spinal fusion

[AtoZ]

anyone out there had their spine fused?

ive not long had mine done and i was wondering how much i will be affected.

it feels really good at the moment. i have been told i could still do building work and i know of two bricklayers who said they can still work, ive also spoken to an office bod who says it plays him up quite badly.
i know everyone is different but i was wondering how you are!

i do small scale building but im actually trained as a brickie.
(roofing hurt more than being on the line)

 

[tim west]

I'm assuming the office worker does a lot more sitting down, I find my back plays up when sitting too long, so apart from heavy lifting you may be ok with continuing your work without trouble? Time will tell

 

[Persimmon]

Hi AtoZ

My uncle had a spinal fusion back in 1963 when it was a very new and complicated procedure ! I imagine yours was done by keyhole surgery ?

Anyway, he is now 73 years young and can still shin up into his loft ! His fusion was in the lumbar region so less stress was placed on the fusion than if it was higher up the spine. Don't go too mad until the fusion is rock solid, after that the new bit should be stronger than the original bit !

Best of luck.

Perry

 

[joe-90]

Actually, you can get more problems when the surgery is lower down as that is where the majority of the nerves fan out. Where is the fusion? and how many discs were fused?

 

[Persimmon]

joe90 -

My uncle's recollection (a little hazy after so long) is that the two 'crumbled' discs were the first ones above the coccyx. The two discs were removed and a peg of bone (taken from his hip) was put through the centre of the vertebra between the two removed discs and into each of the vertebrae above and below the centre one. He had to wear a rigid plastic corset for several months to keep the fusion safe. Eventually ossification occurred and there is a now a rigid part in the lumbar region. Because this rigid part is in the lumbar region it doesn't have to bend as it would higher up towards the waist. He says that his right thigh is always very cold and attributes it to some kind of nerve damage, which is in line with what you said.

The condition was described as 'spondylolisthesis'.

 

[tim west]

I thought that was unwanted growths of bone where the vertebrae rub together?

 

[Persimmon]

You could well be right, tw. But it also describes the condition where a vertebra slips in and out causing severe pain. My uncle was told at the time that his 'slipping vertebra' was due to the disintegrated discs on either side of it.

Hope we are not worrying the OP !

 

[tim west]

You could well be right, tw. But it also describes the condition where a vertebra slips in and out causing severe pain. My uncle was told at the time that his 'slipping vertebra' was due to the disintegrated discs on either side of it.

Hope we are not worrying the OP !

having researched , i think you are right

 

[DESL]

My ex wife had hers done in 1977 when she was 24.

She was and still is a Radiographer a job which involves some manhandling of patients.

AFAIK she is still going strong in her 50's having had two children.

She had the lower lumbar 4 & five fused through removing prolapsed disc and inserting a sliver of bone from the pelvis.

She was in a plaster cast for 3 months then a corset for a further 3 months.

She did suffer pain from time to time and her manouverabilty is a slightly restricted.

But apart from that she's led a normal life.

 

[AtoZ]

thank you all.

my disc was taken out at L4/5 which is in the small of my back.
i have metal inserts in place and crushed bone mush which solidifies in between.
i feel remarkably well considering what ive had done. my op was not keyhole and i have a six inch scar which makes me look like i have the biggest builders smile in the world. euuw

i understood possible nerve problems but i seem to have got away with that.
i start my physio in a couple of days but i already know that i feel much better than i did, i have no pain unless i jolt or jar myself.(which you'd expect)

i am lucky that i do not 'have' to do any heavy building work and can more or less please myself. trouble is that i like building and would not want to actually stop. im not stupid tho and will put my back first, so to speak.
i know the way the op works is to encourage the natural bone growth that occurs in all of us when we get old.

i am not worried perry i think the replies are all positive for me. in the past if you could name it ive broken it but despite that i am still quite fit so i hope to stay active.

i did start the thread to see if it was better to be active or to restrict my ways a little. from what ive found out, it seems the more active you are the better it seems...... i will pass on any roofing or paving type jobs
but im getting to old for them anyway.

thanks for any replies

ps
i had this done at stanmore hospital and they were brilliant with me..

 

[tim west]

well good luck for a speedy recovery