L5 S1 surgery recovery: what to expect re: what I can do for myself?

Hi @southernbelle13.
I went in for L5S1 ALIF plus Pedicle Screws (posterior) on 20 July, last week, so am still early in my recovery phase.
5 days in hospital (D1 to D5).
Same day of surgery, I drank fluids, did not eat.
D2 I "ate" broth (through a straw) and drank water.
First shower on D3, with a chair in the shower. Did not need the chair thereafter for each daily shower.
Catheter only removed on D3. Immediate physio on D3 saw me walking with rolling support over 50m (in the hospital). I dropped the walking support on D4 as it was not needed.
D3 also introduced more substantial foods (no hard solids yet). Soup, yoghurt, fruits, easily-digestible foods.
Voiding bladder after catheter removal was simple, just surgery pain (front and back). Was controlling my bladder by D3 - painful to push, so just lket gravity do its thing.
Voiding bowels is a bigger challenge. Was "threatened" with an enema if I had not passed solids on D4, so I asked for softeners (not laxatives) to make it easier. No enema required as I successfully voided bowels on D4.
After D4, I went onto a normal menu - steaks, eggs, veg, bread, dessert, etc.
I walked 4 times per day by D4, showered alone with no support, dressed myself (painful but do-able) and managed to do plenty for myself without too much assistance.
Sent home at the end of D5. I managed to get upstairs to my room, and have spent the last 30 hours lying flat, walking around upstairs, showering, completing ablution requirements, and weaning myself off Tapentadol (down to 3 tablets a day).
The surgery wounds are still painful (front and back), but the relief from referred pain into my left leg is palpable.
Will still spend a few more weeks mostly lying flat while the fusion is given time to hold.
I could not do this without my wife assisting tremendously. You can't do it alone.

@profevl
THIS is very helpful for me - I have L5 - S1 fusion with hardware end of Sept at Mayo. I have a 12 inch harrington rod from 53 years ago and L 5 - S 1 not fused but compressed after a clincial trial with weight lifting and they smashed - cut off nerves and it;s been almost 2 years of trying to deal with pain. Surgery the only option now and 2 surgeons I talked to here in Pittsburgh did a FEW of these surgeries... I went to Mayo for another opinion and they were amazing. He said I was not complicated for him. He gets a lot like me. Im not over weight, do not smoke, and am doing core training to strengthen for the surgery recovery. I am not concerned about pain in recovery because my pain now is horrible and meds do not help. If there is relief after a few months I will walk through hell to get there. I worried most about flying home..., they will have a back brace and meds plus a friend will fly with me. Mayo said - WE DO THIS ALL THE TIME and you will be uncomfortable but it's fine... So after getting out of hospital 3 or 4 nights, I will stay at local hotel to make sure I am ok, and Mayo is close, Then fly home. I live alone with stairs so planning to stay with a friend a week or so. Please keep us posted on your recovery!

@profevl
Was just thinking about you and your surgery. Sounds like it is going really well for you.
How much improvement have you had in your left leg?
Sorry not sure where palpable hits the pain chart at 🙂
Keep up the good work.

@jlssurplus
I feel my recovery is going very well.
My left leg is pain-free (slight tingling from time-to-time) and now responds to neural signals. That's a big difference already.
The "palpable" scale is somewhat ethereal.... I have ever-reducing surgery-site specific pains (front and back), but they pale into insignificance next to my pre-suregery pain and discomfort.
I'm taking a call with one of the Neuro Spine Institute's ops nurses today because I seem to breathing/voice issues post surgery. Sounds like i'm wheezing, and am losing my voice, but I feel fine (no cold/flu etc).

@profevl interesting, I talk for a living. Radio mornings. Sitting and talking are what I'll need to see how I recover. I do get a vascular surgeon for the front on my surgery. They said my hardware will connect to my Harrington rod and they will put in metal rods in the pelvic area too. Thanks so .

Hi @southernbelle13.
I went in for L5S1 ALIF plus Pedicle Screws (posterior) on 20 July, last week, so am still early in my recovery phase.
5 days in hospital (D1 to D5).
Same day of surgery, I drank fluids, did not eat.
D2 I "ate" broth (through a straw) and drank water.
First shower on D3, with a chair in the shower. Did not need the chair thereafter for each daily shower.
Catheter only removed on D3. Immediate physio on D3 saw me walking with rolling support over 50m (in the hospital). I dropped the walking support on D4 as it was not needed.
D3 also introduced more substantial foods (no hard solids yet). Soup, yoghurt, fruits, easily-digestible foods.
Voiding bladder after catheter removal was simple, just surgery pain (front and back). Was controlling my bladder by D3 - painful to push, so just lket gravity do its thing.
Voiding bowels is a bigger challenge. Was "threatened" with an enema if I had not passed solids on D4, so I asked for softeners (not laxatives) to make it easier. No enema required as I successfully voided bowels on D4.
After D4, I went onto a normal menu - steaks, eggs, veg, bread, dessert, etc.
I walked 4 times per day by D4, showered alone with no support, dressed myself (painful but do-able) and managed to do plenty for myself without too much assistance.
Sent home at the end of D5. I managed to get upstairs to my room, and have spent the last 30 hours lying flat, walking around upstairs, showering, completing ablution requirements, and weaning myself off Tapentadol (down to 3 tablets a day).
The surgery wounds are still painful (front and back), but the relief from referred pain into my left leg is palpable.
Will still spend a few more weeks mostly lying flat while the fusion is given time to hold.
I could not do this without my wife assisting tremendously. You can't do it alone.

@bdiver1verizon
The relief after surgery made it worth it for me, despite being still early-days in recovery. I have my leg back.
There are 3 distinct phases of fusion-healing. Phase 1 is inflammatory healing over the first 5 days post surgery (proteins and enzymes coalesce around the wounds and new hardware/grafts). Phase 2 takes up to 12 weeks after surgery and forms the early stage of osteoblasts creating new bone to fuse vertebrae and grow over implants (hardware). Phase 3 is consolidation (strengthening of the new bone material), which occurs up to 12 months after surgery, but may be as short as 6 months.
Only after Phase 3 can the BLT restrictions be fully lifted.
I have the pedicle screws too, which will shorten my recovery period because these rods provide additional stability.
Sitting for too long over the first few months is not recommended as this obviates the natural curvature of the spine and slows the fusion process, so ensure when you fly, you sit and stand intermittently, often.
I have started navigating full flights of stairs (one week after surgery), and actually conduct my home-physio sessions using the stairs as one part of my recovery (on advice from the physio).
The L5S1 level is a relatively simple level to operate on since the vena cava and aorta bifurcate immediately above this level, and so a vascular surgeon is not necessary for a L5S1 ALIF.
My surgeon was a neurosrgeon, not an orthopoedic surgeon.