[Spinal Fusion / Lumbar] T-12 thru S-1 fusion and lamanectomy

[sarge]

hi my name is sarge, my surgery has been authorized for a fusion from T-12 -S-1 with a lamanectomy and im to say the least alittle scared, i've had an lamanectomy L-3 - S-1 and i know what i had been through , now my question is how much different will this surgery be on me as for pain and recovery ?

[Pbchoclovr]

Sarge,



Welcome to the site. I can't speak to your question for all the levels involved or for the comparison with a laminectomy since my surgery only included one level. There may be others who can speak to the comparison. Read or search through the site with those key words. I would think that the more levels involved the more painful the experience. Also, the type of fusion you have will make a difference. By that I mean whether your surgeon will approach your spine from your abdomen, your back or even your side. Whether the incision(s) are minimally invasive or the traditional long incision - the longer the incision, the more extensive the healing.

I can only speak to my experience with recovery. I'm currently a little over 4 months post op. To say this has been a painful experience is an understatement. It's been tolerable, though. Honestly, my pre-op pain when this journey started was much worse than what I've experienced post op. I've only had a couple of flair ups that tip the top of the charts. The key, though, is to make sure you communicate clearly with your doctor and the nursing staff your pain levels. They can and will adjust your meds based on what you share with them. The first 3 months have been the hardest. In the past month, I've started having almost normal days mixed in with the not so normal days. As time has gone on, my overall peak pain levels have slowly eaked down the scale.

My surgeon explained it this way to me.... the first three months will be the hardest, with the first month being the worst. From months 3 to 6 you'll begin to feel more normal and the pain levels should level out to whatever they'll be. He told me I'd probably have some level of low back pain for the rest of my life. I'm hoping not...Then from month 6 on... it's mostly internal healing with the fusion of the bones, and that he said could take up to 2 years depending on how fast the body heals. He explained this all was a general guideline and a best case scenario. Everyone is different and will progress at their own pace. You're kind of at the mercy of your body on this one, but.....

Another thing to keep in mind is your level of activity will play a huge part in how quickly you progress. Your doctor will most likely want you doing a whole lot of walking. Make sure you do it. The more you walk and strengthen your muscles, even if you don't feel like it, the faster you'll feel better. Also, keep to the BLT rule... no bending, lifting, or twisting. Your body will tell you when you're making a move you shouldn't.


Best of luck on your upcoming surgery.


Linda