Re: cerival fusion 3 weeks later

[Guest guest]

Hi Jack,

It sounds like you are doing great, being three weeks post op from

such a large surgery. I only had one level fused back in 1999, and it

took me six months to get back to a status that I could go back to work.

You should be very pleased with the progress that you have made, and

just do what the doctors tell you to do. Usually in about two or three

weeks they will put you into physical therapy to start strengthening

your muscles.

I am very happy to hear that your surgery has worked so much. It sure

is wonderful to know some people get great benefits from surgery!!

Try not to over do it when you start doing more things. Do things with

caution, and make sure you have enough strength. And keep us informed

of your progress!

Huggs,

Sandy

Moderator

[Guest guest]

--- Jack wrote:

> Am I expecting too much to

> feel that i should be off pain killers?

Hi Jack

These are all good questions to ask your doctor when

you see her. Will you be doing any type of gentle

physical therapy? You may need to strengthen the

muscles, and tendons in your arms, neck, and

shoulders, under the PT's advice.

You will need to go off the pain medications very

slowly, since you have been on them for a long time.

First you will take the long acting medications at

smaller doses, then reduce to short acting, until you

taper off, from there.

Not every one tapers off the same way. It might take

you several weeks, or several months. Don't worry

about it.

Here is an excerpt from:

http://www.spine.org/articles/spinalfusion.cfm that

may be helpful to you.

Take your time, don't be in a rush. Any time your body

is experiencing pain, it is telling you something.

This is general information that I found on line. At

the very least, it should provide many questions for

you to ask your surgeon.

I'm glad your surgery, went so well.

Kaylene

Moderator

How Long Will It Take To Recover?

The immediate discomfort following spinal fusion is

generally greater than with other types of spinal

surgeries. Fortunately, there are excellent methods of

postoperative pain control available, including oral

pain medications and intravenous injections. Another

option is a patient-controlled postoperative pain

control pump. With this technique, the patient presses

a button that delivers a predetermined amount of

narcotic pain medication through an intravenous line.

This device is frequently used for the first few days

following surgery.

Recovery following fusion surgery is generally longer

than for other types of spinal surgery. Patients

generally stay in the hospital for three or four days,

but a longer stay after more extensive surgery is not

uncommon. A short stay in a rehabilitation unit after

release from the hospital is often recommended for

patients who had extensive surgery, or for elderly or

debilitated patients.

It also takes longer to return to a normal active

lifestyle after spinal fusion than many other types of

surgery. This is because you must wait until your

surgeon sees evidence of bone healing. The fusion

process varies in each patient as the body heals and

incorporates the bone graft to solidly fuse the

vertebrae together.

The healing process after fusion surgery is very

similar to that after a bone fracture. In general, the

earliest evidence of bone healing is not apparent on

X-ray until at least six weeks following surgery.

During this time, the patients activity is generally

restricted.

Substantial bone healing does not usually take place

until three or four months after surgery. At that time

activities may be increased, although continued

evidence of bone healing and remodeling may continue

for up to a year after surgery.

The length of time required you must be off of work

will depend upon both the type of surgery and the kind

of job you have. It can vary anywhere from

approximately 4-6 weeks for a single level fusion in a

young, healthy patient with a sedentary job to as much

as 4-6 months for more extensive surgery in an older

patient with a more physically demanding occupation.

In addition to some restrictions in activity, a brace

is sometimes used for the early post-operative period.

There are many types of braces that might be used.

Some are very restrictive and are designed to severely

limit motion, while others are intended mainly for

comfort and to provide some support. The decision to

use a brace or not, and the optimal type of brace,

depends upon your surgeon's preference and other

factors related to the type of surgery.

What Can I Expect in the Long Run?

Although fusion can be a very good treatment for some

spinal conditions, it does not return your spine to

" normal. " The normal spine has some degree of motion

between vertebrae.

Fusion surgery eliminates the ability to move between

the fused vertebrae, which can put added strain on the

vertebrae above and below the fusion. Fortunately,

once a fusion has healed it rarely, if ever, breaks

down.

However, it does place more stress on the vertebrae

next to the fusion. This has some potential to

accelerate degeneration of those segments, but this

risk varies between individuals.

Many surgeons therefore recommend that spinal fusion

patients avoid repetitive strenuous activities that

involve combined lifting and twisting maneuvers to

minimize the stress on the areas around the fusion.

__________________________________________________