ALIF Back Surgery
- Thread starter mtncowboy
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OutdoorWriter
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My youngest son didn't have the fusion done but had two discs replaced with artificial ones two weeks ago. He's in his late 50s. The surgery part is identical, where they went in through his abdomen. Hospital stay was day of surgery, plus a day, & they had him up & walking the same day as the surgery. He said the pain was somewhat bad the first few days, but the doc gave him better pain meds to cope.
Good luck.
Good luck.
BLOK2003
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I had the ALIF done on L4/L5 six years ago.
feddoc
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I had ALIF surgery in 2010 in April. Neck was fused from the front as well a month later. Pre surgery, my lower back was in near constant pain. Post surgery pain relief was decent for a long time, although my feet are kinda numb.
Hunting that year wasnt bad at all for my lower back or neck.
Hunting that year wasnt bad at all for my lower back or neck.
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grosventrehunter
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And.....
BLOK2003
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Had it done November of 2016. Condition before was very painful. The disc between l4/l5 was completely deteriorated. Surgeon said the disc had torn years befor due to getting bucked off a colt. . Fusion was my only option. Condition after is a lot better with some back pain if I over do it but nothing like before. I do have some burning- tingling in my feet at times, nerve neuropathy that wasn’t there prior to surgery. Recovery sucked, prob didn’t feel close to 100 % healed up till a year after. If I had to do it over I would still have the surgery, there was times pre operation I’d be down in my back for weeks. When it gets real cold the hardware-screws and metal seems to make back ache some though . Maybe it’s arthritis and not the screws ???
feddoc
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I forgot to mention one of the two things that happened almost immediately. The first was my feet being numb. I spoke with another neurosurgeon a few years later and, from an MRI, told me that the original surgeon had likely pinched a nerve in my back (likely by bending the vertebra too far, thus pinching my nerve) and that the level of numbness wasn't gonna creep up my leg. It hasn't in nearly 12 years. He also told me that the surgery to correct it was simple, but very painful. I opted to leave it alone.
The second thing is that I think the original surgeon might have tweaked my bladder a bit. I can rise from a sitting position and almost immediately have to pee. Also, almost every time I get up from sleep, I can pee 2-4 times and each time feel like I empty my bladder. Yea, I've had my prostate checked. Docs think my bladder got repositioned incorrectly.
Phantom Hunter
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Had it done in 94. Could not get up off the floor or play with my little kids. Best thing I ever had done. Just be sure to follow PT/rehab orders. I was hunting elk in the South San Juan Wilderness 6 months after surgery!
joesikora
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The fusion your talking about is a piece of cake. It’s very simple healing time is about is nothing. In the X-rays youlll see that I had a L5-S1 fusion using titanium cages their go in through the back. I also had Cervical fusion you will see it’s the plate with two cadaver bones six screws and they go in through the front. There would be an effect on turning your head.
All the other rods screws etc are new the cervical fusion 12/20/20 and the the lumbar fusion six months give or take 7/2/21. Major limitation bending loss, 50% loss of head movement still trying to get used to it loss of leg strength walking and moving around is limited then before that’s caused by the Cervical not the lumbar.
any way if this isn’t clear to you you can call me just PM me I’ll send you my number
All the other rods screws etc are new the cervical fusion 12/20/20 and the the lumbar fusion six months give or take 7/2/21. Major limitation bending loss, 50% loss of head movement still trying to get used to it loss of leg strength walking and moving around is limited then before that’s caused by the Cervical not the lumbar.
any way if this isn’t clear to you you can call me just PM me I’ll send you my number
elknr
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I had it done back in 2003. Fusion just like pics above. I had to wait a year for work comp to pay for it. But I was bed ridden for that year. Which caused permanent nerve damage.
IMO. Don’t wait to long!
They have come a long way since then!
Good luck
