Lumbar Fusion and Laminectomy, Need Help.

I'm so happy you have a successful surgery with no pain. That's incredible!
My surgery is going to require 2 surgical incisions, I horizontally under my belly button and one vertically along my lumber because I'm having a fusion, laminectomy and an artificial bone graft.
Thanks for your input.

He did my bone graft in my back. I didn’t get an incision above my belly button. I used a neurosurgeon. He is a department head at a teaching school. I refused any students I did not want him side tracked. I went through RN school and I saw how they got trying to teach and work on the patient.

@ladyaceintx1
I had L3-L5 decompressed and fused in 2024. It was a successful but very painful surgery. I am a 55 year old female.

Get house prepped, walking paths, remove rugs, have handrails and chair for shower, get a grabber, something to help you wipe yourself in the toilet, lots of pillows for bed, bed rail to help you grab and reposition yourself while in bed (base rail slides inbetween mattress and boxspring. Have a tray table for bed, walker, cane, sturdy step in shoes, back brush for shower to reach where you can’t, dry shampoo for inbetween sponge baths when you can’t shower, shop and stock up in advance for everything you may need for a month, etc.

They say you can’t drive for 2 weeks but I couldn’t for a month. I started to feel much less pain after a month or two but you really don’t feel the full effects for 6 months. I actually think it is a full year for healing and I will be at that point in August.

Good luck preparing. I am going in today for ACDF surgery on my C6-C7 today (my 2nd cervical spine surgery).

I have my neurosurgeon for the posterior/back and the vascular surgeon from the hospital for the anterior/front part. I ok'd "watching" if necessary because normally, a surgeon would want to do everything correctly knowing that the students were making "mental" notes. I'm concerned about possible infection and post operative pain. I have 20 allergies, most are antibiotics and a few pain meds plus I have a history of cellulitis and although, I'm not a diabetic...I also don't heal well from wounds. I did ask and the neurosurgeon said he would prescribe an antibiotic for after the surgery. I've ordered all my DME and have family lined up to help afterwards. Any other suggestions?

@dlydailyhope How did your surgery go? I hope you are doing well!!!

I have over 50 drug allergies.
I am allergic to all sulfa, sulfates and sulfonamides. They are in inert ingredients, dyes and capsules.
My problem Is lymphedema and controlling my pain. I am allergic to morphine, fentanyl and hydrocodone. These drugs trigger my asthma and seizures. I have seizures and allergic to all seizure meds. All Erthomyocin and tetracycline drugs have sulfa.
I have two antibiotics they can give me.
I understand your concern believe me as a RN I have seen problems including one of my friends. Mine was successful.
Do you see a pain management doctor? Mine wrote a letter and told them what to give me.

@sherrym25
I wish I could say I was doing great but didn’t have my surgery on Monday because my insurance company is giving my surgeon and me the run around. They denied coverage and making us jump through provider appeal hoops. They are trying to get out of paying for it in my opinion (my coverage ends on 5/31 and I have new coverage starting 6/1). Ugh! My spinal cord is being injured as I type (only have 8mm of space in my spinal canal at C6-C7 and the average person has 13-15mm).