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Lumbar Spinal Fusion, Post-Op. Should I have these symptoms?
Spine Health | Last Active: Nov 17, 2025 | Replies (78)Comment receiving replies
@loriesco so I am reading this and wondering do you still have pain 6 years after your fusion? Is it better than before the fusion? I don't want to have fusion and have worse pain after 6 years still or even a year. I don't know what to do I'm at the cusp of not knowing to proceed with fusion or not but I can hardly walk without having horrible throbbing pain afterwards. But that's how it was before my first laminotomy without fusion which only helped for 4 months. I don't know if this is making sense but I'm just asking if fusion will really improve my life or not. I'm already 73 and I don't want to spend the rest of my '70s recuperating from surgery.
Replies to "@loriesco so I am reading this and wondering do you still have pain 6 years after..."
@annie1 what is your Dexa scan status Ann? If you have osteoporosis surgery may be an issue.
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@annie1 Hi Annie, as soon as I got home in my own bed (about 2 weeks after surgery) It was a magically experience!!! I could turn over in bed with zero pain. I asked a friend of mine "why aren't you doing fusion?!" I don't know why you didn't do it but a lot of people don't want to suffer the recovery of fusion surgery. One and done! You should go to a variety of orthopedic surgeons and get their input. I did. I had 4 different opinions. I knew when I met my prince charming! I have degenerative disc disease so as I age more of my spine degenerates. That means more discs will fall out and I will need to return at some point. But its been 7 years and I am THRILLED that I can work, do my taxes, do my art and not complain. I have a bad tailbone so the pain there can never be fixed. But my back is great. The parts around my fusion continue to degenerate and I will go back but I am confident. I suggest that you must talk to a doctor because 73 starts to get to a point where they may not recommend surgery one day and then you are STUCK feeling crappy. Get a good surgeon and go for the gusto!