how serious is spinal fusion surgery?
485639
Don't be afaird. Time has changed. This surgery will give you back your life!! Just do what they say,and have some faith. Today's science is WONDERFUL!!
199959
I would seriously consider going to a chiropractor. you have so many vital bones and your spinl cord in your back. do one thing wrong and bad things could happen.
680908
You should get a second opinion, and a third opinion.  Doctors are not always right.  Take this very seriously and make sure you have the right answer before treating your injuries - they could be life-threatening if misdiagnosed!\n\nMy friend's wife had a nerve fuse to her spine.  She is believed to be paralyzed for life due to a doctor's oversight.  This may not be the case for you, but you must know for certain what is wrong with you.
964094
I have degenerative disc disease as well. I have had 5 lumbar fusions as a result. Although each was done to repair a different disc space. I do not regret any of them. The pain that I had before the surgery was almost unbearable. The pain that extended down my leg is now gone & I can stand up straight again. This choice however should be made by your mom hon. At her age there are bound to more risks involved. On one hand I know that you want her quality of life to improve. But you should know that it can take a full year or better to recover from this type of surgery.
904196
Yes.  I had two at the same time in the lower back.  After weighing all the options I went with surgery.  I got two opinions and both were the same - physical therapy will not cure the problem.  When the disk is herniated it has compressed and the actual "jelly" is making contact with the spinal nerve.  The disk must be trimmed in order to relieve the pain.  \n\nI had the surgery in a spine clinic with an expert surgeon.  With my insurance I was out about $1500.00 out of over $25,000.00 worth of treatment.  I was walking within 8 hours of the surgery and doing physical therapy the next day.  Within 8 weeks I was back to work and within six months I was fully healed.  I have had no trouble since then.\n\nThe hardest part was forcing myself to do the therapy.  That is where healing and recovery really takes place.  It can be painful to walk the first few weeks, but you MUST DO IT!  Otherwise you will have complications.  Kicking the pain meds was hard, too, but I dropped them cold turkey and had only one bad day.\n\nMy advice would be to pick a surgeon with a good reputation for doing the procedure you need.  Secondly, make sure it is done in a facility with a low infection rate. You can research that on the net.  \n\nFinally, do the surgery.  Therapy is just prolonging the inevitable.
1091236
Don't be nervous!!!! I had a L4-S1 done almost two years ago and I have been pretty much pain free ever since! The best advice I can give you is this:\n\n1. Make sure the doc that does you surgery specializes in only back surgery mostly only ortho guys.\n2. Absolutely ask for references from him and others.\n3. Make sure Make sure Make sure that you are not overweight.\n4. GET OUT OF BED ASAP after it is done. I got up and started walking 3 days after mine and walked about 6-9 miles a day. the more walking you do the stronger the fusion will take.\n5. Use your own bone graft! Initially it will hurt more, but the chances of a successful fusion are better.\n6. As soon as your incision heals, start swimming, will strengthen all your core muscles to support the site.\n7. Make sure you follow the recovery Gide lines absolutely to the letter!\n8. Don't smoke....your graft won't take.\n9. Stay positive and make every day count.\n\nI had my surgery done in the first part of November, was walking 3 days later. Started swimming 3 weeks later. I was back to work and riding my horse by the middle of January without pain! If you need support or want to chat more about this contact me at cross_countryjumper@yahoo.com\n\nGood Luck!
749712
I had a herniated disc between c-5 and c-6 . I went to bed fine and woke up the next day as it had ruptured overnight. I suspect the area was weakened from a lot of heavy lifting the prior day . I had it operated on they cut a slit in my throat and went in from the front and replaced the disc with a piece of bone from a cadaver. The operation took an hour perhaps slightly less . The scar completely disappeared in no time. I do still have no feeling in my right  thumb from nerve damage but the pain is gone except for a bit of arthritic type pain on cold rainy days.
147258
Some Chiros do more harm than good. One broke my wife's hip.
524641
If there's any question about how badly hurt the\nemployee is, then call for medical advice.  It's\nthe right thing to do from both a moral perspective\n(ie. you don't want to permanently damage someone\nby moving them if they have a spinal injury) as\nwell as from a legal perspective (ie. you don't\nwant to end up with a lawsuit).  \n\nIt's my opinion that if someone doesn't immediately\njust "get back up" on their own, then they *ought*\nto be checked out by a doctor (because the injury\nis obviously more serious than just a normal trip-and-fall).
792267
I know these sorts of issues are scary, and when they're happening to your loved on they are.  However, doctors do hundreds of these surgeries every year and know what they're doing.  Personally, I work in surgery and have seen several of these done on the lumbar vertebrae.  Surgical inervention is the solution, I know alternative medicine sounds reat because it's non-invasive and there's no risk, but it is not the absolute fix that surgery is, it's not even close.
492985
Um... No. As has been pointed out, that's very major surgery, and the risk of complication is very high in the first few days afterwards.  Count on being in the hospital for at least a week to ten days, and possibly longer.
1088723
There are few things in all of medicine that is more nebulous than back pain and spine imaging.  It's not uncommon for a very significant finding on an MRI to have little or no symptoms.  Conversely, an MRI showing very little or no detectable abnormality can still mean significant pain or symptoms.  The human spine is more than just a bunch of vertebrae stacked on top of each other.  It's a very complex biomechanical structure with multiple small joints of different types at all levels, stabilized by large numbers of ligaments and muscles.  Medical imaging will not display pathology of all these structures all the times.  Unfortunately, many people with back pain get treated with medicine, physical therapy and surgery with varying results.  Sometimes they get better, other times they don't, and other times they get worse.  My advice is to see a good orthopedic or neurosurgeon who isn't hell bent on operating on every spine patient they see.  Surgery should be a last resort, and you have to be absolutely certain that whatever is being operated correlates with the clinical symptoms.
1074905
I'm sorry that you've been suffering for so long, and since neither surgery nor medication has helped, I would suggest seeing a chiropractor. Chiropractic is founded in the belief that the Central Nervous System (brain, spinal cord, and nerves) is responsible for controlling EVERY function in our bodies, and when the vertebrae are misaligned (what chiropractic calls a subluxation), they can pinch/damage the nerves running out between them and cause pain, numbness/tingling, or any type of general malfunction to that nerve's corresponding body part.\n\nA good chiropractic technique for scoliosis is Chiropractic Biophysics - CBP, which combines adjustments, traction, and exercise to correct spinal misalignment. The adjustments remove subluxations and allow the nerves to conduct impulses properly. The traction works to correct the curve, or at least prevent it from getting worse, and the exercises strengthen the ligaments so they can support the new posture. Since CBP is a technique that aims to make relatively drastic changes to spinal column but in a gradual, safe way, your CBP chiropractor will probably want to see you 3 times a week for 8-10 weeks (with maintenance care to follow). \n\nBut no doctor can guarantee a cure. So it would be in your best interest to ask around, talk to family or friends for recommendations, visit a few offices and choose the doctor you are most comfortable with (I still recommend a CBP chiropractor, but you don't have to stick with that technique). No matter what you decide to do, I hope everything works out for the best!
686848
My daughter just had spinal surgery for Scoliosis (March 15th) and she felt the same way.  She cried, started staying in her room, didn't want to eat.  But we kept talking her through it.  I don't know what kind you're having, but if it's the same kind, she's now happier about how she looks, as she kinda looked chubby before-- but it turned out it was her spine pushing things in directions they weren't supposed to go.  She's taller now.  She doesn't hurt as much (she had a severe curve).  She's wearing different clothes because she's proud of herself, some now.  Just remember that if it won't make you better, they wouldn't be wanting to do it.  They only do back surgery if it's warranted.  It also doesn't take as long to heal as it used to, so you will be up and around ASAP.  It's scary, but in the hands of good doctors, you'll be better than before, so look forward to it and keep your chin up.  Talk to your family and ask for a hug when you need one.  If you can't sleep, find out who you can talk to when you need some one on one in the night or maybe even ask your doctor for some meds to help, if possible.  Good luck and blessings!
1046049
you just answered one of my questions and decided to check out some of the questions you posted, which iam now glad i did. when i was 17 , me and my twin were diognosed with scoliosis( curvature of the spin) we both needed to have the harringtons rods put in to staighten our spines. which were placed on either side of our spine about a foot long apeice. it was a tramatic sergury but i thank god everyday i had it. no more pain, i can do anything no limitations except for now i sit up real staight ...ha ha.., and yes if i hadnt had the surgery i wouldnt be here today. the  curve was starting to push against my heart and liver and if that happened i wouild have died. so i thank god everyday for doctors.
1173102
The first thing you should expect, or in some cases ask for, is physical therapy. It is entirely possible that by implementing a physical therapy regiment into your daily routine will alleiviate this pain completely.\nHowever, aside from that, surgery can be, and might be, an option. \nYour neurosurgeon will help you make the right decision as far as that goes.\n\nFollowing 4 laminectomies at L4-L5 over 2 years time, I've since had two fusions in my cervical spine (c5-c6). The first was due to a herniated disk, which following my previous spinal surgeries was labelled due to "degenerative spinal disease with nerve root disorder."\nI had no problems following this surgery, and was able to resume most of my lifestyle. The pain that was there was gone after the surgery.\nHowever, an auto accident about 3 years later left the fusion cracked, requiring another one from the opposite side of my neck. I believe the neurosurgeon called it a "lucency" - they could see light thru the crack in my fusion on the x-ray.\n\nThe bottom line is this: the surgery helped. I just had bad luck and needed it again. I am mobile, I am active, and I do get around fine now -- but I have an increased pain level beyond comprehension of most people on a daily basis.\nBut as to your question, what will a neurosurgeon do for you? Help you decide if surgery is the right choice for you or not.\nMy recommendation? Try phyical therapy first. Surgery should be your last option. Once you have your spine operated on, there's a good chance you'll need it again someday.\nDiscuss your questions and fears beforehand as well. Your neurosurgeon will answer any of your questions beforehand.\n\nAnd if you do have the operation, good luck to you. I suggest a bone graph out of your hip rather than using bone transplant from a cadaver. The increased pain in your hip is temporary, and it significantly reduces the chance for the fused bone to be rejected.
1031799
If you're talking like rods and pins and fusion...seriously get a 2nd opinion.\n\nMy sister has had 3 unsuccessful back surgeries.  It's ruined her life.