Back surgery?

[smokey the elder]

This sounds a lot like the surgery Tiger Woods had. Hopefully whatever you decide will stop your pain.

[phesina]

This sounds a lot like the surgery Tiger Woods had. Hopefully whatever you decide will stop your pain.

Thank you, Smokey! I hope I do as well as Tiger.

[Randi]

Pat, I'm sorry to hear this. I don't know anything about back surgery, so can't help, but in any case it's always good to get a second opinion. If you do decide to get surgery, I hope it will be a success and you will be painfree.

Sending lots of good thougts and hugs.

[phesina]

Thank you, Randi. Your good thoughts and hugs are a great help!

I got the name of a doctor to call about a second opinion, but his first opening, in Novi, Michigan, is May 30.

[pomtzu]

Been there, Pat. I had a lumbar fusion and laminectomy of L4, L5, S1 back in Dec 2010. I had pressure from narrowing and degenerative discs, and pressure on nerves that was causing a great deal of pain in my hip and thigh - down to my knee. Doc went in and cleaned up all the junk and "frayed areas" and fused the vertebrae with rods and screws. I was in the hospital for 3 days, and had hardly any discomfort at all from the surgery. It was about 6 weeks till I was back to full function, and I never even did the physical therapy that I was supposed to have. Bad me - and doc just shook his head in disbelief that I did so well even without it. Anyway - I was finally pain free. That is until last November when I took a nasty fall when I was in NC. I was in misery and I knew I did some major damage. I finally got to see my spine surgeon in Baltimore when I got back here in January, and the x-rays and MRI confirmed the damage. The hardware on one side of the fused area collapsed and pulled the vertebrae above it out of line and to one side, so now it's more surgery to repair all the damage and stabilize the newly messed up vertebrae. I was scheduled for this surgery on March 24th, but had to postpone. I just called doc's office today to get the ball rolling on a new date, since I just can't continue to function like this much longer. I can't walk without a cane now, and I'm on some fairly potent pain killers. I need to get back to "normal" - whatever that may be. Doc said I'd be in the hospital for 3 - 5 days for this one, and "maybe" some inpatient rehab - depending on how things go.

So if you need to have this done, then don't hesitate. I guarantee that you'll be pain free, and then kick yourself for not having it done sooner. It's really not a painful surgery at all - at least it wasn't for me...

I'd refer you to my surgeon, but he's in Baltimore. Long drive !!! You can go to the Univ of MD Medical Center website and read up about the various spine surgeries. Or you can just Google doc's name "Dr Steven C. Ludwig", and it will take you to that site too

[phesina]

Been there, Pat. I had a lumbar fusion and laminectomy of L4, L5, S1 back in Dec 2010. I had pressure from narrowing and degenerative discs, and pressure on nerves that was causing a great deal of pain in my hip and thigh - down to my knee. Doc went in and cleaned up all the junk and "frayed areas" and fused the vertebrae with rods and screws. I was in the hospital for 3 days, and had hardly any discomfort at all from the surgery. It was about 6 weeks till I was back to full function, and I never even did the physical therapy that I was supposed to have. Bad me - and doc just shook his head in disbelief that I did so well even without it. Anyway - I was finally pain free. That is until last November when I took a nasty fall when I was in NC. I was in misery and I knew I did some major damage. I finally got to see my spine surgeon in Baltimore when I got back here in January, and the x-rays and MRI confirmed the damage. The hardware on one side of the fused area collapsed and pulled the vertebrae above it out of line and to one side, so now it's more surgery to repair all the damage and stabilize the newly messed up vertebrae. I was scheduled for this surgery on March 24th, but had to postpone. I just called doc's office today to get the ball rolling on a new date, since I just can't continue to function like this much longer. I can't walk without a cane now, and I'm on some fairly potent pain killers. I need to get back to "normal" - whatever that may be. Doc said I'd be in the hospital for 3 - 5 days for this one, and "maybe" some inpatient rehab - depending on how things go.

So if you need to have this done, then don't hesitate. I guarantee that you'll be pain free, and then kick yourself for not having it done sooner. It's really not a painful surgery at all - at least it wasn't for me...

I'd refer you to my surgeon, but he's in Baltimore. Long drive !!! You can go to the Univ of MD Medical Center website and read up about the various spine surgeries. Or you can just Google doc's name "Dr Steven C. Ludwig", and it will take you to that site too

WOW, Ellie! Thanks SO much! This is really helpful information.

I'm so sorry you had the fall in NC resulting in so much re-damage. How painful that must be! I hope you can get this fixed up soon.

I will take a look at U-MD and your doctor on the web when I have a little more time.

Thanks again, and I hope things will be fixed up again for you soon.

[mbsmum]

I am sorry to hear about your back Pat. I am afraid I cannot give any information about back surgery, but I think a second opinion is definitely a must. I wish you all the best. Prathima

[phesina]

Been there, Pat. I had a lumbar fusion and laminectomy of L4, L5, S1 back in Dec 2010. I had pressure from narrowing and degenerative discs, and pressure on nerves that was causing a great deal of pain in my hip and thigh - down to my knee. Doc went in and cleaned up all the junk and "frayed areas" and fused the vertebrae with rods and screws. I was in the hospital for 3 days, and had hardly any discomfort at all from the surgery. It was about 6 weeks till I was back to full function, and I never even did the physical therapy that I was supposed to have. Bad me - and doc just shook his head in disbelief that I did so well even without it. Anyway - I was finally pain free. That is until last November when I took a nasty fall when I was in NC. I was in misery and I knew I did some major damage. I finally got to see my spine surgeon in Baltimore when I got back here in January, and the x-rays and MRI confirmed the damage. The hardware on one side of the fused area collapsed and pulled the vertebrae above it out of line and to one side, so now it's more surgery to repair all the damage and stabilize the newly messed up vertebrae. I was scheduled for this surgery on March 24th, but had to postpone. I just called doc's office today to get the ball rolling on a new date, since I just can't continue to function like this much longer. I can't walk without a cane now, and I'm on some fairly potent pain killers. I need to get back to "normal" - whatever that may be. Doc said I'd be in the hospital for 3 - 5 days for this one, and "maybe" some inpatient rehab - depending on how things go.

So if you need to have this done, then don't hesitate. I guarantee that you'll be pain free, and then kick yourself for not having it done sooner. It's really not a painful surgery at all - at least it wasn't for me...

I'd refer you to my surgeon, but he's in Baltimore. Long drive !!! You can go to the Univ of MD Medical Center website and read up about the various spine surgeries. Or you can just Google doc's name "Dr Steven C. Ludwig", and it will take you to that site too

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:

--------------->
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..]
-------

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!

[pomtzu]

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:

--------------->
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..]
-------

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.

[cassiesmom]

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:

--------------->
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..]------

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!

Oh boy, Pat, that is a huge undertaking. If it would relieve your pain, though - it would be worth it. You might want to think about seeing a rehabilitation medicine specialist - two reasons: they might be able to offer you injections or other techniques to decrease your pain. Also- they could give you a feel for what a program of rehab after spinal fusion might look like. (on this point I'm biased; I worked at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago for 8 years ) You'd have to figure out if the benefits would outweigh the risks of surgery. Sending many hugs and will be praying too ..... elyse