Has anyone had a spinal fusion?!
Question: Has anyone had a spinal fusion!?
I'm going in to have a spinal fusion done in a couple of weeks!. What do I need to know or do before the surgery and how will I feel afterward!?
Thanks for your help and advice!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Thanks for your help and advice!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Answers:
Three back surgeries - spinal fusion, removal of hardware (knocked a screw loose) and now a bilateral spinal fusion May '08!. I would recommend a spinal fusion if your back is unstable, but I would do everything I could to avoid surgery!.
Don't worry about pain after surgery!. Yes there is pain, but MD's are pretty good at giving pain pills to control the pain!. They will get you up and walking the day after surgery!. You will learn to log roll to get out of bed!. The more you move, the better you heal!.
My best advice to is follow your surgeon's post-op instructions to the letter!. After my first fusion, I felt so good I went horseback riding before I was cleared by MD!. Three years later, I was back in the OR to have the hardware removed because I had knocked a screw loose and caused a lot of damage in my vertebrae and nerve root!. It was 5 years between hardware removal and the bilateral spinal fusion I had May '08!. Somehow I broke my back after the second surgery - don't know how!. But now MD is saying that I will have back pain the rest of my life!.
Good luck to you and I hope it all works out for you!. After surgery is the time to surround yourself with friends and family so they can help you out!. Keep your abdominal muscles strong - they hold up your back!. The lumbar spine holds 60% of your body weight so maintain ideal weight!. Your surgeon should give you information on what your surgery is, why you are having it, what will be done in OR, post-op recovery and long term plans for rehab (physical therapy!?)!. It helps to write down questions before you go to MD so you won't forget what you want to know!. Www@Answer-Health@Com
Don't worry about pain after surgery!. Yes there is pain, but MD's are pretty good at giving pain pills to control the pain!. They will get you up and walking the day after surgery!. You will learn to log roll to get out of bed!. The more you move, the better you heal!.
My best advice to is follow your surgeon's post-op instructions to the letter!. After my first fusion, I felt so good I went horseback riding before I was cleared by MD!. Three years later, I was back in the OR to have the hardware removed because I had knocked a screw loose and caused a lot of damage in my vertebrae and nerve root!. It was 5 years between hardware removal and the bilateral spinal fusion I had May '08!. Somehow I broke my back after the second surgery - don't know how!. But now MD is saying that I will have back pain the rest of my life!.
Good luck to you and I hope it all works out for you!. After surgery is the time to surround yourself with friends and family so they can help you out!. Keep your abdominal muscles strong - they hold up your back!. The lumbar spine holds 60% of your body weight so maintain ideal weight!. Your surgeon should give you information on what your surgery is, why you are having it, what will be done in OR, post-op recovery and long term plans for rehab (physical therapy!?)!. It helps to write down questions before you go to MD so you won't forget what you want to know!. Www@Answer-Health@Com
Yep,, I've had it twice!. Get all the questions you have answered by your surgeon before!. What to expect as far as pain, what you should and should not do, etc!.
You may want to ask him about any nerve damage you have or may have!. Nerve damage recovery will be far harder than just the surgery!.
How fast and well you recover has a lot to do with your age, health and where they are going to fuse your spine!. Both of mine have been to my cervical spine!.
Normally recovery is around 6-8 weeks!. Your doctor will give you plenty of meds to help control the pain so that usually isn't an issue!.
Try to get up and be as active as you can,,,, it will really help!.
If you are having a cervical operation ask ahead of time about an Alpine brace after the operation!. It is far more comfortable than any other type and you'll be living in it for a few weeks so you want to try to be as comfortable as possible!.
If you are having them take bone from your hip that will be more painful that the incision from the spine surgery!.
Here are a few links to site you may want to check out!. It is all great information from medical professionals
http://spine-heath!.com
http://www!.uclahealth!.org/body!.cfm!?xyzpd!.!.!.
http://www!.nlm!.nih!.gov/medlineplus/ency/!.!.!.
If you have any specific concerns e-mail me and I'll get back with you!. The surgery is very serious but it sounds a lot scarier than it is!. Good luck!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
You may want to ask him about any nerve damage you have or may have!. Nerve damage recovery will be far harder than just the surgery!.
How fast and well you recover has a lot to do with your age, health and where they are going to fuse your spine!. Both of mine have been to my cervical spine!.
Normally recovery is around 6-8 weeks!. Your doctor will give you plenty of meds to help control the pain so that usually isn't an issue!.
Try to get up and be as active as you can,,,, it will really help!.
If you are having a cervical operation ask ahead of time about an Alpine brace after the operation!. It is far more comfortable than any other type and you'll be living in it for a few weeks so you want to try to be as comfortable as possible!.
If you are having them take bone from your hip that will be more painful that the incision from the spine surgery!.
Here are a few links to site you may want to check out!. It is all great information from medical professionals
http://spine-heath!.com
http://www!.uclahealth!.org/body!.cfm!?xyzpd!.!.!.
http://www!.nlm!.nih!.gov/medlineplus/ency/!.!.!.
If you have any specific concerns e-mail me and I'll get back with you!. The surgery is very serious but it sounds a lot scarier than it is!. Good luck!.Www@Answer-Health@Com