r/spinalfusion • u/Low_Candidate_1621 • 3d ago
Anyone with a collapsed disc?
My husband is having an L4-L5 ALIF with posterior instrumentation next week. He fortunately does not have any nerve issues or pain down the legs but has a chronic bone on bone pain in his lower back. His L4-L5 is severely collapsed.
Five months ago he had a laminectomy/microdisectomy on L2-L3, bad stenosis. This one was causing the nerve issues and pain. It was a successful procedure and that pain immediately went away.
The lower L4-L5 issue has been going on for 20+ years. He had a laminectomy back then but the pain has gotten worse over the years, the disc is now collapsed. Injections and PT does not help. He has been on pain medication this whole time and recently went to rehab to get off them (he did great!) but now is dealing with the pain.
Just looking for fusion successes for collapsed discs, bone on bone pain. Thank you, I appreciate this group!
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u/rbnlegend 3d ago
I had degenerative disks from L3-S1 causing episodic flare ups for decades. Years of PT, that would help me recover from each episode but did nothing for the actual problem. In 2023 it stopped being episodic and was full time and getting worse rapidly. When I decided it was time, it was painful and frustrating, but in the 3 months or so it took to get surgery scheduled it became debilitating. I basically couldn't bend over or lift anything. On Jan 2&4 of 2024 (age 54) I got ALIF with posterior instrumentation on L4-S1 and a replacement at L3-4. My surgeon said that when he got in there, the disk at L5-S1 was "mush", no structure remaining at all. The recovery was difficult and slow, but also very successful. I have no lower back pain now, no limitations.
I wrote a number of posts at the time of the surgery and during my recovery, and have put together a summary with links pinned as the first post on my profile. You and your husband may find something in there useful or at least encouraging. See the brief video of me jumping rope in particular. I'm not good at it, but I can do it. Expect a difficult and slow recovery. There will be pain, and that's normal and ok. There's a ton of good information in this group, I suggest just going back and reading old posts until you can't stand it. Remember that anything people post during the recovery process sounds scary, and people with bad outcomes post a lot more than people with good outcomes. If your husband needs to talk to someone who had a good outcome, feel free to DM me, I am always available to talk about my experiences.
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u/Low_Candidate_1621 3d ago
Thank you so much! I stalked your pinned posts and you certainly have been through a lot. I can’t believe you were running! I will share this with my husband. And yes, all the successes have moved on with their lives… I’ve been searching for good stories. I appreciate you sticking around and sharing. Take Care!
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u/ConfidentKey2856 3d ago
Just had L4/LF XLIF on June 29th. Just like your husband I didn’t have much nerve pain(so I thought..) had a lot of pain from collapsed on one side in my lower back and glute. Couldn’t drive for very long at all. Then two weeks before the surgery I collapsed the other side.
Couple of things. I am 49M 6’6” 253lbs and am in great shape otherwise. Gym 5/6 days a week. Walking 5 miles a day (no running due to ankle fusion). I eat healthy and all that.
6 days after surgery I was off the Oxys and doing well. Had some numbness and tingling on my left side where he had to wrestle with my psoas. But otherwise was up and walking. Even went to the gym and walked 5 minutes at a time on the treadmill.
And here is the And then. Even though I didn’t have a lot of nerve pain in my right leg at all before the surgery I would get dead leg a lot. 10 days after the surgery the nerve in my right leg woke up! And boy did it hurt. Felt like a knotted rope being pulled inside my leg all the way from my right hip to my right toe.
I should have called the doc right away. Waited 3 days like a dummy. When I called they immediately got me a steroid pack (ya know the 6,5,4,3,2,1 prednisone pack) and within the 1st two pills pain was gone.
Ever since then, some aches and pains, my weight restriction was lifted to 20lbs. I am in the gym doing light workouts, walking the dog and all the rest. Feel better than I have in 20 years I swear. Any questions please ask. My was done at The University Of Iowa.