Anterior Fusion Patients....Kindly Give Me Your Advice

[Eddie_G]

If you have had lumbar fusion from both sides, or just from the front, kindly help me. I already have had disk replacement at L4-L5 with my incision in the front. My latest discogram shows an annular tear at L5-S1. Dr. Goldstein has scheduled me for fusion surgery, operating anterior for graft placement and posterior for pedicle screw placement.
My 1,000,000.000 question is; how bad will my stomach pain be as compared to disk replacement?
My stomach didn't wake up for 3 days after my disk replacement and hurt for months after.
Should I expect the same horrible pain from the anterior fusion?
Dr. Goldstein said they will just use the bottom of my existing stomach scar to enter my body so I think the hole will be smaller than the original hole. It is possible to install the graft through the posterior, but he said the pain would be worse as he is lifting the back muscles out of the way to fit the graft through. I am leaning toward the belly operation but would like to know more about the pain involved from other fusion patients.

Any thoughts?

[CindyLou]

Hi Eddie,

I had my anterior (and posterior, for laminectomy) fusion just this past July, and I didn't think the incision pain was that bad. Definitely easier than my incision pain for my 3 lumbar ADR's. My ADR incision and fusion incision are about the same length, but the fusion (0f L6-S1) is over closer to my midline, and much lower, of course. Hope that helps some.

[daveinaustin]

I had two anterior fusions about 15 months apart. I had low-to-moderate incision and abdominal pain for the first four weeks from each of them, which was significantly less than the pain from a previous discectomy.

[Eddie_G]

Thanks, that is helpful. I'm going in expecting the worst but hoping it's not as bad as the disk replacement. I have gained 30 lbs. since my ADR in October 2006 which is not good. That means more work for the vascular surgeon and more recovery time since I have alot of belly fat. It's been hard doing situps and working out while in pain. I blame the weight gain on my Testosterone replacement therapy and the Nordiflex(human growth hormone) so alot of the weight gain is muscle. If I was able to exercise I'd look like Sylvester Stallone!!! That will have to wait until after I heal. I can't wait to get my life back. As scary as it is having to go through the pain of abdominal surgery again, it will be worth it if I can rid myself of this constant agony.

Getting myself ready for this is 90% mental. Anything that makes me feel better going in is great. Thanks again!

[daveinaustin]

Going through the second ALIF fusion was not very fun. Actually, going through the first one wasn't fun either. The difference with the second time was being scared and nervous of repeating the process. However, I can now tell you that it is worth it.

After the first surgery, I pretty much knew I needed the second fusion. Therefore, I going through pain as I was healing, and also pain while the other degenerative disc. Now, I'm focused on nothing but the healing.

Although pain is pain, it is easier to cope with mentally when you are recovering rather than degenerating.

Try not to be nervous. You'll do fine!

-Dave

[Eddie_G]

I'm getting my house ready now. Trying to put everything in an easily accessable place. I went to a therapist for relaxation and I will be using the self hypnosis to relax me before the surgery. I was told by Dr. Nalbandian (vascular surgeon) that the pain should be the same but the scar tissue should not be a problem because he is operating from the right side of my stomach this time. Last time he operated from the left. There are still issues with moving the Iliac artery and the bladder tube (Urea?) He may continue the current stomach scar or he may make a new horizontal scar. Depends how he feels that day I guess. Dr. Nalbandian has never done a revision surgery on a patient he has operated on before but has done hundreds of revisions from other surgeons. I was told by my patient advocate that Dr. Regan and Dr. Delamarter think Dr. Nalbandian is top shelf so that makes me feel all warm & fuzzy.

Any good jokes to tell the surgeons before the surgery? I want them in a good mood.

Nothing hack either like "Hey Dr. Goldstein, could you make me a foot taller? Yuk yuk yuk" I'm sure he's heard that one so many times that telling it would raise my mortality rate signifigantly. (Or lower it?)

Well anyway, Happy $&%#@ Thanksgiving! I'll be sipping my turkey juice through a straw. At least there are two...TWO football games to watch in the hospital. The third is on NFL Network and hospitals dont carry that channel. I'll try not to hit the sleep button during the games.

[daveinaustin]

I tried to self-relax. Valium worked better. My stomach has incisions on each side of the belly button. My wife thinks its funny.

I wish you the best of luck with your procedure. Jokes? Well, I'm having a pretty bad back day today and can use one myself!

Turkey juice. mmmmm!

[Justin]

Eddie,

Before I forget: good luck tomorrow! Hopefully, your operation will provide you with much needed pain relief.