Hi, I had two spinal fusions, one at L3-5 in 2000 and another at L5-S1 in 2005. Before both surgeries I had had to use an electric wheelchair to get around and be able to do anything that required me to walk or stand. In the first one the surgeon had to rebuild the L4 vertebrae using a cage because it was so full of holes from Degenerative Disc Disease and in the second one he removed several bone spurs on the outside edges of several vertebrae and had to shave off bone that was growing into the spinal column space and trapping several nerves and blood vessels on two vertebrae. He also did several disc repairs due to ruptured discs in both surgeries. He also rebuilt a vertebrae in the second fusion but it wasn't in as bad a condition as the one that was done during the first one. There was enough bone left that he didn't need to cage it. Again due to DDD. I don't remember how long the recovery process was but I am glad that I had the surgeries. I haven't had any back pain other than a few twinges here and there when I have to stay in a bent over position for a while and then have to stand straight again since the fusions. I have almost full range of motion now and that's a big improvement over before the fusions. I have heard so many failed fusions stories since. I guess I'm one of the lucky ones in that they both were successful.