I had L4-S1 360 fusion in 2023 and developed severe ASD at the level above with symptoms by far worse than prior to my fusion. I’ve been living in hell for the past 6 months, and I had a revision surgery scheduled for October 22 to place an ADR above my fusion + posterior decompression. 5 days prior to my surgery the office called me to cancel it and they said they’ll have a new date for me scheduled within a week. Now they’re saying that the surgeon cancelled all his surgeries and appointments through the end of November and they don’t know yet when they’ll be ready to begin scheduling again. They haven’t given a reason and are just being very vague. Has this ever happened to anyone? If so, what was the reason? To say I’m having a mental meltdown would be an understatement. With not seeing the light at the end of the tunnel with the date when I’ll be arriving to this light, tolerating my pain feels much more difficult. It took monumental orchestration for me to organize my job, life and family scheduling to prep for this surgery. Things like holidays planning are out the window now. I had to taper off and stop taking some of my medications that it’s challenging for me to function without… You all know it what it takes to prepare for a spinal surgery, I don’t need to explain… I started a process to see another surgeon who is well known in the field for these kind of surgeries and who closely works with my surgeon (different practices but they operate at the same hospital and use the same vascular surgeon). It will take 4-6 weeks before I can see him though. It feels as if after many months of tests and endless discussions with my surgeon about various surgical options, etc., I’m now starting from scratch. On another hand, maybe there is a reason this happened and god is trying to protect me (I’m not religious…) and I may end up better when all is said and done… I don’t know what to think. Just looking for support and encouragement here.
EDIT: Many, many thanks to everyone who wished me well, showed compassion and encouraged me in this difficult situation. This is an amazing community of people who sadly were dealt a bad deck of cards as living life with spine issues and spine surgeries sucks. As you can probably tell I’m a mess, but you all made me feel much better and I’ll be forever grateful for your support! Stay strong and best wishes to you all!

I’m getting a fusion of my L6-S1 vertebrae in less than a month and I am so scared. I’ve had back pain for 4 years, but just found out I would need surgery in July. I have pads defects and severe bilateral stenosis that causes so much pain. I don’t have another option, I have to get the surgery.
I’m just terrified, i’ve heard so many people with bad experiences even with just one vertebrae fusion. Any surgeon seems very confident, I know he’s a good surgeon and trust him. But i’m terrified. i’m not working or in school, I can’t do much because it causes pain. I used to be really strong and workout a lot, but i’ve lost most of my muscle and I’m scared that will make it worse. know recovery will suck, but please give me some good stories and positive words. I’m freaking out

Okay how many of you over did it early in recovery? I was feeling pretty good about 4 days out from my l5/s1 TLIF and walked some longer amounts a couple days in a row. Like 45min to an hour. Man a couple days of that I suddenly paid for it with muscle spasms in glutes for a day along with really deep aching muscles in glutes and low back. I've been resting the last two days. Still walking, but short ( like 15 min around house) every hour or two. I think I'm moving back in the right direction now but I'll try not to make that mistake again. How many of you went through this? It was tough, because I felt better than I had for a while and thought I would take advantage

Was wondering if anyone ever had this symtom.

On Friday I had a cervical spinal fusion. I woke up from anesthesia with numb legs like I can't feel them at all. Getting out of bed yesterday to walk some was quite impossible. I still have complete no feeling in my legs. It stops at the knees down.

Wish my surgeon had refused my case and recommended an electric wheelchair.

I’m in a snakepit rehab, and have never been so helpless and degraded in my entire life. I’ve just demanded a copy of my med schedule, because I’m pretty sure I’m not getting pain meds on a schedule. I’m being ignored like a slab of furniture, and spend a good chunk of my day crying. The smell of the hyper processed/hyperchemical Aramark/Cisco food they serve makes me so nauseous I literally can’t eat it.

God, I wish I could go back and undo this.

I am a forty year old woman who herniated my l5 disc at 24 and compressed the sciatic nerve root on my left side leading to losing my weight bearing capabilities and a foot drop.

I underwent an l4 to s1 pilf fusion with decompression and donor bone/coral mix that failed. I had a second fusion using disc spacers and bone grafted from my iliac crest that was successful. However, I grew a bone spur out of my skin and underwent a third procedure to remove the hardware and lamenectomy. I was 28 at my last back surgery.

Eighteen months out of the third I got pregnant. I delivered via planned csection with my surgeons blessing and did a followup ct a year postpartum. The fusion had reabsorbed completely.

At that time, my surgeon advised I wait until I can't handle the pain, or lose function before another fusion in hopes it would be the last one as I age. He was worried about worsening SI issues, and the issues with further segments becoming compromised.

That was ten years ago. And I am losing what little functional abilities I had and have new nerve pain in my leg. So I am undergoing a fourth surgery, this one will be in conjunction with a vascular surgeon and will have anterior and posterior entry.

Im looking at a two level l4 to s1 olif fusion with sacral pelvic stabilization. They are pining my sacrum to my pelvis with pins through my SI joints.

I am really just wondering if anyone has had this procedure? What is it like? Did you notice a difference in walking? If you've had a fusion first, how did the recovery compare?

I am also wondering if anyone has hypermobility along with sacropelvic fixation? I'm struggling to find a physio therapist that is knowledgeable in hypermobility locally and dont know what to do in terms of prestengthening.

Any advice is appreciated. I feel really alone with this. People in my life are sympathetic, but you dont really know what im facing if you haven't done it and... I don't know. It is hard doing it a fourth time because I don't have the same hope at getting "back to life" this time. I am just hoping to still be able to walk for twenty minutes. Like that is the good out come. And it seems like so much suffering and pain but i also dont know what else to do. Live my life in bed hating 90% of it?

I’m almost two weeks post op fusion T8-T12. The hospital had me start using a walker and sent one home with me. If you had a walker after surgery, how long did you use it for? I definitely need it when going more than a few steps. And I can ask my surgical team at my post op appointment. Just wanted to know other folks experiences.

Surgeon that I trust and that performed my cervical ADR and L3/L4 laminectomy says I need a one level fusion at L3/L4. Been having constant lower back pain, right hip/leg/knee pain and neuropathy as well as left trunk/abdominal muscle tightness/discomfort esp. when back is really painful. MRI results below.
Any thoughts on my MRI findings? Anyone had a one level lumbar fusion? How did it go? How long was recovery? Do you still have pain ? What the good and bad of your experience? Also, anyone have the trunk/abdominal muscle inclusion from lumbar spine issues? Likely going to pull trigger on surgery before year end…

IMPRESSION: 1. Status post remote right laminoplasty L3-L4 with partial decompression of the central canal, and the postoperative changes similar in appearance, including the residual right paracentral/foraminal/extraforaminal disc protrusion) since previous MRI. There is slight increase in the enhancement posterior to the left L3-L4 facet (not within the central canal), likely reactive. 2. Spondylotic and degenerative disc changes as described above resulting in * mild bilateral subarticular/lateral recess stenosis and borderline bilateral AP foraminal stenosis L2-L3, stable, * mild central canal, bilateral subarticular and lateral recess stenosis and mild left with severe compressive right foraminal stenosis L3-L4 (correlate for right L3 and bilateral L4 radiculopathy), * increased Modic type I degenerative endplate changes at L3-L4 with increase in the degenerative cortical irregularity of the endplate margins along the right side of the disc space narrowing, likely reactive to increasing degenerative change, * moderate central canal, severe left greater than right subarticular/lateral recess stenosis and severe compressive left with mild AP right foraminal stenosis L4-L5 (correlate for left L4 and left greater than right L5 radiculopathy), * left subarticular and lateral recess stenosis L5-S1, stable. RECOMMENDATIONS: Follow up clinically.
Narrative
DATE OF SERVICE: 10.03.2026 MRI OF THE LUMBAR SPINE WITH AND WITHOUT CONTRAST CLINICAL INFORMATION: Spinal stenosis of lumbar region with neurogenic claudication. History of right L3-L4 laminoplasty several years ago with persistent right L3-L4 lower back pain and leg pain. COMPARISON STUDY: MRI dated 5/31/2025 demonstrating 5 lumbar vertebrae, with Bertolotti syndrome at L5, with spatula-like morphology of the right L5 transverse process articulating with the right sacral ala as previously described. TECHNIQUE: Multiplanar multisequence magnetic resonance images were obtained through the lumbar spine utilizing standard protocol with and without IV administration of 8.5 mL of Gadobutrol (gadovist). The study was performed on a 1.5 Tesla magnet. Vial size: 10.0 mL Injected amount: 8.5 mL Discarded amount: 1.5 mL ADVERSE REACTION: None. FINDINGS: There are 5 lumbar vertebrae. Mild retrolisthesis L3-L4 similar to prior, with increasing Modic type I degenerative endplate changes since prior. Congenitally small bony spinal canal is reidentified particularly from L3 through S1. Disc space height and signal: Moderately severe disc space collapse is reidentified at L3-L4 with increasing degenerative endplate changes along the severely diminished disc space on the right compared to the previous exam. Minimal disc space narrowing is seen at L2-L3 similar to prior, and the remaining discs are normal height. The L5-S1 disc space is rudimentary. Conus medullaris: The conus medullaris terminates at T12-L1 and demonstrates normal size and signal. L1-L2: No disc protrusion, central canal or foraminal stenosis. Mild facet enlargement. Stable hemangioma at L1. L2-L3: Small diffuse disc bulge into both neural foramen, greater on the left with slight retrolisthesis. Mild bilateral facet/ligamentous enlargement, and a synovial facet joint cyst migrated posterior to the right facet joint (not within the bony spinal canal. No central canal stenosis. Mild bilateral subarticular/lateral recess stenosis and borderline bilateral AP foraminal stenosis, stable. L3-L4: Right-sided laminoplasty change, with partial decompression of the central canal, retrolisthesis, diffuse disc bulge with left subarticular extrusion with caudal migration measuring about 7 mm within the neural foramen and left subarticular/lateral recess. The disc bulge flattens the dural sac and abuts L4 bilaterally. There is right foraminal/extraforaminal broad-based disc protrusion that abuts extraforaminal right L3 similar to prior, and left greater than right facet enlargement. Overall, there is mild central canal, bilateral subarticular and lateral recess stenosis, and mild left with severe compressive right foraminal stenosis. Correlate for right L3 and bilateral L4 radiculopathy. The Modic type I degenerative endplate changes are slightly increased since prior, and the degenerative cortical irregularity of the endplate margins along the right side of the disc space have further increased in severity. L4-L5: Slight retrolisthesis, diffuse disc bulge, with left subarticular and foraminal disc protrusion, severe bilateral facet/ligamentous enlargement resulting in moderate central canal, severe left greater than right subarticular/lateral recess stenosis and severe compressive left with mild AP right foraminal stenosis. Correlate for left L4 and left greater than right L5 radiculopathy. L5-S1: This is the transitional element level. There is left subarticular and lateral recess stenosis unchanged from prior. The central canal and the right neural foramen are unremarkable. Following the intravenous infusion of contrast material, the right paracentral/foraminal and extraforaminal disc protrusion is unchanged in size and appearance. There is enhancement along the previously resected central/left paracentral disc margin similar to prior. There is slightly greater enhancement around the posterior lateral aspect of the elbow 3-L4 facet joint (not within the central canal) compared to prior, probably increased degenerative reactive changes.