Spondylolisthesis: Spinal Fusion at L-4-L5

Posted by ddister1 @ddister1, Aug 13, 2019

I had minimally invasive spinal fusion on July 16, 2019 at Saint Mary's Hospital. All went well. Nerve pain was immediately gone after surgery. I am now 4 weeks post surgery and walking up to 2-4 miles/day. I used to only get .5 miles in before my nerve pain in the lower right part of my back and right leg would get worse. I would have to sit or bend over to get relief. I used to take epidural shots for my back but was only getting 3-4 months relief or shorter. I tried physical therapy with very little benefit. I'm glad I did the surgery. I went to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN for the Minimally Invasive approach rather than open spine surgery that my local doctors were recommending. MI surgery faster recovery and less pain. Just wanted to share my story to help others that are dealing with similar issues that I had.

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@ddister1, Thank you for your reassuring post! I've had spinal stenosis for decades, and also had epidurals when the pain became unbearable or too restricting. I'm much more cautious about that approach now, having read articles about the hazards of epidurals. Your post let me know there is an option for the future if the pain becomes intolerable.

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Thank you. It's nice to hear that somebody had a successful surgery. I have to make a decision about surgery and I don't know where to turn for good information.

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