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Joe Pelonio
07-17-2006, 11:42 AM
If anyone has or knows someone who's had back surgery where two vertebra are fused together, I'd like to get an idea of how long the patient stays at the hospital and how long the recovery period at home is normally. My Mom's in her mid 70's, and has it scheduled for early August.
I'll be going up this weekend to help my stepfather with chores around the place since she's been pretty much unable to do anything for a few weeks now and he's older. While there I want to discuss having my wife stay there for a while but she has to go back to work when school starts.

Tyler Howell
07-17-2006, 12:09 PM
Jo,
Backs forgive but never forget!:(

Recovery may be slow considering age and condition. If she is able to do PT and conditioning now to be stronger, her recovery will be faster.

Prayers are with you both.

Joe Pelonio
07-17-2006, 12:51 PM
Thanks Tyler. She's been doing PT and medications for a long time, whatever is supposed to be between those two vertebra is totally gone now. They hoped that strengthening by the PT would help but after all the trying they decided to do the surgery. Hopefully one of my other brothers or sisters can help some too after my wife has to return to work in late August. Unfortunately my Mom is 3 hours away from us by car and ferry, and we're the nearest.

Norman Hitt
07-17-2006, 4:49 PM
Joe, I have had two back surgeries, (about 26 yrs apart), but NO fusion. They left mine free floating when they removed the disc, (which has it's problems at times also). Both surgeries were by the top Back surgery teams, and each of them told me that they only do the fusion when absolutely necessary, because no matter whether everything is done exactly correct, the fusion is not always successful, and to this date, no one knows why. When it doesn't fuse, you have to go back in and try again. This procedure is so "Iffy", that it would be hard to predict the length of the hospital stay but especially the recovery time.

Wish I could pass on a brighter answer for you, but unless something new has been discovered in the last two years, that is the best answer I could give you. Hopefully someone will have a better updated prognosis for this procedure. I do know that they were working on a replacement disc for a while, but I do not know if they got it perfected yet or not.

My best wishes for her a successful "fusion the first time", and a speedy recovery.

Joe Pelonio
07-17-2006, 5:05 PM
I appreciate your comments Norm. After what you said I decided to do a little research, and the experts agree with what you said. In her case they are going to use screws to attach the discs then the bone is supposed to grow together which apparently could take 3-6 months up to 18. She doesn't have any of the "negative impact" factors that I have found
that could reduce her chances, but it almost sounds like grafting trees, which I do a lot, you do everything perfectly and sometimes it just doesn't take. I guess what we'll do after is go up and make a lot of meals that they can pop in the microwave. Don, my stepfather is great at BBQing
but doesn't do any stovetop cooking.

Randy Moore
07-17-2006, 7:02 PM
Joe , I don't have any answers for you but your Mom, Stepdad and the rest of the family will be in our prayers. I hope that she has a speedy recovery.

Jerry Olexa
07-17-2006, 7:19 PM
Back surgery is never a simple matter but Cathy and I will pray for a quick and comp[lete recovery for your Mom.

Scott Donley
07-17-2006, 7:53 PM
Joe, wish your Mom and family all the best. My Mom at the age of 77 went down some steps head first and broke her neck, after some fusing and a halo for 7 months she is doing great. Not a lot of movement up or down, but no pain, she was at Swedish Hospital in Seattle. That was two years ago and she is still going strong ! Just to let you know that even though you will hear the " because of her age " I think your family support is the most important. Take care and keep positive.

Doug Shepard
07-17-2006, 8:56 PM
No fusions but I've had one disc removed and another trimmed - about 12 yrs apart. At least in my case the recovery time had a lot to do with how long and how severe the nerve pinching was before it was aleveated (sp?) by the surgery. The first one took a lot longer to recover from but had the most leg numbness prior to the surgery. For the first 5 days after surgery they kept me in the hospital mainly because it took me that long before I could get around without the aid of a walker - due to feeling not coming back to my legs right away. The second one had more severe pain, but no numbness. I was up and around within a couple of days. Moving pretty slow, but up and able to move anyway. I think a lot depends on what problems she's already having prior to the surgery. Wish I could be more help.

douglas hyde
07-17-2006, 9:02 PM
Joe I did the back surgery fussun way back in 1975 it was in the big h for 18 days most people 5to 6 days now and recover will be 3 to 6 months I was on my back for four months all I could do was stand up or lay down no sitting no baths and I had to have my brace on 23.5 hour a day bed baths it has been a long time and they are better now .and I still hurt like he77 all the time but I still work I like drugs ,drugs are our frinds she will do better than I did .

Vaughn McMillan
07-18-2006, 5:44 AM
Joe, as the result of shattering my L3 vertebra in a 30-foot fall a few years ago, I now have L2, L3, and L4 fused. (Actually, my L3 is now primarily made from donor bone. There are four big screws, a couple of 6" rods and a pair of brackets in there, too. I have a gnarly-looking x-ray.) I was in the hospital for about a week after the surgery, then spent most of the next three months laying down. For the first few weeks out of the hospital, my mom came and lived with me to help with things like cooking and laundry, but before long I was able to get around enough to take care of myself. (I didn't drive for nearly a year after my fall, though.) After three months off work, I needed to go back or risk losing my job, so I went back to work, although I was still pretty crippled when I went back. I wore a full body brace for 18 months, and even though there have been a number of times I figured I wasn't going to get any better, I continue to see improvement in movement and reduced pain even today. It pretty much sidelined my career as a professional limbo dancer, but I have a new appreciation for walking. ;)

In your mom's situation, I'll bet she'll have a week or so in the hospital, then after a few weeks taking it easy at home, she'll be able to get around, although it'll be some work at first. The physical therapy played a big role in my getting back among the walking, so I'm guessing it'll be a big help to your mom, too. Another thing that several of my doctors and therapists commented on was my positive attitude...it really does make a difference in the recovery, so be sure to let your mom know it does get better.

All my best wishes and positive thoughts are headed your mom's way.

- Vaughn

Joe Pelonio
07-18-2006, 7:21 AM
I'll have a lot more to talk to her about this weekend, thanks to all of you!

Thomas Herview
07-18-2006, 7:47 AM
I had fusion surgery about a year and a half ago. I want to tell you this is probably the most painful surgery you can have (verified by two doctors). I stayed in the hospital approximately 3 days after surgery. I had to wear a strap on body cast, whenever I was not lying down, for approximately 4 months, until the bones fused. I would have to say it took a good six months to start to feel and get around better. I don't want to scare you, but a good percentage of these surgeries don't fuse. Right after the surgery, I thought I made the biggest mistake of my life. Now I think I made the right choice. I was in agony for approximately 12 years after an accident at work, and a failed attempt at surgery back then. Now I can do just about anything I want within reason. I still take ibuprophen to ease the dull ache. I'll take the dull ache compared to what I had before.

Joe Pelonio
08-07-2006, 7:34 PM
I just wanted to say that I just spoke to my Mom, she's still a little
groggy after the surgery today but it went very well. The doctor says it was better than expected and he's optomistic that it will "take" and that she'll be able to go home in 2-3 days. It took me a while to notify the family, my Mom has a brother and sister and there are 8 of us kids.

Thanks for all who helped me learn more about this back surgery, and for your thoughts and prayers.

Vaughn McMillan
08-07-2006, 8:53 PM
Thanks for the update, Joe. Glad to hear the surgery went well. Many good wishes to your mom for a speedy and painless (as possible) recovery.

- Vaughn

John Kain
08-07-2006, 9:23 PM
If anyone has or knows someone who's had back surgery where two vertebra are fused together, I'd like to get an idea of how long the patient stays at the hospital and how long the recovery period at home is normally. My Mom's in her mid 70's, and has it scheduled for early August.
I'll be going up this weekend to help my stepfather with chores around the place since she's been pretty much unable to do anything for a few weeks now and he's older. While there I want to discuss having my wife stay there for a while but she has to go back to work when school starts.

Well, I actually do those surgeries......so......

Usually inpatient stay for a woman in her 70's without complications is about 3 or 4 days. I usually send most elderly patients to a rehab facility after discharge for a couple more days of extended PT/OT.

She'll be pretty sore for a couple months but the pain should gradually subside.

John Kain
08-07-2006, 9:29 PM
I wanted, also to clear up some misconceptions I noted....

The screws are placed into the pedicles of the vertebra to hold the bones "rigid" while the bone fuses.

Most lumbar fixations fuse very well these days with the newer products available to spine surgeons.

Smoking or being around smokers is a HUGE no no after a back fusion (it inhibits bony healing)

Most spinal surgeons procede with a fusion procedure if there is evidence of bony instability, complete disk removal, or increasing irregular curvature.

Joe Pelonio
08-08-2006, 9:13 AM
John, thanks for the info. No smokers around her, so that's good. When I spoke to my stepfather last night he said that if she's able to walk at all today that she can go home tomorrow. Seemed soon to me but these days with the high costs and her being on medicare I guess they want to minimize the stay. They are having her go to a local OT for therapy after but not to a rehab facility, again cost may be an issue. I'm guessing that the 45 minute ride home is not going to be fun for her.