Having L4-L5 Spinal Fusion

I had an L3-L5 fusion in 2010.
It is major surgery, after the surgeon does their job it’s all up to you. Do the PT to the max, there will be times when you wonder “why me”? But that time will pass and you have to go to”work”. There are no short cuts, but it is doable! NEVER QUIT!!!
“God has a blessing with your name on it”! So go get it! Blessings to you now, doing, and after.

@captboat thank you for your words of encouragement! Blessings to you as well!

@captboat I wish I had good news, but I had L5/S1 done 11 years ago. The recovery is 6 months. I was okay for a couple of years but went downhill after that. Everyone's different or maybe it depends on the doctor. I wish you luck.

I had L3/L4 and L4/L5 fusion 16 months ago. Still having a lot of muscle pain in the sacrum area. Lower back now takes more load from the fusion area and the muscles are still adapting to the additional support needed. Have had acupuncture, pt, and now going for dry needling. It's interfering with my daily life. I do stretch's every morning and now are starting strength exercises which I should have started earlier. Hoping with the strengthening exercises that this muscle pain will subside. Good luck

@d096819 Thank you for the advice! I'm really nervous because I'm hearing such horrible experiences from several people! I really need to hear about some POSITIVE outcomes!

I know people that have had good and bad results.
It is a complicated surgery that is different for everyone.
Make sure your Dr. is good at what he does.
Be as physically fit before the surgery as possible, follow all of the instructions after, keep walking after, do PT, treat the Bending Lifting Twisting restrictions as REQUIREMENTS not suggestions.
Good luck

Has anyone declined the fusion procedure due to having reservations about the outcome and just stayed on the Advil, Tylenol and Tramadol for many more years without your
Spondylolisthesis at L4/L5 worsening?
I have about a steady pain of 6 most of the time, but after meds kick in I tcan still walk 2 miles
sometimes overcoming my tingly wooden leg for the first 15 min,
DR, says with my osteoperosis I am not a good candidate for surgery until I get it to the osteopenia range.
I think I prefer ' The devil I know" over the " Devil I don't know" if the fusion surgery although minimally invasive would not be guaranteed because of my weak bones. I lift upper body weights so I hate to give that up for surgery for 3 months.

My pain is in my right thigh area...I had a Laminectomy on my L4-L5 about 7 years ago. The pain this go round is much different than it was for my first procedure. My doctor is saying that the Spinal Fusion is necessary this time. Has anyone experienced the pain in the thigh area when walking or just standing for more than about 10 minutes? Pain is EXCRUCIATING! Any words of encouragement or experiences with the Fusion surgery are appreciated!

@albertlc13
It hasn't stopped me from doing things or traveling. Not excurciating

I'm answering for everyone reading instead of trying to send an answer to each post. As you can tell after reading these comments, there is not one experience for spinal fusion surgery. Each person has a different issue with their spine, and each person's body will respond differently to surgery.

I had spine surgery in November last year, an L5-S1 fusion. My surgeon made it seem as if it was more minor of a procedure than it is. Then he didn't set up any pans for physical therapy, or have anyone explain what I was allowed and not allowed to do after surgery. So I am now going on my own to specialists with scoliosis, as I have a curve and a rotation in my spine.

So, my advice is do not believe anyone telling you spinal fusion surgery is a minor surgery, ask all of the questions you have run through in your mind, and make sure physical therapy is not an after-thought.

Another thing patients are not always told is the success rate of spine surgery. It is successful about 40% of the time, so don't let the surgeon get away with telling you an unrealistic success rate. Or in my case, leading me to believe this was easier than it is.