XLIF Surgery 8-11-2020

Posted by baq315a @baq315a, Jul 21, 2020

BSX SCS not working well enough. Please give me any helpful advice re; your xlif experience. In my case fusing 3 discs, l2/l3, l3/l4, l4/l5. I have significant scoliosis and spondolith, lots of degeneration. How bad/worse was pain and for how long, outcome successful?, how much rehab, what to avoid, what to emphasize? Thank you in advance.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Spine Health Support Group.

Great questions to ask about XLIF (eXtreme Lateral Interbody Fusion) recovery and success rates, Baq. I'm tagging fellow members @jmweissler @lastchance33 @barbarosa54 @grandmar and @user_chf56161a on this discussion to see if they have some tips and stories to share. While we wait for others to join in, you may appreciate reading the experiences shared in these discussions:

- 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/
- Sacroilliac Joint Pain & Fusion https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/sacroilliac-joint-pain-fusion/

Baq, I know SCS stands for spinal cord stimulator, but what is BSX?

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BSX is short for Boston Scientific.

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@baq315a . When I read your spinal fusions and other surgeries you had it sound to me like it wasn't complete. I had a fusion on my back from T-10 to my pelvis, because of degeneration, which had caused a scoliosis and my L-4 and L5 had severe senosis. The surgeon told my husband I must have been in a lot of pain. I had my surgery at Mayo Clinic In Rochester, MN. on June 9th. So I have a long way to go to be totally healed. I'm also on Tymlos injections every day to increase my bone mass. The surgeon was great, but I do have my right leg shorter than my right, so the surgeon wants me to get a 1/4 inch lift. I ordered one yesterday. They want me to do short walks several times a day, but it hurts my knee and I'm having spasms in my right foot. So until I get the lift I'm not going for a walk. It's too painful.
My surgery was a big surgery, it took nine hours and the recovery is hard. I have to wear a brace and no bending, twisting or lifting anything over 10 lbs. I got off all my pain pills and when I have the brace on it doesn't hurt as much, but when I take it off at night (the 3 last nights) I haven't been able to go to sleep. I hope you are getting good care. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

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I had xlif surgery one month ago. How long does recovery take?

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@donhershey

I had xlif surgery one month ago. How long does recovery take?

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Hello @donhershey and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect, a community of members helping provide support to one another along their respective journeys.

I would like to bring in members @jmweissler @lastchance33 @barbarosa54 @grandmar and @user_chf56161a who may be able to share a bit more information with you based on your question on length of time recovery takes.

Since you mentioned your surgery was one month ago, maybe you could share a bit more about how you are doing and feeling at this point so members can meet you where you are at in your healing process. Would you be willing to share a bit more?

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@donhershey

I had xlif surgery one month ago. How long does recovery take?

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@donhershey
Hello!
I had the x-lift fusion on L4/5 a couple of years ago.
I am happy you are just asking about the time for recovery and not about how long the pain lasts.
For me, it took 3 months to recover and for the pain and spasms to finally stop.
I thought I would never feel better again.
Then one day, all of a sudden, everything felt fine.
It wasn't even a gradual thing where one day I was ok then the next not.
Just all of a sudden.
For me, it was the HARDEST, MOST PAINFUL and LONGEST surgery to recover from.
Still, glad I did it!!
Good luck!
Ronnie (GRANDMAr)

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