Has anyone have a spinal fusion?
I'm going in to have a spinal fusion done in a couple of weeks. What do I involve to know or do before the surgery and how will I feel afterward?
Thanks for your help and warning.
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 verbs about pain after surgery. Yes there is headache, but MD's are pretty good at giving pain pills to control the pain. They will procure 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 alleviate.
My best advice to is follow your surgeon's post-op instructions to the letter. After my first fusion, I felt so obedient I went horseback riding before I was cleared by MD. Three years subsequently, I was back in the OR to hold the hardware removed because I had knocked a screw loose and caused abundantly of damage in my vertebrae and nerve root. It be 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 motto that I will have back pain the rest of my natural 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 lend a hand you out. Keep your abdominal muscles strong - they hold up your back. The lumbar spine holds 60% of your body weight so maintain great weight. Your surgeon should give you information on what your surgery is, why you are having it, what will be done contained by OR, post-op recovery and long term plans for rehab (physical therapy?). It help to write down questions before you go to MD so you won't forget what you want to know.
Yep,, I've have it twice. Get all the questions you have answered by your surgeon beforehand. What to expect as far as pain, what you should and should not do, etc.
You may want to ask him about any nerve sabotage you have or may have. Nerve damage reclamation will be far harder than just the surgery.
How fast and well you recuperate has a lot to do with your age, condition and where they are going to fuse your spine. Both of mine have been to my cervical spine.
Normally rescue 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 procure up and be as active as you can,,,, it will really help.
If you are having a cervical operation ask ahead of time just 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 bleeding 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 put money on with you. The surgery is very serious but it sounds a lot scarier than it is. Good luck.
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Ab excersises for someone beside a spinal fusion?
How long is the spinal column?
Thanks for your help and warning.
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 verbs about pain after surgery. Yes there is headache, but MD's are pretty good at giving pain pills to control the pain. They will procure 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 alleviate.
My best advice to is follow your surgeon's post-op instructions to the letter. After my first fusion, I felt so obedient I went horseback riding before I was cleared by MD. Three years subsequently, I was back in the OR to hold the hardware removed because I had knocked a screw loose and caused abundantly of damage in my vertebrae and nerve root. It be 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 motto that I will have back pain the rest of my natural 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 lend a hand you out. Keep your abdominal muscles strong - they hold up your back. The lumbar spine holds 60% of your body weight so maintain great weight. Your surgeon should give you information on what your surgery is, why you are having it, what will be done contained by OR, post-op recovery and long term plans for rehab (physical therapy?). It help to write down questions before you go to MD so you won't forget what you want to know.
Yep,, I've have it twice. Get all the questions you have answered by your surgeon beforehand. What to expect as far as pain, what you should and should not do, etc.
You may want to ask him about any nerve sabotage you have or may have. Nerve damage reclamation will be far harder than just the surgery.
How fast and well you recuperate has a lot to do with your age, condition and where they are going to fuse your spine. Both of mine have been to my cervical spine.
Normally rescue 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 procure up and be as active as you can,,,, it will really help.
If you are having a cervical operation ask ahead of time just 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 bleeding 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 put money on with you. The surgery is very serious but it sounds a lot scarier than it is. Good luck.
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