9 Months Post XLIF fusion of L4-L5 - MAGIC!

[ben_burroughs]

When I researched this procedure prior to getting it I would find stories of negative experiences outnumbering positive ones 20-1. That was very frustrating, but my back pain had become so suddenly debilitating that there was no time to worry about the complications. Something had to be done. EVERY procedure that can be done has the risk of complications or even total failure, so that could not make my mind up for me.

On June 10th I went in. On June 11th, 2009 I began my recovery from home. In the third week of Februrary, 2010 I was able to go snowboarding with my friends for the first time in a decade. Back pain had kept me from participating in this yearly reunion of hometown friends. I boarded for 4 days straight with plenty of full body crashes and no trouble with all the crouching and bending it takes to get down all those hills on a board. I was the only one on that trip that didn't feel pain!

That's the short version of my story. The important thing I wanted to do here was let everybody know that it can work for you and answer any questions that come up. This time last year I couldn't bend over and drink from the water fountain. Now, I can do EVERYTHING I could do before. I gave up nearly 7 years avoiding the inevitable surgery and dealing with pain. I hope that somebody reads this and takes what I say as motivation to end their pain.

[mmglobal]

Ben... congratulations and THANK YOU FOR POSTING!!!!

Yes, negative stories are severely overrepresented on the internet because the successes are out snowboarding and playing tennis... not posting their woes online.

I'm so happy to read about your success. I'd like to learn more about your recovery, incisions, etc... so we can understand about the differences between xlif, tlif, plif, alif and all the other lifs out there.

Where was your surgery... who was your surgeon...???

Keep up the wonderful success. All the best,

Mark

[dshobbies]

Hey Ben,

Welcome to the forum. That was some first post! You have given hope to others which is so valuable. Thank you for sharing.

Dale

[grantwb1]

I am really happy to hear your news. I am having a slow recovery form fusion and nothing is more encouraging than hearing someone else describe good recovery. I never thought I could be so happy for someone I do not even know, but after my spine problems I know different. Great news and thanks for posting!

G

[Katie]

Ben, could you give us more information about your surgery?

I had the XLIF at the L 4/5 and ALIF at L5/S1 because of complications once the surgeon was in there, plus a Nuvasive Neodisc at C5/6. This was all just over four weeks ago and I am doing wonderfully...the only side effect really is that my body has taken over and is in sleep mode for now. I guess it is just plain healing and making up for several years of little sleep because of so much pain

I can't recommend the XLIF enough...I can barely feel that incision compared to the ALIF, and even that one isn't very bad. If I only had the XLIF, it would be like it almost never happened! I am following all the proper protocol of course for proper healing and exercising, but expect a full recovery.

I went to see Dr. Luiz Pimenta in Sao Paulo, Brazil in mid-March and have nothing but great things to say about the trip. He was able to find and use non-metal devices where no one else could, which was a life saver for me. I discovered last fall that I was allergic to every metal that was possibly used in ADR and fusion surgery in North America and Germany. All the stalling and disappointments were well worth it in the end, as I ended up getting the devices that were exactly right for me.

I am so glad that your surgery has gone well, and you have your life back again. Congratulations!!!!

[iikingli]

Good Morning all,

I had a quick Question, I had my XLIF in December on the L4-L5 Level, Im 28 and was in a vehicle roll over while in the military back in 2001, My disc was almost complete gone at which point i was forced to have the Spine Surgery.

I had a lot of Sciatic pain before as well as general pain in the back in my legs and my buttocks.

My question is how long after surgery do you start to feel better, I have an extremely hard time bending over (more so now then before) and my back is always in pain almost like an arthritic type of feeling, I am very hopeful that in time it will go away, and get better.

I try to stretch as much as i can with the limitations and pain but my back just gives out at times and I was looking for some friendly advice and a positive outlook.

Thanks

[Katie]

Since I last posted, my recovery has been on a bit of a roller-coaster. There are days of very little pain, like today, almost one tenth of what the pain had been.

But yesterday and the night before I suffered almost as much as before surgery, but I had really overdone things by sitting too long in a bad position, bending when I shouldn't have...just trying to live a normal life when my back still isn't ready for it.

iikingli, have you paid attention to your activities and how the pain relates to them? I've chatted with a number of fusion patients and all have reassured me that the pain can take months to go away, and then all of a sudden...nothing. Or, it gradually goes away over a year. There is no set pattern and from what I can learn, everything is 'normal'.

Have you checked with your surgeon to see what his opinion is on your pain levels? After surgery, mine said it may be possible that I would have 'phantom pain', from the nerves being irritated for so long.

My back is starting to 'stiffen', from the two levels of fusion of course, but I'm hoping that some physiotherapy in the future will release a bit of that.

Good luck and feel free to contact me if you'd like to chat more.

[Jill Beckett]

I hope this get to the right folks!
Anybody here care to share what experiences they have had with the XLIF?
I can say that I am in constant pain due to herniated disc at L3/4 possibly 4/5, have an overly straight back with NO curvature anywhere and a previous surgery to correct congenital stenosis. Though the laminectomy helped for a few years, now I have another issue, the disc issue. Doc says it needs it to be removed and the area/s fused. Am concerned that if I have this done, I could end up in worse pain than I have already. The sacrum grinds painfully along 24/7 in addition to the foot misery bilaterally. I keep active but cannot play tennis (as of Dec.22 '09) anymore after 45 years of enjoying that. Mising it a lot! Do walking and hiking but always with # 6/7 pain. I just push through it with joy to able to move at all! Maybe I can have more in life than that??
Thanks to anyone who has some thoughts on this. Hope it is the best thing for me!
Jill

[dshobbies]

Hi Jill,

Welcome to the forum. You might want to start a new thread and tell us more about yourself.

Very quickly, you may have some choices or because of your straight back, perhaps not. Has your doctor mentioned artifical disc replacement? This is similar to an artifical hip or knee in that your own disc is removed and an artificial one is implanted.

Let me warn you that back surgery is always risky. Though most people do get relief, their lives may be forever altered. Some experience failures. The best thing you can do for yourself is;

Find the best doctors
Get second and third opinions
educate yourself in the various remedies, their benfits, risks, successes, failures.

Let me warn you, if your doctor doesn't perform ADR surgery, (s)he is not likely to recommend it. Trusting just one doctor isn't always to your best advantage.

Then again, your circumstances may eliminate you as an ADR candidate. Fusion may be your only option to eliminate your pain. Neither procedure is a walk in the park and neither has guarantees of success, which is why your choice of doctor is so important.

My best to you, Dale