Sacroilliac Joint Pain & Fusion

@ga29 I found this response from @jenniferhunter regarding her friend's situation in a discussion that you might also find helpful if you haven't stumbled across it yet. She may have additional information she can provide to help.

Sacroiliac Joint Pain and My Introduction:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/sacroiliac-joint-pain-and-my-introduction/?pg=1#comment-208657
Have you heard about myofascial release therapy? (This was mentioned as a potential way to mitigate pain before considering surgery my members in the discussion above.)

SI Joint pain after fusion

I’m having pain in my hip area, mostly left side but it has spread across. I was given muscle relaxers, they are hoping it’s a pulled muscle but after two weeks it’s not improved very much. I’m having trouble standing up and sitting. And walking. I have to call the surgeon’s office, but has anyone gone through this after lumbar fusion? It’s been 3 months, I was feeling so much better but this has really upset me, all that I’ve gone through only to have pain lower down. I’m afraid it’s my SI joints; the other doctors I saw before this surgery told me they thought that was causing my pain. And my surgeon told me he couldn’t promise this would be my last surgery. Has anyone dealt with this, and what was your solution? Thank you!

Hi. I had open sacropelvic fusion in Oct. 2019. This was my 17 th fusion over 12 surgeries. SI joint pain can come from many sources. Was your surgery Minimally Invasive or Open. Do U have instrumentation? Healing takes a year at least. I still have si joint pain & expect that it will never go away but it is much better than before the surgery.

Hi. I am a 62-year-old male living on Long Island, NY. I have currently been having in pain in my lower lumbar, groin & hips for months and it has escalated to the point I can hardly walk my dog. Had an X ray taken and sent to my doc. He said my Sacroiliac (SI) Joints are no good. I had 3 ESI’s & then RFA, none of which worked at all. Followed by another series of 3 more ESI’s. These did not help at all. My surgeon called me in for a chat to discuss surgery. I have finally scheduled Bilateral SI Joint Fusion using the Posterior Midline Approach. This is an open surgery, evidently this is a seldom used surgery as Minimally Invasive Surgery is the procedure of choice. If anyone has had SI Joint surgery, please let me know about the surgery, postop, rehab & if it helped.
My History - I suffered a fracture & spondylolisthesis @ L5/S1 in a trauma in 1998 & had fusion in 1999. After the surgery the pain never went away & at times was worse. I started pain management in 2001. They gave me different meds that didn't work until I was on the maximum dose of both Oxycontin & Oxycodone. When that wasn't helping, they added Fentanyl patches until I was maxed out on that. Lived like that until 2008. In 2006 I had a spinal cord stimulator (SCS) implanted. I lived this way until 2008 when my family decided I couldn't live like this anymore. Went to The Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in June 2008. They did an exploratory. They discovered that the fusion failed, even though numerous surgeons told me all was fine. My exploratory turned into a 6-hour PLIF. Ten days later I had ALIF. They also removed the SCS. It was discovered that I suffer from a severe case of osteoporosis (-3.2). Rehab was tough. Felt better but not great. Was still on all the meds. I retired from my job on disability as I could no longer work. In April 2011, I started having severe pain. Back to HSS. An MRI was done and the diagnosis was a fracture @ L4/L5. Back in the OR & another fusion. In November 2011, the pain was worse. It was discovered that the fusion failed so I had a revision. Fifteen days later I experienced the worst pain so far. It was a cyst @ L4/L5. Emergency surgery. In January 2013, it was discovered the fusion @ L4/L5 failed again. Another revision. Did relatively well but still lots of pain until November 2014 when L3/L4 went. Had a good 2015 but in February 2016 L1/L2/L3 went. They fused T12 to L3. In December 2016, guess what, L1/L2 failed and another revision. Moving on to September 2018 when C3 to C7 went. Had 4 level Anterior Cervical Discectomy (ACDF). In addition, I have had 2 heart attacks and a mini stroke which is why I need to be able to walk every day. I have a Service Dog, Bentley, to help pick up the numerous things I drop (due to cervical fractures I have neuropathy), retrieve things and the best part, he keeps me smiling.
Thanks. 😊
PS – I got off all of meds at the end 2017 when I fell & broke my nose.

Tell me about how to obtain a service dog. Your story sounds LIKE MINE! I'm 57.

Tell me about how to obtain a service dog. Your story sounds LIKE MINE! I'm 57.

@cindy24 Here are a couple organizations for service dogs. I'm sure there are others too.

Assistance Dogs International
https://assistancedogsinternational.org/main/looking-for-an-assistance-dog/
Canine Companions for Independence
https://canine.org/
I knew a woman who ran a regional office for Canine Companions and I was involved in their fundraising. I would see demos she did with her dog to show people how much the dogs can do. I know some of the criteria is to be able to use your arms to handle the leash. The dogs are really amazing!

I had SI joint surgery twice in 2015. Now there is swelling and bruising over the site. It appears the implants from the I-Fuse method are pushing out. Ha this happened to anyone else?

@mtngirl321 Welcome to Connect. I see that you are a new member. Have you consulted your surgeon about this or had any imaging to confirm what is happening at the SI joint fusion? I see from your other discussions that you have had cervical surgeries too and may be scheduled for a revision. What does your surgeon say about this new information?