Degenerative disc disease/spinal fusion complications

If I had that situation (and perhaps you had your fusion done at a first rate Hospital by a top of the heap surgeon ?) I would go to Johns Hopkins or Another great Hospital in the USA to the best recommended doctor for that surgery.

I am 73 years old. I have degenerative disk disease in the lower back and neck. I had surgery in 1998 with placement of cages, screws and rods to stabilize the lower back (L4 and L5). later, (2005)I had stenosis of the spine (a spur grow into my spinal cord in that area) and another back surgery. They ground off the spur and removed the lateral bars that were placed on each side of my spine. I am starting to have low back pain and pain going down my legs (altering at times to Right and then Left) When I get out of bed sometimes I feel an invisible "electrical field" circling down my Left Leg to my ankle. It goes away after walking around awhile.
I also had a dichotomy in 2017, C5, C6 and fusion C6 & C7. The discs were gone. They put in a cylinder/plate and screws. He said bad news is C4 wasn't looking good while he was in there.

My question is: Is there anything I can do to stop t he destruction of my discs? If not what does my future look like?

Five years ago, I was told to let pain determine whether or not to do surgery. Now the neurosurgeon looks at my MRI and says it isn't about pain anymore. I really don't want my lumbar spine fused even if it is only a "limited" surgery. Then again, I can also look at my MRI and the spinal stenosis is severe especially at the L4-5 level.

My question is similar to your question. However, my question is shall I go ahead and have my first lumbar fusion surgery. Is there anything I can do to avoid having a lumbar fusion. My neurosurgeon warns me that progressive deterioration is likely if I don't have surgery.

I'm more worried about the progressive need for future back surgeries.

I have all the problems you have listed but have never had a lumbar fusion. I'm currently facing a "limited" L4-5 fusion. About 5 years ago, a neurosurgeon told me that I would need my entire lumbar spine fused after removing several facet joints and "cleaning up" disc fragments and bone spurs. I wasn't a good surgical candidate five years ago because of a medication I was taking --- prednisone for inflammatory arthritis and PMR.

Now my lumbar spine has been declared a disaster area. The neurosurgeon says something needs to be done soon because my lumbar spine is becoming unstable. Several nerves that control some muscles in my legs are no longer functioning so those muscles don't work and are shrinking. I also have numbness and weakness in my legs along with tingling and electrical burning sensations.

Is there any way I can avoid doing a lumbar fusion? If I do the lumbar fusion, what will my future look like? Predicting the future is always difficult to do!

I wonder what happened to people in the past who never had the option of doing these kinds of surgeries.

Hi, what is a limited L4-5 fusion?
2019 I had L4-5 fusion, bone overgrowth removed.
I new over time above & below my fusion the bones weaken.
After surgery ( full recovery) 1yr later.
Above & below my L4-5 fusion, had developed rapid spinal stenosis & deterioration. Found by an MRI.
Never would I have imagined that to happen so fast. Maybe after several years. Never been pain free. Now nerve pain in back down to my feet. A week ago I had stimulator implant surgery. Hoping for some relief. The trial implant helped.

Limited fusion meaning just the L4-5 level. The other option was a more extensive surgery involving all levels of my lumbar spine. I’m not sure I want to do one level let alone all 5 levels. One level might be okay so the surgeon agreed to do just one level. This surgeon said a second opinion from another surgeon might say a multiple level fusion.

Are you happy with the L4-5 fusion you had done???

No, I have some of the same pain & I have more. Nerve pain I didn’t have before the L4-5 fusion surgery. The stimulator implant that I now have is the result of the 1st surgery. There was a particular pain I had that bothered me & is gone after my fusion. Worth it, I’m second guessing myself now.

Omg our stories are almost identical. I had back surgery 6 years ago and it was not a success. I have 4 rods and 2 cadavers. I had a stimulator inserted to find out after the fact they only work on nerve pain and not arthritis. I am now debating if I should have the stimulator removed because I have pain from that spot. I take 8 Tramadol’s a day to help with the pain but after 4 years they no longer work. My PCP who I really trust does not think I will survive a second back surgery. I have pain 24/7 and I am at a loss of what to do next.