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Reply With QuoteGreat, thanks! I had to dust off my brain to remember. I'm so happy that you are making steady progress each day.Originally Posted by Wishful Runner
This is a discussion on Fusion (ALIF) at L4-L5 and stabilization of existing fusion (PLIF) at L5-S1 within the Surgical Outcomes forums, part of the Spine Surgery Forums category; Thanks everyone! Justin - I had an ALIF at L4-L5 and they reinforced the PLIF of L5-S1 that I had ...
re: Fusion (ALIF) at L4-L5 and stabilization of existing fusion (PLIF) at L5-S1 Thanks everyone!
Justin - I had an ALIF at L4-L5 and they reinforced the PLIF of L5-S1 that I had done in 2006 with four more screws and a metal plate from the front. So I don't think L5-S1 will be doing anything funky again cause it's pretty much surrounded with metal now! The problem this time was the L4 vertebrae slipped backwards into the spinal cord. Had to be fixed immediately.
My docs are great and I'm very confident with them. And I'm doing better each day.
MVA - '86, '90, and '99 - First one my fault
Bad Falls in '00 and '03
Low back pain long as I can remember
Severe pain early '06 and saw Ortho for first time.
July '06 - PLIF at L5-S1 and Decompression at L4-L5 - Successful!Other than severe spinal leak day after surgery
August '08 hardware loosened from running. Several injections and mostly pain free.
December '08 bad fall on concrete steps, cracked fusion but healed after a few months
Sept '10 - ALIF L4-L5 and L5-S1
re: Fusion (ALIF) at L4-L5 and stabilization of existing fusion (PLIF) at L5-S1 Great, thanks! I had to dust off my brain to remember. I'm so happy that you are making steady progress each day.
Justin Averna
Founder & President, Spine Patient Society™
www.SpinePatientSociety.org
A 501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt Nonprofit & Charitable Organization
I'm here to help.
- 1994: Football Injury, Severe Hyperextension
- 1997: Snow Skiing Injury
- 3/7/1997, 17 years old: Laminotomy L4/L5
- 1999 & 2003: Motor Vehicle Accidents (not at fault both times) --> Grade V Annular Tears L4/L5 & L5/L6
- 11/15/2003, 23 years old: 2-Level ProDisc® L4/L5 & L5/L6*, *lumbosacral transitional vertebra --> Dr. Rudolf Bertagnoli
- 4/2008: 4.5 years pain-free before "new" leg pain
- 5/14/2009, 29 years old: Dynamic Stabilization System L4/L5, Dr. Rudolf Bertagnoli
Questions? Suggestions? Need help with registering, creating a signature, etc.?
justin (at) spinepatientsociety.org
Disclosure: I have no financial relationships with any surgeons, spine clinics, device manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, etc. -- the SPS Board of Directors serve without compensation.
Re: Fusion (ALIF) at L4-L5 and stabilization of existing fusion (PLIF) at L5-S1 Hi Wishfull Runner,
Out of curiosity, why did they have to add stabilization to your prior PLIF at L5/S1? Didn't it fuse?
Regards,
Rob
- ~50 years old
- Back pain for ~25 years
- Spondylolisthesis Grade 2 L5/S1
- DDD L4/L5 & L5/S1
- Positive discogram L4/L5 & L5/S1
- Prior PT & injections to no great avail
- 360 degree fusion L4/L5/S1
- Surgery March 15, 2010
- ALIF with Posterior Stabilization Hardware
- Emory University Orthepaedics & Spine Hospital (Atlanta, GA)
- Currently doing really well - 85% improvement (Sept 2011)
- Hardware removel (4-pedical screws & 2-rods) October 3, 2011
Re: Fusion (ALIF) at L4-L5 and stabilization of existing fusion (PLIF) at L5-S1 Rob,
It was fused just fine but I had loosened the hardware in the Summer of 2008 by running as I was trying to prepare for a half marathon and had to stop running because of it. Then I had a terrible fall on concrete steps in the Winter of 2008 that cracked the fusion. There was just a slight bit of "play" in the area so they reinforced it while they were in there doing the L4-L5 fusion.
MVA - '86, '90, and '99 - First one my fault
Bad Falls in '00 and '03
Low back pain long as I can remember
Severe pain early '06 and saw Ortho for first time.
July '06 - PLIF at L5-S1 and Decompression at L4-L5 - Successful!
August '08 hardware loosened from running. Several injections and mostly pain free.
December '08 bad fall on concrete steps, cracked fusion but healed after a few months
Sept '10 - ALIF L4-L5 and L5-S1
Re: Fusion (ALIF) at L4-L5 and stabilization of existing fusion (PLIF) at L5-S1 Wishful- I have meaning to check in with you.How are you healing ? Hope your getting to the smoother part of the road in the journey.Hope all is well.Take care.
Caitlin aka Metalneck07
Back troubles Teenager-no specific accident ,DDD Lumbar Cervical-Arthritic Facets,etc.
Cervical Issues- alternative procedures,meds,PT,Diskogram,myelogram
'07 ADCF C5-6 Surgeon closed shop left me with screws backing out 2months after surgery
'09 Revsion Surgery C5-6 3 screws had backed out, scarring connective tissue,fluid build up,NonUnion
'10 complete fusion and Hardware show no issues
Lumbar issues - DDD alternative procedures,meds,PT,Diskogram verifies L4-5 and L5-S1 pain generators ,Annular disk tear,herinated disk both levels, Facet Hypertrophy
September 28,2010 On my 40th Birthday I recieved the gift of a new spine.My Prodisc at L4-5 and ALIF at L-5S1.
Thank you Dr.Blumenthal and Dr.Lieberman you are the BEST.
Re: Fusion (ALIF) at L4-L5 and stabilization of existing fusion (PLIF) at L5-S1 Thank you. I'm getting better each day. I had to go back to work a little too soon because I didn't have enough leave time but it's going alright. Was pretty painful at first but now I do my stretches at lunch time and it helps me get through the afternoon better. I'm having an awful lot of pain in my legs, mostly the right one, especially after walking more than a mile and when laying down. Sleeping is a problem. My second post-op follow-up appointment is tomorrow morning. I'm feeling really tired of dealing with all this and not sure if I want to have any more tests to try to figure out the legs problem or just leave it alone for awhile and see what happens. I really need to take off about 50 pounds and I'm wondering if just that would maybe "heal" me.
MVA - '86, '90, and '99 - First one my fault
Bad Falls in '00 and '03
Low back pain long as I can remember
Severe pain early '06 and saw Ortho for first time.
July '06 - PLIF at L5-S1 and Decompression at L4-L5 - Successful!
August '08 hardware loosened from running. Several injections and mostly pain free.
December '08 bad fall on concrete steps, cracked fusion but healed after a few months
Sept '10 - ALIF L4-L5 and L5-S1
Re: Fusion (ALIF) at L4-L5 and stabilization of existing fusion (PLIF) at L5-S1 Caitlin, I did not realize that you just had surgery on 9-28-10. I just saw it in your signature. Here you are asking me how I'm doing when I should be asking you how you are doing? And Happy Birthday, too! 40 - that's a big one! I can say that cause I also turned 40 this past April.
MVA - '86, '90, and '99 - First one my fault
Bad Falls in '00 and '03
Low back pain long as I can remember
Severe pain early '06 and saw Ortho for first time.
July '06 - PLIF at L5-S1 and Decompression at L4-L5 - Successful!
August '08 hardware loosened from running. Several injections and mostly pain free.
December '08 bad fall on concrete steps, cracked fusion but healed after a few months
Sept '10 - ALIF L4-L5 and L5-S1
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