outcome.

Im 44, raced moto whole life. I had a pars fracture in spine from who knows what and a genetic disorder called spondylolisthesis. My L5 shifted forward off my S1. Motocross just kicked the problem into my 40s rather than my 80’s.

i went through 15 drs and all sorts of treatments and witch craft to stay out of OR. Was introduced to a nuero surgeon that was spine specialist and did 12 surgery’s like this a month.

So far it is the right choice. Still some pain but have hope.

Would you not consider getting it removed? Or is that not an option in your case?

I have T6 to L1 fused going on a year now, my back is in pain almost everyday.

2 rods 9 screws T1-T6.. 2.5 years later still dealing with pain but its getting better. If i can feel it it means it still works lol . I Definitely second do your research for who does your surgery and you’ll have to be intentional on your therapy maybe make an appointment nobody called me I had to call and say hey I need to start therapy a month after my surgery lol they don’t care about you as much as you do. I tore so many muscles and tendons etc. in my neck and back that took longer than the rods and screws to feel better.

Also I took oxy for 4 months. 4 a day. Tread lightly and make a decision to put them down. Ice heat cold water etc. will be a better path of course. I wish i could take cbd. Cold water swims are great.

My cousin had an extensive back surgery to repair her scoliosis. My uncle wrote a long story about her journey.

I suffered a bulged disk in my back two years ago installing a pocket door and it was completely debilitating (wife wheeled me into the ER)....thankfully those heal (absorb back in) rather quickly and I was back to normal in a couple months... It was very eye opening to the importance of lifting correctly and preserving the spine.

Best of luck with your surgery and keep us updated.

I just had ALIF (anterior lumbar interbody fusion) at L5-S1 on 3/8/21 and a lamonotomy to open up the nerve passages on 3/10/21. The ALIF procedure was done through the front and the lamonotomy was done from the rear. I lived with some pain and a lot of numbness and tingling in my legs/feet for years before deciding to have these surgeries. To date, I'm about 75% better than before surgery and continuing to improve.

My first 3 days at home were the most miserable experience of my life due to being under-medicated. I was only given Tylenol 4 with codeine and a muscle relaxer. I also had to wear a custom fitted hard torso brace with a hinged leg extension that was extremely uncomfortable. I only slept about 6 hours over a 3 day period. Once I got some Hydrocodone and Lyrica for nerve pain I immediately found some relief. I wound up taking about 40 hydrocodone pills total before only taking 2 Tylenol a few times a day.

The next 2 weeks were still very tough. A lot of pain and discomfort with every move. I was very fortunate to have my wife at home with me during this period. A couple of items that made life easier were a pick up tool and a raised toilet seat with arm handles. These things are a 'must have'.

From this point to about 6 weeks I still dealt with a lot of nerve pain down my legs that was actually worse than before surgery. This was due to the nerve openings being opened up and the nerves firing like crazy. This finally got better after about 7 weeks. If you don't have pinched nerve issues you may not deal with this.

Through all of this I managed to walk each day which was the only therapy my surgeon prescribed. I started at only one or two houses down the street, managed about 1/2 mile after a week and over a mile at two weeks. From 2-6 weeks I walked about 3-4 miles a day. My biggest obstacle in walking was dealing with that back brace. It absolutely sucked but it served its purpose because at 3 months my fusion looked very good.

I work a job that I'm on my feet a lot, climb ladders and stairs but don't have to lift a lot of weight. I was back to work at 8 weeks. It was a struggle at first but after a couple weeks I felt pretty good. It is still uncomfortable to lift more than about 30 pounds because the muscles around my spine are weak from wearing the brace. I'm doing physical therapy now so this should strengthen pretty soon.

In summary, it's definitely a tough road but worth it if you follow the doctors orders and don't push it during recovery.

Unfortunately I don't have the option to in my case

Back in 2001 at 18 years old I broke my back racing moto. T11,12 and L1. Fused from T12 removed and fused. Going to be 38 in August. Have lead a normal life, ride bikes, sleds, quads etc. Also work a physical job. Do I have pain from time to time yes but nothing that one can't deal with. At 18 and the prime of my physical life it took probably about a year to be 100%. Was definitely working and stuff before a year, but to really feel good it probably took about a year. I am actually going to get back into moto after not racing since the crash that broke me. Call it a mid life crisis or whatever, but I just need to do it one last go around. Good luck and speedy recovery!

Hey man did you end up having the fusion?

I’m due to get my L5/S1 fused!

Does anyone have any experience with SI Joint fusion surgery? I am a candidate and trying to make a decision. I have had trouble for the last 10 years that took about 5 years for pain management and neuros to find that it was my si joint. I have had 15 or so injections to my spine and since they started in the si area I get really good results.

I am able to ride without problem and really have little to no trouble in until I feel that the shot wears off. 6-8 months. Nothing seems to trigger the pain or sometimes even make it go away. I am not aware of what started my probles either. No major accidents or crashes that caused back pain.

The problem is after 6-8 months when I do have problems I go through hell until my next procedure (shot). When the pain comes on, I am immobile, I cannot put any weight on my right side. I usually end up in the emergency room for a toradol injection (think Davies locker) then on prednisone until the pain lessons, and I get my injection scheduled.

I am really comfortable with the neurosurgeon I am seeing and he has performed 200 of the si fusion surgeries. He uses the iFuse device They say I am a great candidate, but right now I am feeling good as I had a shot about a month ago and it's hard to pull the trigger on surgery when you are feeling good.

My last pain episode was the worst I've ever had and was forced to use a walker for a couple days leading up to my injection.

Sorry about writing a book, any thoughts or experience?

See my post above about the fusion at L5/S1 I had in March. Since that post my pain and numbness have continued to improve. Im very pleased with the outcome.