Quote Originally Posted by phesina View Post
Hi Ellie, I am reading your message again, more carefully now that it is getting closer to my second visit with the surgeon and my consult with the second surgeon.

Dr. Brodkey, the neurosurgeon I saw, wrote in his letter about his consultation with me:

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Impression:
Lumbar spinal stenosis L4-5, L5-S1.
Spondylolisthesis L4-5,L5-S1.
Degenerative disc change L3-4.

.. In her case I would recommend a decompression and a fusion, and the difficulty is to decide what levels to include. In her case, based on her curve and the disc degeneration and facet arthropathy, my feeling is a decompression from L3 to the sacrum would be best for her.
This is certainly a huge undertaking and does carry risk... [and he goes on to detail these..]
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Is this like what was going on with you and the kind of surgery you had?

My brother and sister both advise strongly against having surgery, before exploring and trying every possible non-surgical alternative.

Thanks!
Yes Pat - this is/was precisely my issue too. The surgery in 2010 fused the vertebrae of L4, L5 and S1 - just as you describe your issue. Normally this would have been the end of it, but my bone density is so ultra crappy that the hardware failed on one side when I took that very hard fall in November. Now that has to be repaired, and L3 will be fused also - some kind of crap going on at that level too.

I'm wondering why you elected to see a neurosurgeon rather than an orthopedic surgeon. I had a neurosurgeon do a number on me (almost paralyzed and could have killed me) when I had the cervical fusion in 2006, and it took my current spine surgeon (the orthopedic surgeon) to repair all of that damage to get me back functioning again. Even with that, I still had to retire early on disability since it left me with limitations, but at least I was alive - no thanks to the neuro doc. My entire cervical spine had to be fused from C2 to T2 - he actually saved my life. So when I had the lumbar issues, of course I went back to him. Unless you have some other issues, I don't know why your doctor says it's such a big risk. And I don't understand the 3 or 4 weeks in rehab that you mentioned earlier also - that's over the top. But of course, every doctor is different in how they do things. I had no rehab and didn't even do physical therapy. Heck - when I broke my hip I was in rehab for just under 2 weeks and the same with the cervical spine fusion.

I don't know what other options you would have other than physical therapy and epidural steroid injections. Doc said I could try the injections, but no guarantee I would get any relief if they worked at all, and it would be a temporary fix at best - he compared it to putting a bandaid on a gaping wound. I've had steroid injections in my knee and elbow, but with no relief - just a waste of time and $$$. And not to scare you, but just last week I read where the FDA issued new warnings on the epidural steroid injections - "rare but serious neurological effects, including loss of vision, paralysis, stroke and death". Nope - no way I'm going that route, no matter how rare these complications are.

I personally wouldn't let family influence any decision either, but that's up to you. You and your doctors know what's best. This condition isn't just going to go away by itself.........don't we wish, tho??? !!

My surgery has been rescheduled for May 28th. I could have had it on May 14, but then I wouldn't have been able to attend my granddaughter's graduation from college on May 21. No way I'm missing that.

So this is my side of the story - hope I shed a little more light on it for you. I just wish you lived closer - I'd take you to Baltimore to meet with my doc. He's tops in his field (specializes in all spine issues), and is very well known and respected in the area. He's a relatively young guy - in his late 40's but looks like a college kid, but he's head of the spine surgery department at the Univ of MD Med Cntr - definitely knows his stuff ! I trust him 1000%.

Keep me posted on your progress. Here's hoping and praying that you can get this taken care of soon, and successfully, and with as little inconvenience as possible.