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L4-L5 Spinal Fusion


Rocky31186

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Man I'd hate to see someone go through that.

 

GF's dad had a fusion done in his neck and he regrets it every single day.

 

Out of curiosity is the injury so severe that physical therapy can do nothing? My back injury is/wasn't insanely severe, I herniated my lowest 3 disks and had crazy pain for years before I went to PT.

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Since it is a work injury They pumped me full of pain meds and kicked me to therapy. Therapy actually made it much worse, and unfortunately has not improved at all. 9/10 pain for the last 6 months.

 

It is not a path I want to take at 30 years old, but I just want relief and get back to a normal life. Shit is depressing not being able to do stuff especially with 2 young kids.

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I have 3 bulged disks, and l4/l5 disk extrusion that keeps moving and hitting my nerves. When it moves and hits my nerves it almost puts me to the ground. So my dr. does not think the injections will help, so I am guessing I will be heading down this path to do a fusion.
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I have 3 bulged disks, and l4/l5 disk extrusion that keeps moving and hitting my nerves. When it moves and hits my nerves it almost puts me to the ground. So my dr. does not think the injections will help, so I am guessing I will be heading down this path to do a fusion.

 

If you want, PM me and I can send you the info of the PT I saw. Literally changed my life. I believe where he is now accepts workers comp.

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I would get a second or third opinion. I broke my back, cracking 2 vertebrae and blew out my L5/S1 Disk and did not do a fusion. Laminectomy worked beautifully. Granted I was 24 and in very prime shape at the time but I'm now 46 and have just a bit of Arthritis but it's manageable.

 

PM Kirk. He knows peeps. I went to Neurological Associates off Ackerman.

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You need to try an injection first. And get a second opinion. See my brother's partner Derek snook. One of the better spine surgeons in Columbus. I guarantee you're not going to be happy with a fusion, especially with the situation being work comp. work comp patients are never happy
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You need to try an injection first. And get a second opinion. See my brother's partner Derek snook. One of the better spine surgeons in Columbus. I guarantee you're not going to be happy with a fusion, especially with the situation being work comp. work comp patients are never happy

 

I sold spine and orthopedic products and taught surgeons how to put them in for 25 years.

 

I agree with everything he says.

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FIL has had a few fushions, If you see a orange McLaren p1 driving around Columbus, he helped fund that car from the amount of different neck and back surgeries hes had to have. :lol:

 

But for real the FIL had many back and neck surgeries and doctors never got it right till he moved to ohio and started with this surgeon here in new Albany. Can get his info if You wanted it for a 2nd opinion.

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You need to try an injection first. And get a second opinion. See my brother's partner Derek snook. One of the better spine surgeons in Columbus. I guarantee you're not going to be happy with a fusion, especially with the situation being work comp. work comp patients are never happy

 

My work has been fighting me because it was originally labeled as a lower lumbar sprain. I have used my own insurance to get an updated MRI done.

 

The problem with the MRI's is that laying flat on my back or flat on my stomach relieves some of the stress on the joints. So sitting, stand, walking, bending, squatting all hurts.

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I had L5-S1 microdiscectomy in May. I had no choice been dealing with it for 10 years and this last episode left me stuck in bed for 7 weeks. Couldn't walk, sit, do anything except lay flat on my back with a towel under it. Pain meds were worthless, ciro, PT nothing worked. 4 days after surgery I was able to walk 5+ miles a day. I've been 99% since surgery. Inside calf muscle isn't working properly, so I can't run and have some athrapy, but at least I can walk!!

 

I would certainly do what you can to avoid surgery, especially fusion.

 

I saw a lady at Mount Carmel up by Menards, was going to try steroid injections again(they never worked before, but didn't want surgery). She spent 30-45 minutes with my wife and I. Said it's her job to make me avoid surgery, but with my history and how severe it was this time, she basically said get the herniation out. Referred me to Dr Monceman and 2 weeks later I had my life back.

 

I do not recommend Ortho Nero at all. I called them 2 days after it really flared up, they scheduled me 5 weeks out, and when I got there he walks in, says he need an MRI and scheduled another appointment for follow up 4 weeks later. No mention of the need of 6 weeks alternative medicine for insirance(thankfully I already knew this). Mount Carmel did everything in a few weeks.

 

Good luck. PM me if you have any questions!

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I'm with you and a fusion at 28 didn't sound like fun. I just had a microdiscetomy 2 weeks ago now at OSU. It's pretty amazing how much better I felt the day of. With how bad mine was and the complications he had in there, The doctor warned me that next is a fusion. I Was dealing with back and leg pain for 3 months doing PT and such with no relief.

 

The wait time for OSU spine center was long but I had a blow out that put me in the ER that moved things along. If you already have a current MRI as others said try aget some other opinions just to make sure. I know it's not close but I Remember reading that the Cleveland clinic does electronic second opinions for back pain. I'll see if I can find that article again

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  • 2 months later...

I have had 3 Disectomies over the last three years and a Fusion now just under a year ago. Im better than I have been in a long time, but Im still healing, the bone isnt growing as we hoped, and its been a long road. I cant do a lot Physically that I could before....Im 39. I took a good two years before I said thats enough...Fuse me up. Ive been on and off pain meds for about 4 years....Right now Im on next to nothing except ibuprofen.

 

Id probably do it sooner if I could go back and do it again. Injections did nothing for me, we tried.

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Anyone mind if I ask how you got to that point? I'm 26 and have had a few back injuries from weight lifting, but nothing major. I have a desk job so it only flares up if I do something stupid. How do you get to the point of a fusion like that?
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I am a heavy equipment mechanic, and have wrenched for over 15 years. Leaning over the hood of engine, lifting heavy things into awkward spots, etc. My doctor said a mechanics back typically ages twice as fast.

 

It seems hit and miss, some people who had fusions say they will never heal and still in pain. Some people say they wish they did it sooner. I just need to find relief so I can get back to work, I am not a person who enjoys sitting at home getting paid

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I am a heavy equipment mechanic, and have wrenched for over 15 years. Leaning over the hood of engine, lifting heavy things into awkward spots, etc. My doctor said a mechanics back typically ages twice as fast.

 

It seems hit and miss, some people who had fusions say they will never heal and still in pain. Some people say they wish they did it sooner. I just need to find relief so I can get back to work, I am not a person who enjoys sitting at home getting paid

 

I figured it was due to manual labor. It's amazing to me how much my back hurts during a house rehab. I have a healthy respect for folks who do that every day. No chance my body could take it.

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Just had L4-S1 fused on December 15th. I went through multiple pt attempts, multiple epidural steroid injections, had the L4-L5 disc trimmed, and after all of that ended up getting it fused as nothing else worked. So far I'm doing well. It's not the most comfortable surgery, but it was my only option at pain relief. I'm 35 and didn't really want this, but I couldn't function anymore.

I was in a bad car accident in July of '15 which caused my issues.

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Just had L4-S1 fused on December 15th. I went through multiple pt attempts, multiple epidural steroid injections, had the L4-L5 disc trimmed, and after all of that ended up getting it fused as nothing else worked. So far I'm doing well. It's not the most comfortable surgery, but it was my only option at pain relief. I'm 35 and didn't really want this, but I couldn't function anymore.

I was in a bad car accident in July of '15 which caused my issues.

 

Mind me asking which doctor did your surgery? Really hoping to avoid a fusion at age 28.

 

We cant pinpoint any event that caused mine as it just started and got progressively worse over 4-6 months. Probably physical work is what we guessed (Plumber). It was a sneeze that was the final straw and landed me in the ER. Disc herniated into the dura around the spinal cord, then i had a spinal leak when they removed it.

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I figured it was due to manual labor. It's amazing to me how much my back hurts during a house rehab. I have a healthy respect for folks who do that every day. No chance my body could take it.

 

The final straw for my back was swinging a 10lb sledge hammer to knock off a 2" thick piece of steel from a plow frame. I missed and over twisted my back and have been in constant pain since then. BWC is just wanting to label it as a lower lumbar sprain still.

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