Success stories after lumbar fusion?

@cianci Thank you for sharing! Glad to hear your surgery went well and that you are now close to being fully recovered. I would LOVE to get rid of the weakness in my lower legs when I walk. THAT might make the difference in my balance, IMO. The ALIF is supposedly "less invasive".... but if the surgeon is going to go in through the back the next day, I don't see why he couldn't just do everything through the back at one time. More questions to be answered here. But it's nice to hear you had a positive outcome!!
The pain in my legs and hips from the stenosis hit me all of a sudden in September 2021. It was a year before I had the laminectomy. Afterwards I noticed the neuropathy, but it could have been there all along... and perhaps the pain was in my legs was masking it from me.
Best wishes with your recovery. And THANK YOU for continuing to stick around Connect to answer questions for people like me. Mike

@domiha ALIF (anterior lumbar interbody fusion) is the name of the procedure to remove discs and fuse from the frontal approach. The reason for 2 surgeries is that there must be 2 different surgical paths, one from the front (anterior) to access removal of discs and placing spacers or cages. You can't access that from the back of the spine because you cannot severe the spinal cord that is right behind the discs to get to the discs. The rods must be attached on the back of the vertebrae on both sides and you can't do that with a patient on the table laying on their back.

There are other factors like how long does a surgery take with however many levels that are involved?, the anesthesia time, and fatigue of the surgical team. Most surgeons are standing on their feet leaning against and over the table to operate which is tiring, If you compare that to washing dishes leaning over at a sink, you have probably experienced back, neck and shoulder fatigue. Imagine doing that for 4 to 5 hours. I know my single level cervical fusion required about an hour of surgeon time, the rest was the pre-surgery prep and setting up the sterile field and anesthesia and breathing machines. The surgeon needs to know they will do a good job, and doing surgery with excessive fatigue is not a good choice. On long extended surgeries, sometimes there is a 2nd surgical team that comes in to continue the procedure. There are also the schedules of other hospital workers involved with surgeries and they try to keep to an expected schedule to accommodate operating room time schedules among all the patient surgeries being done there with various surgeons. Between every case, the operating room must be cleaned and sterilized and a freshly sterilized set of instruments and supplies is brought in for the the next procedure.

If your surgeon was to add rods at the same time, it would require turning an anesthetized patient over on a narrow table without disturbing any of the work they just completed. Then the sterile fields would need to be set up again. I understand not wanting 2 surgeries, but that is standard practice for how this is done. They have to do what has the least risks to the patient.

@misssuezq Good for you in letting go of anger. Forgiveness really helps you. My spine condition was the result of a 6 car chain reaction traffic accident and my car was the 5th one hit. Back then I told myself I was going to be OK, and it took 20 years for the injury to cause deterioration that required spine surgery. I don't hold any anger from that, and it wouldn't help. Stress will just take your health down. Being positive with gratitude improves health and empowers you.

I have had 2 successful lumbar fusions. The first in 2005 and involved L5-S1. Removed bone spurs, widened the spinal column hole and fixed a herniated disc that had bulged into both the hole for the spinal cord and into nerves on the outside edge of the disc. They also had to rebuild the L5 vertebrae. Diagnosed with Degenerative Disc Disease. Went from a pain level of off the scale and only being able to walk extremely short distances before to being able to run and play with the children I looked after (Early Childhood Educator) without having any pain. Was warned that because of the DDD I may have to have more. I had no pain or back issues again until 2011. This time I couldn't even take one step without being in extreme pain. Just standing up hurt. I had to work the next 2 years in a wheelchair because of it while I waited for surgery. This time they fused L3-L5, rebuilt L3 almost completely using a cage and bone grafts, widened the hole going through L4 and rebuilt the outside section of that vertebrae, removed tons of bone spurs from all over that section and built a bridge between L4 and L5 to stabilize those two vertebrae and then added 2 more rods and screws to join L3-L5 to
what they previously had fused in 2005 when they had fused L5-S1 with rods and screws. I went from not being able to stand let alone walk to again being able to run and play with the children I looked after, hike with my girl guide unit with no pain. And I have been pretty much pain free since. I still get a few twinges in the lumbar spine occurring occasionally but they usually only last seconds when I move in a way that my back doesn't like (usually quick Jerky type movement). The 2 years before the fusion in 2013 were hell as all I could use for pain was OTC's(Mainly Tylenol. Had had an ulcer in the early 90's because of nsaids so I wasn't supposed to take Ibuprofen and couldn't use naproxen or Aleve as I reacted badly to them). They had discovered right after the first fusion in 2005 that I am allergic to Morphine and all of its direvitives (natural and man made versions) when they gave me my second dose and I reacted badly to it. Apparently I had had a problem coming up from the anesthesia but they weren't sure what exactly was causing the reaction. Well, they found out that it was the pain killer very quickly with the second dose when I projectile vomited across the room and then came very close to not being able to breathe at all. They spent the next couple of days trying a couple of other opioid and I reacted almost the same way to all of them except for a very low dose of Tramadol (200-300 MG) once a day, any higher and I had the same reaction as above. So the second fusion surgery in 2013 was done without the morphine type pain meds using the highest dose of Tramadol I could handle (300 MG once a day). This makes any general anesthetic problematic as Fentynol is usually used by most anesthesiologists in their general anesthetic mix. But even after that I am still glad I had the fusions done. I just have to keep an eye on the rest of my spine as the DDD is throughout my whole spine, but knock on wood I haven't had to many issues so far with my upper spine that would necessitate another fusion up there.

Thank you so much for your reply, Jennifer.... and also for all the work you do here as a volunteer mentor. And yes, I can certainly understand that long surgeries would be very tiring on the surgeon and staff. Some people have replied in this thread saying that they had decompression with rods done only through the back. (@dlydailyhope posted xray photos above). And I have heard of some people having the ALIF and that is it. So, I'm assuming the rods cannot be put in through the front with the ALIF?? And perhaps the surgeon would go in the next day to add rods because of the fact that I have already had a laminectomy L2-S1 and he wants to add more stability to that portion of my spine. He is an excellent surgeon, so I feel totally confident he knows what he is talking about! When I read or look at youtube videos regarding the ALIF, it is touted as "minimally invasive" and preferable to the back surgeries that were for years done only through the back. But if it is always a two-part surgery over two consecutive days, that hardly seems minimally invasive. All of this is stuff I will need to talk with the surgeon about, I know... I'm just trying to understand how some here could possibly have decompression and rods... through the back if, as you say, the disc tissue cannot be removed from the back?? When I google PLIF, it explains that disc tissue is removed and replaced with spacers, cages and rods are added for support. I am not trying to be argumentative... and I hope I'm not coming across that way. These are all things that I will discuss with the new neurosurgeon I am seeing for a second opinion in a month. And I will also discuss thoroughly with whatever surgeon I will choose IF I decide to have the surgery. Again, many thanks for your reply!! Best wishes! Mike

So sorry to hear you had issues with allergic reaction, @fdona58. I, too, am allergic to morphine.... I had an abdominal surgery in 2005 and during my two day stay in the hospital I had a morphine pump. A day after I was released from the hospital, I broke out in hives all over... and the itching lasted for at least a month. So that allergic reaction was much worse than the actual surgery! I have had other surgeries since.... and doctors were aware that I was allergic to morphine (and demerol) ..... and as far as I know, I have had no problems related to anesthesia. (knock on wood!)
Were your two fusions done through your abdomen or through the back? Were two procedures required for each one.... front one day, back the next? How long was your stay in the hospital after your second fusion?
SO glad to hear that the surgery was a success and that you are now pretty much pain free. THANK YOU for sharing your story!! Best wishes! Mike

I had surgery on FEB. 1st of 2024. doctor said 18 months for full recovery. I am walking and doing my personal car since, have pain off and on in lumbar and wear a Lidoderm patch at night. I take Tylenol for pain when needed, .
you have to keep moving. I also use Hypnosis in between, Was it worth it, YES!

@domiha Mike, I think your prior lumbar laminectomy is part of the decision about what your surgeon now plans for the next surgery. With ALIF, in my understanding, access to the spine does not go through all the back muscles along the spine, but instead in the abdomen behind all the organs. There is an air space around all of that and the mass of organs is suspended with mesentary attachments. Perhaps that is why it is "less invasive" because of not going through back muscle. With minimally invasive procedures, I think the surgeon is operating through a tube that is inserted. The surgeon then has a limited view as opposed to an open surgery where the surgeon can see better, and a lot of surgery cannot be done this way. Decompression is a general term and could describe a lot of different procedures. Your laminectomy was a decompression that removed pressure on the nerve roots. There are pros and cons to the procedures and there may be a reason that one is preferred over another. The less invasive the surgery, typically, the less trauma and an "easier" recovery. Of course, recovery after major surgery takes a while and is different for everyone and I wouldn't call it easy. Every patient is different with different spine issues. Surgeons prefer some procedures over others, so we can't really compare our situation to someone else. It does help to understand from listening to other patients.

You're right that inserting rods is not minimally invasive. The surgeon has to be able to see the spine to do that and to shape the rods in the right contours for your body. I think the answer of which procedure is best and why has to come from your surgeon. It all depends on the surgical path and how they have to access the damaged area, and how much is damaged. Perhaps make a list of questions to ask at your next appointment. Good for you for asking questions and advocating for yourself.

Jennifer

When I was 56 yrs old, I had TLIF on L4/L5 in 2014 after lifting a heavy shovel of snow and herniating the disc. An MRI showed that I also had a cyst on my spine and a slipped disc at L4/L5. I assumed I would be offered a cortisone shot but was told by 2 different surgeons at UW Health that I had a “3 strikes and you’re out” situation and cortisone shots would be ineffective. They told me my symptoms would get progressively worse and recommended surgery within 9 months to prevent irreversible damage. I spent those 9 months doing intensive PT, first in an attempt to avoid surgery and as symptoms progressed, PT helped prepare me for the surgery. Surgery provided INSTANT relief and I was soon able to walk more than a mile. I continued walking and water walking for 6 months until fusion was complete. I started spinal stabilization classes and still exercise 4 times per week to maintain core strength and spinal stability. I have no complaints and am able to do everything except I self-limit lifting to 40lbs and avoid severe twisting to protect the discs above and below the fusion. My advice-find the best surgeon, prepare your core for surgery by doing PT exercises, follow your surgeon’s instructions during recovery, build and retain core strength after recovery to protect your back. I hope some of my experience is helpful and reassuring. Good luck to you on this journey.

Great success story, zeek... Thank you for sharing!! I need to work on my core strength, for sure!