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I am contemplating S1-L5 lumbar fusion. Outcomes thoughts
Spine Health | Last Active: Jun 15 10:41am | Replies (47)Comment receiving replies
Hi all fellow spine surgery candidates!
7 orthopod said lamonectomy and fusion. I have extreme stenosis L345 and spondolothesis ( 2slipped discs)
Recommended to a neural surgeon who was willing to meet my request for no fusion. He responded and said he was thinking hemilamanotomy !
This procedure spares the vertebrae structure, much faster recovery, less hospital time, less blood loss, less procedural errors/problems and almost same 1 yr, 2 yr 5-10year patient satisfaction, reduced lower back pain and neurogenic claudation.
This is the way I plan on going.
Having read the studies I’m convinced either way you have 10-15% revisions or additional treatments. Neither is perfect however one is minimally invasive and 4-6 weeks full recovery. Fusion is 6 months to a year for recovery.
Less is more regardless of the 2 slipped discs.
Good luck.
You must do your homework, neurosurgeons are much more skilled with nerve systems.
Tony 78
Replies to "Hi all fellow spine surgery candidates! 7 orthopod said lamonectomy and fusion. I have extreme stenosis..."
@tony1946 I have a question, and you may want to ask this of the surgeons you are seeing. If you have spondylolisthesis that means the vertebrae are slipping past each other because the disc is not strong enough to prevent the slipping. You described it as a slipped disc which is really a disc that can’t hold the proper shape or height and allows the bones to move out of alignment. If you leave the discs in place and avoid fusion, what is going to stop that movement? Is the procedure you’re considering enough to stabilize the lumbar spine?
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Hi Tony,
I'm almost 70 and have had laminotomies at S1, L4, and L5 - 10 years ago. First surgeon would only do fusion so I got a second opinion. The laminotomies remove some of the vertebra, but not as radical as a laminectomy. 10 years later, no leg pain and going strong.
I'm in the gym everyday, at my ideal weight, and I work core specifically (almost everything we do, every motion, involves the core). My surgeon said keep it up because my core is holding my degenerative lumbar spine together and keeping me from fusion.
What is a hemilaminotomy? I'm not familiar with it. With back surgery, less is more. I'm encouraged you're doing so well at 78! Keep it up!
Joe