Spinal Fusion: Upcoming surgery, what was your experience, any tips?

Has anyone had this done and would you do it again?My back doesn't hurt as much as the burning all over. I have sever spondolthesis and I believe this is my only option. My feet are not numb, but burning . I just don't know which way to turn as I've been told I need a hip replacement also. That would be minor compared to the back. Which one first ????

Good afternoon @robert8842. Welcome to Connect. We are a group of folks; patients, providers, and caretakers. We do not diagnose or prescribe. What we do is listen carefully and share graciously. Even if we do not have a background of experience that addresses your concern, we know that on Connect there will be someone who has walked your path.

And now.....you are going to have to begin by sharing more about your surgery. What medical condition prompted the choice of surgery? Have you already had the surgery or is it an upcoming encounter? There are so many different types of surgical solutions, we need to hear the options for post-surgery that have been presented to you.

Have you had a chance to talk to your medical clinicians about the expectations during recovery and ways to manage them positively?

May you be free of suffering and the causes of suffering.
Chris

woul like to hear from people regarding recovering after surgery

@robert8842 Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect, a place to give and get support. You are looking to connect with people that have experience with spinal fusion surgery and recovery.

You will see that I have moved your question into a discussion in the Spine Health group where members are discussing spinal fusion. Members like @lisa7777 @lilypaws @fighter @red3 @jenniferhunter @kimi @artscaping @grandmar @annmerc @hillyard @brendakaye @pines @ddister1 have experience with this topic and may be a good resource for you. I also encourage you to scroll back through the comments to find previously shared suggestions.

Below I have also linked previous discussions related to Spinal Fusion surgery that you may find helpful.

- Disk replacement & spinal fusion (L4-L5): Post-op concerns https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/7-days-post-op-disk-replacement-and-fusion-l-4-l-5/
- Spinal fusion again: Recovery and expected return to activities? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/fusion-again/
- Harrington rods and complications https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/harrington-rods-and-complications/
- Spinal cord stimulation: Will Nevro help when Medtronic didn't? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/nevro/
- Spondylolisthesis and DDD https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/spondylolisthesis-and-ddd/

May I ask when your upcoming surgery is scheduled for?

I had my L-4 and L-5 fused back in July 2019 at Mayo. Glad I had it done. I was experiencing nerve pain down my right leg and that fixed it. After surgery was not pleasant. Getting out of bed and bathroom was painful and slow for the first few days but gets better each day. When I woke up from surgery I noticed the pain I had when laying flat was gone. If I had to do it over again I would. Before surgery I couldn't walk a mile without severe nerve pain. I had several nerve shots and it got to the point of they didn't work anymore so surgery was the only option I had left.

Hey Robert 8842, could you please be more specific about what you want to know? All the best, Sunnyflower

My pain started two years ago with pain in the buttocks an left leg we started with a steriod injection in the left side of L3 and L4 which worked great for over a year. Ten the pain returned but no on both sides. Two laminectomies later no relief with the pain becoming debilitating and a need for a walker. The latest try was a ablation of both sids of the L3,4,5,and S1 with no luck. now being considered for a spinal fusion.

I had the L4, L5, S1 fused with 2 plates and 6 screws in 1995 ..where they team in OKC spent nearly 8 hours cleaning up the arthritic and injury caused vertebrae dislocation.. I was 58 years old then...spent about a 5 days in the Hospital and a couple weeks at home before going back to work as a Univ. Prof.. using a cane for a couple more weeks.. I am certainly much better off than a lot of my peers as they have all sorts of back problems.. and I have none.. the fusion gave me a new lease on activity.. My surgery was done in OKC... that doctor is now retired..

@ddister1 Welcome back to Mayo Clinic Connect.

You had a positive outcome from surgery. May I ask what you current activity level looks like?

Back to normal activity with no limitations.