Has anyone here had back surgery????

**408WS6** · 12-23-2009, 08:19 PM

If so, can you give me any advice?

I have a degenerated disc between L5 and S1 and the last couple of years it's gotten alot worse. I'm on 3 kinds of pain meds: Vicodin, Neurontin, and one other one I can't spell or pronounce. heh. Anyway, I have tried it all-injections, chiropractors, exercises, pain meds...everything I have tried is just a temporary quick fix. It helps, but does not fix the problem. So, I have found a Neurosurgeon that is good and he says he wants to do a fusion between L5 and S1.

I was just wondering if any of y'all have had this done, and what advice you would want to give??

**Mr. Luos** · 12-23-2009, 08:29 PM

Good luck. I am paying attention to this as well....since I have a feeling I am on my way to that as well.

**EnjoiJoe** · 12-23-2009, 08:42 PM

ouch' but at least you will get more pain meds after the surgery haha anyways goodluck hope it works for ya

**BdAsBrd01** · 12-23-2009, 08:57 PM

Originally Posted by 408WS6

If so, can you give me any advice?

I have a degenerated disc between L5 and S1 and the last couple of years it's gotten alot worse. I'm on 3 kinds of pain meds: Vicodin, Neurontin, and one other one I can't spell or pronounce. heh. Anyway, I have tried it all-injections, chiropractors, exercises, pain meds...everything I have tried is just a temporary quick fix. It helps, but does not fix the problem. So, I have found a Neurosurgeon that is good and he says he wants to do a fusion between L5 and S1.

I was just wondering if any of y'all have had this done, and what advice you would want to give??

No, but I've torn muscles in my back before and had both shoulders dislocated. Toradol was the best pain med they gave me, didn't knock me out or make me feel all fuzzy and it sure stopped the pain.
My stepfather had to have three vertebrae replaced in his back, fell off a second story deck onto a tree root that was on the surface. He's been fine for a long time(14yrs) but they're out of line again and he's gonna have to have another surgery to have it fixed. I'll ask if it is a fusion they want to do or if that's like what he had done before.

**KahanaReef** · 12-23-2009, 09:05 PM

They wanted to do surgery on my husbands back years ago. He could barely walk for a while there. He was in a lot of pain.

He did acupuncture. He's been fine ever since. That was about 15 years ago.

Have you tried acupuncture?

**Mr. Luos** · 12-23-2009, 09:07 PM

Originally Posted by KahanaReef

Have you tried acupuncture?

Nope.
Just soma and percocet. Been much better since I dropped the weight though.

**KahanaReef** · 12-23-2009, 09:15 PM

You guys should try it. At least before thinking about surgery. It's worth a shot.

**Mr. Luos** · 12-23-2009, 09:21 PM

Originally Posted by KahanaReef

You guys should try it. At least before thinking about surgery. It's worth a shot.

I am finally getting health insurance again...so my doc and I will be coming up with a plan soon enough.

**KahanaReef** · 12-23-2009, 09:27 PM

Hopefully acupuncture will be covered.

Back pain sucks.

**FSANE** · 12-23-2009, 10:03 PM

What kind of surgery do they want to do?

There are two common ones I know. 1 is where they remove some Nucleus Polposus and place a wedge in. and 2 is where they do vertebroplasty where they drill into the body of the vertebra and inject cement.

Unless you have a pinched nerve then its a different story.

BadBlueBird* · 12-23-2009, 10:23 PM

Night and day my friend. Youve tried the steriod injections and like youve stated thats only a temp fix. and is less responsive each time. You need to find a respected spine surgeon and get it done. Back problems are no joke and dont fix themselves.
Just did a 10hr fusion case today (T11-L5), poor lady

**0rion** · 12-23-2009, 11:42 PM

funny this thread came up. My back has been killing me the last day or so. Hurt it when I was a lot younger and every now and then if flairs up and hurts like hell for a week and goes away. I imagine at some point it won't go away but at least for now my pain is bearable. Hurts but I can still function and push through the pain if I have to do something that requires lifting or whatever.

**BdAsBrd01** · 12-24-2009, 12:28 AM

Originally Posted by 0rion

funny this thread came up. My back has been killing me the last day or so. Hurt it when I was a lot younger and every now and then if flairs up and hurts like hell for a week and goes away. I imagine at some point it won't go away but at least for now my pain is bearable. Hurts but I can still function and push through the pain if I have to do something that requires lifting or whatever.

Aleve is an inflamatory with the pain meds so it should help. It sucks to have your back hurt, I know firsthand

**BdAsBrd01** · 12-24-2009, 12:30 AM

Originally Posted by KahanaReef

Hopefully acupuncture will be covered.

Back pain sucks.

**FSANE** · 12-24-2009, 01:52 AM

Originally Posted by BadBlueBird*

Night and day my friend. Youve tried the steriod injections and like youve stated thats only a temp fix. and is less responsive each time. You you a respected spine surgeon and get it done. Back problems are no joke and dont fix themselves.
Just did a 10hr fusion case today (T11-L5), poor lady

Not to compete, but last week had a case of scoliosis with L2-S1 fusion. It took 5 hours to put a rail road track in that poor girl.

**screamin chicken** · 12-24-2009, 03:27 AM

I have l4 l5 herinated disc job related which I do alot of lifting 30-150 lbs. a day everyday, I never did the surgery it's been 15 yrs. now I am 40 and still out do everyone at my job. I do stretch alot, workout daily. I do alot of abs to help support my back, and do lower back workouts, there are times that it will hurt, and the pain runs down my leg, and there are times that I will get a sharp pain for about 10 seconds but other then that it goes away. I have had shoulder surgery and my shoulder after 2 yrs. still hurts, so if you can do without the surgery I would man, Good luck......

**HASTINGSRJ** · 12-24-2009, 03:59 AM

I have the same thing you do 408WS6, L5-L3, with a tear in L4. My doctor told me that degenerative disk syndrome is not curable. I get monthly injections as well. He did tell me that there is a new procedure out now that actually replaces the disks. I cant rememeber what its called off the top of my head. But your are correct, the injections are only a temporary fix. I find that sitting on a heading pad when I am watching TV at night helps with my mobility. I use vicotin and ambeien (not together) to sleep sometimes. During the day I take tramadol if my pain is too bad. But i hate being drugged up. I think the Marine Corps wants to do surgury on me, at least my Dr recommended me for it. But I am headed to Japan for 2 years, so we'll see. Good luck with it....

rob

**408WS6** · 12-24-2009, 05:17 AM

Originally Posted by KahanaReef

They wanted to do surgery on my husbands back years ago. He could barely walk for a while there. He was in a lot of pain.

He did acupuncture. He's been fine ever since. That was about 15 years ago.

Have you tried acupuncture?

No I haven't, but that is an excellent idea. I have been wondering about this.

It certainly is worth a shot (or a few needles, haha)

**408WS6** · 12-24-2009, 05:23 AM

Originally Posted by KahanaReef

Hopefully acupuncture will be covered.

Back pain sucks.

Yes it does. What makes it worse is that the pain is now radiating down my legs and even my testicles are in pain. I asked my doctor about this to find out if this is a separate problem and he said no, its likely nerves that are being compressed by your vertebrae and it is connected to the testicular pain. Feels kinda like someone kicked me in the balls. But the Vicodin helps alot with this, but the back pain is still there even with the Vicodin. The Vicodin works funny in that it just makes you not care that you are in pain.

**408WS6** · 12-24-2009, 05:26 AM

Originally Posted by FSANE

What kind of surgery do they want to do?

There are two common ones I know. 1 is where they remove some Nucleus Polposus and place a wedge in. and 2 is where they do vertebroplasty where they drill into the body of the vertebra and inject cement.

Unless you have a pinched nerve then its a different story.

I'm not sure what the medical term is, but it's a minimally invasive srugery, not like the traditional open back surgery. Somehow this doctor can do it through an opening that is less than 1 inch, and there is hardware thats put in. They don't remove the disc. Thats about all I know. I meet again Jan 12th with this doctor and ask him..