I live in the Denver Metro area, and know of personal experience of the skill and care of Lloyd Mobley, MD, a neurosurgeon who operates out of Skyridge Hospital primarily, and Sanjay Jatana, MD, an orthopedic surgeon who operates out of Rose Surgical Center and Porter Hospital. By reputation, I have heard of the care through Donald Corenman, MD, an orthopedic surgeon who operates out of the Steadman Clinic in Vail.

The first two docs have worked on me, and I would return to either one of them again should the need arise. As to Dr. Corenman, I understand he is held in similar regard.

Surgery is nearly always the course of last result in the minds of doctors and patients because once the body is invaded there are risks. Often, as was the case with me the patient will be referred to physical therapy in hopes that through therapy the tissue will be given time and you will receive help to deal with strengthening surrounding tissues JUST IN CASE with time your herniations can heal without surgery. This is possible, so docs will often hold off on the surgical route at first. In fact, it was not until despite the therapy and pain meds that my case became urgent, and surgery was the only option, resulting in discectomy/laminectomy/fusion, so I had to go down the route of having my back opened, tissues disturbed, hardware installed, and the LONG LONG post-surgical recovery period.

I have written before that were I back in time to early January 2006, I would select this same course given my current knowledge, but then my docs understood my case well by then and there was no alternative. For you, I pray that right decisions are made and that if alternative therapies are possible that they be given opportunity to work, in any event hoping the outcome for you is the best for your situation.

You have endured much in your young life, and having proper help to address your needs is only right. I pray you get best advice possible on your courses of opportunity so your continuing life may be lived more fully.

Caring,
Mark56

If you trust your docs, listen to them. They know best on how to deal with your injury. Should surgery be required, your age and need for surgery, based on your exam and imaging findings likely give you a very good outlook on surgical outcome. Certainly better than being wheeled around in a wheel chair or hobbling around on a cane!

Mike, It was really good to read your story, I wont bore you with the details, I just had level 4 lumbar fusion. Post op 12 weeks, still moving slow, just dont feel like it will ever end. It is good to know that it is possible. I have a positive attitude and am working toward something close to normal. thanks again. rick w

i'm 4 weeks post op.......he is right ---TAKE IT EASY AND SLOW .

i will spare u guys the agonizing tale of pain . if you r here , then u already know.

i had L4-L5-S1 fused--plates ,rod,cage. my back pain at the spine is GONE . apparently my doc used material from my left hip along with the piece of s1 floating around in there . my left hip is now my nemesis . i did not expect to go thru this without pain and recovery time , but i'm here to say my left hip hurts like hell !!! i'm a pretty tough guy and was blessed/cursed with a very high threshold for pain . oddly though i have a higher resistance to pain meds , sedatives etc...
so when i say i'm in pain....the average person would be screaming . i've done some of that since the op as well as been in tears .
i'm active and stubborn . right away , post op , i would take advantage of feeling way better a particular morning and push myself....no walker or cane and enjoy the day . BIG mistake .i payed dearly . all it took was my shoe catching something , causing me to twist and i had to jerk my body to catch myself from falling . my hip especially let me know about my poor judgement .

so now i use the walker almost every time i get up , no matter if i'm only going 6 feet away . i started taking it easy and now i can walk 1/8 mile in my driveway . still sore but walking seems to be the best exercise .
its humbling that my 4 yr. old daughter puts my socks on for me but just be prepared to take things slow . i now have been streching and i have put my own socks on 4 times now . lol .
i would like to point out a few things . the side of my left leg still feels bruised and has areas that are numb . i see the doc today , so ima ask about that . going to the bathroom is still a great chore , trying to turn to wipe(if u know what i mean ). i recommend a raised toilet seat (handicap retail store), but be SURE its one that will touch the floor . mine doesnt and i fell . soaking in epsom salt as soon as u r able was great for me . after a 2 hr soak i was feeling great .
my spine is still feeling great and no pain in my right hip AT ALL since the op .
getting this done lifted my spirits tremendously . if u r thinking about having this procedure done , maybe dont put it off for 4 yrs like i did . you r already in pain so u may as well get it over with . although my doc suggests not racing mountain bikes and hitting trees any more i think ima be just fine .
good luck to evreyone .

Oh yeah. Walking, stepping off of a curb just the wrong way, just so, makiing all of the horror of the first day after surgery come roaring back with a vengeance. Gotta take those steps carefully until the fusion is certainly set. Your doc will verify that after a few months with a follow up CT or some such. It will get solid. The old back pain gone. Something else, if any, will catch your attention, like maybe the freedom to ride a bike again.

Using the bathroom..... yeah, getting down, doing the push, not supposed to twist, but still gotta clean up, yeah right.... hard. THEN, get up, OH so fun all sensitive to the do not twist rule. You got it right. It'll pass.

Walk, walk, walk. If you have to use a walker, that's cool, I used a cane, not have a couple because I tended to misplace one and thought "oh no, no cane, can't walk! My security blanket is gone." Then I got to the walking without the cane as things improved and ALL of the physical therapy came around to restore strength to core.

Of course, as is the case with some stories, mine did not end there, but I must tell you, that I felt for sure and certain the back surgery was a success. I just hope never to do it again.

Yep,
Mark56

Hi Mike;

I made the ultimate mistake looking for spinal fusion info online after being diagnosed with spondy of L5 with a fracture to boot. Talk about horror stories! OMG I was in tears thinking my life was OVER. I am 43 and extremely active (former fitness competitor and bellydance teacher) but the pain has made those things very difficult. Tomorrow I have my 1st consult w/ a surgeon (I'll be consulting 2 additional, also). I cannot thank you enough, and the others who have contributed their stories, for taking the time to write it all down for the world to see all is not lost. I have had other surgeries (unrelated to this) so I understand the importance of recovery, but the fusion seems like it takes soooooo looooooooooong!! Could you please tell me, exactly how long were you down for after surgery? I mean laid out flat completely helpless and dependent on others for assistance? And once you got home (it was a week later, correct?) how was the pain on a scale of 1 to 10?

You can probably guess I'm trying to gauge how long I'll be down for. I know I won't have any performances in my near future, and that's all right, but if I have to be in bed for weeks and weeks I'll go absolutely BONKERS!! I"d like to at least be able to go to work and sit at my desk and do paperwork!

Do you think that's too much to ask?

I was released for light work in March [meaning desk work as I am a lawyer] after my first foray with the fusion 6 January 2006. I still wore my brace, inspiring a few chuckles, but then I am known as one with a sense of humor while also hard pushing to get back into the arena. So, with short days, a smile to have returned, and such.... I regained my work, first taking a flight to catch up on cases I was handling in May thereafter.

Now, for other reasons that is not the end of my story, but I felt GOOD at the time to have resumed the office while not letting IT beat me. For you I pray the resumption of desk work will be both allowed and rewarding after a successful procedure if you go ahead.

I did have residual numbness below the knees which persists to this day, so the control for belly dancing I certainly would not have, along with the less flexible body due to the fusion. That is a goal you will need to discuss with your surgeon.

May all be well for you,
Mark56

Heather, let me give you a success story to cheer you up. I am 4 months post-op for an L5-S1 spondy (pars defect fracture) and life is good. I had the surgery on a Tuesday and that Saturday I took my last narcotic. Within 2.5 weeks I was driving short distances and going to work (desk job). Within 6 weeks I was able to travel (fly) for my job again. I had an L5/S1 fusion with screws/rods posterior, an interbody cage, bone graft along side the rods (from the ground up laminectomy, no hip bone used). Check out my post "L5-S1 Fusion - EXCELLENT so far" for more details. You WILL NOT be lying in a bed for weeks. The doctors want you up and walking, I was doing so the day after surgery and was walking about 3 miles within a week of surgery.

Hello Mike,
Your story gave me courage to do the surgery, with expectation to recover almost 100%. I had postero-lateral inter-body fusion PLIF between L4-L5 vertebrae on the 1st of August, 2011. I undergone this operation after only two weeks post disc herniation!!! MRI showed that 75% of my disc was in the nerve canal. Standing up after sitting took some time, getting up from the bed in the morning was also a process. The only thing that was scaring me is that most of the patients suffer at least one year before doing this type of major operation. However, my doctor, here in Kuwait told me I can wait as much as I want but the sooner we do the surgery the better, to avoid any future re-occurrence that could cause loss of bowel movement and even temporary paralysis. I didn't want to take any chance! So I did it. I was off pain killers 12th day post-op. I will resume to my office work after one month after the surgery. I have no pain because the nerve was decompressed. I have tightness around the wound but that would be all. I sometimes wear after-pregnancy belt (rubber belt) just to remind me that I had a surgery to restrict me from sudden moves. This doctor was discouraging me to wear any type of back-brace so that my back muscle work and strengthen naturally while walking. The success of the operation depends on how long you have been suffering from pain i.e. the longer you "torture" your nerve, the more you will need to fully recover to be pain free. Of course subject to your condition too. But don't loose hope. Now, I will have to wait for fusion to take place, to adhere to doctor's orders meaning to walk as much as possible and then after 3 months I have X-ray to see if I fused or not. So wish me luck.
For all of you out-there that are still waiting to do the surgery, please stop reading horror stories as you are going to be scarred to death and then the positive outcome of the surgery will significantly reduce. Be positive, hope for the best as I am waiting for you to write your success story!

Good luck to all and God be with you!
Adriana

I had a l5 s1 fision in 2008. It took about 2 weeks until i was able to care for myself! Did physical therpy 3 months after fusion surgery!i About 3 months worth!!I was in good shape at the time now about 20 lbs over weight!! My Legs still Hurt have shooting pain numbness!! Found out i know have a disk buldge at l4 and a central disk herniation at t7-8. The problem with fusions it wears out other areas in your spine!