What are people's experiences with spinal fusion surgery?

If the fusion you want info on is just lumbar to SI joint, can this be titled as such?

I had a long fusion, t4 on down with SI joint fusion. First surgery (anterior) on 12/30/2025, then posterior surgery with everything else/hardware, etc. on 1/02/2026…..so I can tell you about that. First 6 weeks of pain seemed really due to SI joint fusion. Slept in a recliner instead of my bed. After that eas more pain from waist area of my back & upward. I have been off of all pain killers except Gabapentin for a good month now….snd I am weaning off that now.

At age 58, I had fusion of L4-S1 in August 2022 due to slipped discs that caused a synovial cyst. Recovery was tough because of pain in my lower left leg but found out 6 weeks in that the pain was because the hardware had moved. I had fallen the night I got home from the hospital (left leg just gave out on me and I went down on all fours. Also got Covid 2 weeks post-op so the coughing could have also contributed to hardware moving)? . Had a correction surgery 9 weeks post-op. Long story short, I did all the PT and followed all instructions and recovered well. Now, four years later, I am strong with no back pain. Because of the hardware shift I have (probably) permanent left leg numbness from below the knee through my foot. For about three years after surgery I intermittently got debilitating cramps in my left leg but this past year they have significantly decreased. I am so grateful to be free from my terrible lumbar back pain!

@marcd2k
Interesting on the locked muscle issue. As a patient it would make sense if the muscle could be manipulated to become looser. You will need to find a therapist who knows the process well; my PT works me over for about 45 minutes and she said she can feel the tightness in the back muscles. I have 4 more sessions then will see my surgeon mid June. I really don’t want a revision surgery and have to go through the long rehab again.
I’ll turn 79 in July and would very much like to lead a reduced pain life before I have to do the dirt nap!

@zekeman1947 Thank you for writing. I've been to several PTs, two different ones this year. The one I was working with up until a couple of weeks ago (insurance only approves 24 visits, all done for the year already) was a specialist in scoliosis treatment. The therapist would dig into the muscles, and stated they feel a little looser during manipulation, however, that only lasts until the next day. They never stay looser, there's no improvement overall, and there's never any relief from the pain.

I feel the same way about additional surgery, as I have not been able to fully recover from spine surgery I had about 6 months ago because of my muscles locking up and the pain it causes. I enjoyed about a year and a half of retirement before this problem started, and now it has been about three years of daily pain.