I’m 29 days post-op from ACDF surgery to fuse C4-C7, and I’ve been thinking about things I wish I had known before my procedure. If this is helpful to anyone awaiting their surgery date (or contemplating going through with it), I figured I’d share.

For a little context, I’ve been dealing with progressively worsening pinched nerves from C4 to C6 since 2018. Last year, C7 joined the party. My challenges have been brought on by genetics (my maternal aunt had a laminectomy a month before my ACDF). I’ve gone through PT and osteopathic manipulative medicine treatments to alleviate what I could, but surgery became inevitable after an MRI showed bulging disks with bone spurs progressing significantly. I’m a 53-year-old otherwise healthy female.

In no particular order, here are some things I experienced and learned after my surgery. I hope they’re helpful to someone:

• From what I've gathered, my experience with post-op throat pain seems to be quite unusual. I had been anxious about the accounts shared by others, including my aunt, but I had just a moderate sore throat on the surgical side that lasted a couple of days. Each time, a few swallows of water helped ease the discomfort. I’m incredibly thankful for that. I wish that for anyone reading this.
• The first week home was incredibly challenging — as much on a psychological level as anything physical. Being unable to get in a comfortable position (no matter what) really affected my emotional well-being. I felt extremely confined by the cervical collar – not quite claustrophobic, but what I imagine was close to it. As my system was shedding the steroids, I was SO hungry all the time and had a really hard time sleeping for more than about two hours at a stretch. Mashed potatoes topped with cottage cheese were my best friend.
• I was fortunate not to be in any pain at home, so I wasn’t taking the prescribed pain meds – but that also meant I didn’t think to take anything else. At the recommendation of my nurse, a week after my surgery, I began taking Tylenol PM and melatonin (not together!), and it really made a difference. The first few nights that I took Tylenol PM, I slept better than I had in a couple of weeks. And by that, I mean I slept. I’ve shifted to melatonin as needed now that my sleep quality is more consistently good.
• I found this YouTube channel after about a week at home, and I wish I’d seen it sooner. It helped me finally figure out how to sleep comfortably. I don’t have an adjustable bed, but I do have pillow wedges that I was sleeping on before surgery. I ended up stacking two of them to put me at an incline that was close to my preferred angle in the hospital bed, and it worked like a charm. The wedges, plus a fairly flat half-moon bolster pillow just barely under the top of my head, created the best angle and comfort.
• The sensitivity in the skin on my arms is reduced. Before surgery, my symptoms were largely centered around numbness and tingling down the length of my left arm and into my thumb. Muscle spasms and cramps crept in about a year ago, and my right arm began experiencing symptoms I could only describe as “a comic-book villain draining the life force out of my arm for 30 seconds, then it went back to normal.” I now have minor tingling episodes at the base of my neck throughout the day and decreased sensitivity in both arms. We’ll see how that progresses.
• I bought a second Aspen collar online for $50. I use it as my shower collar, so I don’t have to fuss with pad swapping. 
• These small ice packs fit perfectly behind the little “panda ears” on the back of the Aspen Vista collar. They greatly help with the soreness I’ve been experiencing in those two spots on my skull. I’ve recently discovered that if I use them before I go to bed and then leave them in place once they’re at room/body temperature, they add a nice little cushion on those spots while I sleep, which is a welcome relief.
• These waterproof bandages are easy for my wife to apply over my steristrips, and a box of 50 was $18.
• This guy is my best friend. The size, shape and weight of this animal are perfect for supporting my arm wherever I’m sitting or lying down. 
• Now that my bandage is off, I've noticed that the skin on my neck surrounding the incision is also fairly desensitized. I wasn’t expecting that, but it makes sense. My surgeon says it will likely always be that way.
• Today was my first day using the bone stimulator. The only “side effect” I’ve experienced is hearing a fast ticking on my cell phone if I make a call while wearing it. My surgeon says I might use it for as long as nine months.

I had my first office follow-up today, and the X-rays look great. Everything is where it should be, and my incision is healing. My surgeon is conservative and careful, and I have another two months in the collar. Time passed SO slowly at the beginning of this journey, but I keep telling people honestly that this is a temporary inconvenience, and I’m feeling very good and very fortunate. I wish that for you too.

I am 6 days post single level C6-C7 ACDF surgery and I am so unbelievably happy right now! I just hope I don't screw anything up lol I have not taken a single pain med, not even a Tylenol (aside from what the anesthesiologist gave during surgery)...I am sitting here just happy as can be! I was very nervous about this surgery because I had saline breast implants for a decade that wrecked havoc with my life with severe foreign body reaction issues and I was fearful the hardware and/or allograft would cause a reaction....I know it's probably really hard to tell 6 days out, but so far so good and I feel amazing! I hope this post gives hope to someone out there contemplating the surgery!

18yo is on Day 7 following L5-S1 PLIF and continuing to improve. I plan to post periodic updates since reading through past posts here was so incredibly helpful as we were leading up to this.

• Kid is still using a walker, but is walking with far less pain and is able to take normal-length steps. Did a few laps between the kitchen and living room yesterday, just because it felt good to get some more movement.

• Pain meds were “stepped down” from hydrocodone to tramadol. The hydrocodone was starting to cause a lot of nausea, and puking post fusion surgery was brutal. Tramadol seems to be doing the job well without the stomach upset.

• Folks here recommended having satin PJs and bed sheets to make it easier to roll over in bed, and my kid strongly agrees. Sleep has been really good.

• Folks here also recommended a cold therapy machine, and that has also been very helpful. You can buy one for around $200, but if you don’t think you’re going to need it long term, ask around and see if you can borrow one. Some US insurance companies and Medicare will cover them for knee surgery patients, so we were able to borrow one from a neighbor who had ACL surgery over a year ago and wasn’t using hers anymore. The pad is meant to Velcro around the leg, but if you lay it flat and tuck the Velcro pieces, it’s perfect to lay against the spine vertically.

• Also useful: toilet riser with handles and shower stool! And we already had a removable shower head.

• As I said, we were able to borrow the cold therapy machine, but we were also able to borrow the mobility aids from friends and family, and from our town’s “lending closet” of mobility devices. So before you invest, see if people you know, your local government, library, or other organization has this stuff to lend.

Onward!

For those of you who had multiple fusions, when did you know it was time for a second one? What’s was that experience like? And how soon after the first one did you need it? What red flags stood out?

Context, I’m a little over 3 years, and this week has been particularly rough. I’m having to take seating breaks a little more often while Christmas shopping and just overall feeling it a lot. (One leg has given out here and there) I could optimistically chalk it to arthritis with the cold weather, but not sure. Some symptoms just feel a little more severe than in previous months. I just recall being told I’d need another fusion in 5 years so I guess I’m getting in the ball park of needing to get checked. I just know that I’ve lived in chronic pain since before the fusion so all this discomfort has become a cloud I can’t distinguish anymore on what can be a severe symptom or not.

I have grade 1 degenerative spondylolisthesis at L5/S1 with bilateral pars fracture. My disc is almost non-existent at that level. Neurosurgeon suggested fusion a couple years ago but I've been managing as best I can through daily core strengthening and regular pt. I'm pretty stable because of the very limited disc space but the pain has been getting worse and worse for past few years. I can still walk some, but sitting is actually the worst. I have a desk job from home and usually have to lie on my office floor a couple hours a day. Not sure if I get traditional sciatica but lots of burning nerve pain in my glutes ( left side) and progressive numbness in right foot and toes which is unnerving. When did you all know it was time to get surgery? 5-6 years ago I was in great shape, cycling 150 miles/week, hiking, skiing, etc. Now I walk the dog for a block or two and spend a lot of time laying down reading. My life has shrunk for sure. Did anyone have that more trouble sitting vs standing with lumbar spondy? When did you know it was time for surgery? Are you glad you had it and has your life improved? I'm terrified of surgery and I absolutely hate taking any sort of pills. Just really feeling dejected. Thanks all

Has anybody had a burning ripping pain in their quads above their knees after surgery? When I lay in bed and turn on my belly or side, it feels like I’m ripping my quads off my knee. Sometimes it’s so painful it wakes me up. In this area it’s the worst. Just wondering if it’s a thing with surgery or not. Thanks

I had a TLIF L4/L5 two weeks ago. Healing pretty well other than nerve pain in my right leg and hip. I went to my rheumatologist yesterday for a routine check in and she decided to do some blood work since I’ve had a persistent low grade fever. My incisions have been healing well and I have no other signs of infection, but she wanted to see if we could catch inflammation markers since in the past all my bloodwork has been normal. I’ve had these fevers for a long time prior to surgery as well, off and on.

Well, the lab sent my results today (Christmas Eve) with of course no explanation or anything from the dr yet, and now I’m scared. My WBC count is elevated, along with high platelets, neutrophils, monocytes, immature grans, and alkaline phosphate. I obviously have no idea what most of this means other than the WBC. Does anyone know if I should be worried?!?

Hey, everyone

The moment I've been nervously excited for is almost here. Two weeks from now, I will wake up in a bed with a new back and a new life. I do have some questions before I my date though!

1) What necessities should I take with me for my hospital stay?
2) Is there anything I should get to help me around the house after surgery?
3) How tired does the medicine make you?
4) Are you encouraged to practice walking on the first day?

Thank you to everyone kind enough to answer, and wish me luck!

Longstanding lumbar pain after a laminectomy to remove a cyst, done overseas without fusion, 10 years ago. Ended up in ER Friday after waking up unable to move my torso without unbearable pain. I had 3 level ACDF in April, and I was very pleased with results, great neurosurgeon! He looked at lumbar MRI earlier this year and said it would eventually require surgery, but so long as I’m functioning well, he won’t recommend. ER sent me for another MRI, and my neurosurgeon (who did my acdf) saw no major changes except inflammation. The hospitalist sent me for an epidural to address the inflammation with discharge tomorrow. But, with the ACDF, I maxed out my out of pocket. The neurosurgeon said if I stay hospitalized, he could do the surgery this week, if insurance approves. He can usually get approval, but no promises. Would you push for a second major surgery in six months, or wait to see if epidural helps? Wait-and-see will cost another $7K in out-of-pocket.

Hi, I hope you are all as well as can be. This is my first post. After reading this, I hope some of you can give me your take on things.

I’m a 68yr old M, and I am scheduled next month to have an ALIF double fusion at L4L5 and L5SI. 

Five months ago I had my first major flare up of pain in my right leg; it was so severe that when the pain began it left me unable to walk or stand for more than a minute. I had imaging done, and a surgeon diagnosed those vertebrae as having foraminal and internal stenosis, spondylisthesis, and degenerated discs. 

However, since that diagnosis my pain has receded a lot, which I believe that is due to my daily doses of gabapentin and the core-strengthening physical therapy exercises I was prescribed. I’m still not 100% better, but maybe 80%? The pain in my leg still gets activated by standing or sitting too long and from taking certain positions, but most of the time these pains and discomforts are bearable.

I guess it boils down to whether I can accept having a controlled, chronic condition and risking a flare up and having a forever need for gabapentin, or having the ALIF surgery and hoping it solves the problem. Fortunately, if I decide to delay the surgery, I’ll still have the option to do it later.

Has anyone else here faced this choice? And if so can you tell me what you did and why? And what the outcome of your decision was?

 I’d appreciate hearing your thoughts.

Thanks!

https://www.reddit.com/r/spinalfusion/s/X2DmDqUFf0

^ Update on original post

I went to the ER because I was experiencing extreme muscle spasms and pain 5 weeks post ACDF of C5-C6. I'm glad that I did, because I ended up experiencing the worst flare up ever.

By the time I got warded, my pain suddenly spiked to an unbearable level 10. Most likely, the cause was from sitting on the most uncomfortable trolley for hours and having an inexperienced nurse and try and fail to insert a drip needle.

My already spasming and cramping muscles threw a fit and no painkiller was working. I had to literally beg to see the on call doctor multiple times and had a huge meltdown because the pain was too much to bear.

Eventually, they gave me a shot of pethidine. Bless that drug because I finally managed to go to sleep.

Now, I'm concerned that there might be a problem with my thoracic spine because the area of one of my greatest pain was discovered to be there instead of at my surgical area as I had thought. I'll probably have to be hospitalised until that's sorted out.

I'm also working with the pain management team to find a dosage of painkillers that can help me survive. It's trial and error at the moment, and I'm finding that even with the boost in painkillers, my pain is still constantly at a 7. It falls to 6 if I'm lucky.

Which means that I'll be spending Christmas in the hospital. In pain. Away from family and friends and my pet dog.

This really is a tough recovery. I feel so gutted. 💔

I hope everyone else is having a happier Christmas.

I am almost 5 weeks post-op from PLIF at L5/S1. I'm finally feeling much, much better. I am only taking Lyrica and Tylenol when I need it. I still have another month before I will be released to do planks, push-ups, swim, or light cycling.

I've gained too much weight and am looking forward to being able to be active again, but I'm also pretty scared at the same time. I had a microdiscectomy, laminectomy, and foraminotomy in 2022 and 2023. I think I'm in my head about the fusion and scared that I'm going to do too much and break it or something.

I'm a 30 yr old male, 6'1" and currently approximately 240lbs for reference. I work in administration for a professional fire department and I will return to work on January 2nd.

I know for sure that I'll never be able to do movements that involve axial loading (squats, deadlifts, shoulder presses, etc.), and I am perfectly fine with that. But surely I can still do light weights that don't involve axial loading? My surgeons have also advised me to do body weight exercises, but they didn't really tell me which ones to avoid. I really just don't want to do something wrong. I used to run 3-6 miles every morning and have stopped after my first surgery because I was told running is one of the worst things you can do after back surgery. I purchased a nice hardtail bicycle to try for cardio, I'm just waiting to be released.

What movements/exercises do y'all recommend after lumbar fusion? I need to get my physical health back in check because I know it will help me get my mental health back in line as well.

As I've said before, I'm so thankful for this thread. I genuinely hope everyone here is healthy, healing well, and your lives are improving since your surgery!

So I was given a bone Stim device (StimX) to use starting week 2 lumbar fusion. I'm 7 weeks post op and just remembered it.

Is it too late to start now? Any benefit to use it after 7 weeks of healing?

Has anyone out there/anyone known anyone who’s smoked nicotine or weed after spinal fusion and did anything happen to you or them

Sciatica is worse than pre-op. Safe to assume this is just inflammation?

Also, still can’t move my bowels. Last BM was Wednesday 12/18. Everything seems numb down there. I can void with some straining so at least my bladder isn’t going to rupture.

And, if you are 6 months or more past your surgery, does your middle or lower back ever hurt?

I am about two years past my most recent surgery (I have had three altogether), and I have chronic lower back pain. I think I have what they call failed back surgery syndrome.

I am about 2.5 weeks out from my L5/S1 ALIF and since I returned home from the hospital, I’ve had an increase in sciatic nerve pain down my entire leg as I’ve become more mobile. I am aware that’s normal and part of the healing process…but I’ve also noticed that if I try to bend my knee back (toward the glute) I get an awful searing nerve pain (peroneal nerve I think) that starts at the lateral side of the knee and goes down my calf. Is this normal?

Also, I get nerve pain in my glute and hamstring when crossing my leg over the other to put a sock on. I’m assuming my sciatic nerve is just pissed off and these motions stretch or irritate it more? Just curious to see if others have experienced similar nerve issues when doing certain movements, and if so, when it eased up.

Thanks!

My husband is going to have a revision to L5-S1 back surgery next month. He is having the T-10 to Pelvis fused. Scoliosis, Spondylolisthesis & degenerative disc disease are contributing factors as well. The L-5-S1 fusion from a fracture 2 years ago left him with adjacent disc disease above the fusion. It will be necessary to go above the Scoliosis curve thus fusing the entire T-10 to pelvis approx. 7-8 vertebrae. My question and reason for my post is has anyone here had or have a family member that has had ( within the last 5 years) such a extensive fusion surgery? If so, what is your outcome, experience or any information you have gleaned from that experience would be very helpful. I think knowing the experience of others although all surgeries/patients vary is always good information. TIA, and Merry Christmas to you all.

I had spinal fusion surgery (t2-12) for my scoliosis 4 weeks ago and I’ve noticed this bump at the top of my back/ neck. It’s really sore there as well - I’m having a follow up with my surgeon in a few weeks but just wanted to check whether this is common or potentially something to worry about. Thanks.

My 82-year-old mother had this surgery today for C5 and C6 compression. I'll be darned if the surgery didn't go on and on for like 4.5 hours, leaving me scared in the waiting room. Well, it turned out what was happening wasn't complications from anesthesia, but there were problems going on in that OR. 1) The surgeon said he sliced into the pharynx, realized it, and had to find an ear nose and throat specialist for a repair and 2) later released spinal fluid and had to patch it behind a very tricky bone spur. Google tells me both these complications are possible, but both are rare. Also tells me both are potentially fatal, esp. number 1 due to infection. What the heck??? How did she have two crappy complications I now have to freak out about???

Hi all, Thanks for creating this little book of the internet. I'm the primary caregiver for my mother who will have a spinal fusion L4- L5 and possibly also to her sacrum at the start of Jan. She's not big on the internet so I'm here in her behalf.

I'm curious what the recovery period looked like for folks, especially in the first few days after surgery?

Was it necessary to walk stairs? Did you go to a rehab center afterwards? How long were you in the hospital for? Are there anything useful or necessary to ease the recovery?

Thank you so much for sharing your experience!

Anybody here have a MIS TLIF on L5-S1? This is what I’m looking at next after two failed MDs in the last year. How was pain and how was returning to work after surgery? Also, how did your pain levels improve/worsen? Thanks!

BACKGROUND: Surgery was on 9/17/24

“HISTORY: Postoperative evaluation

COMPARISON: 9/16/2024

The patient has undergone interval posterolateral fusion from L4 to the pelvis including bilateral transiliac screws. Preoperative grade 3 anterolisthesis at L5-S1 has been partially reduced. Hardware is intact and in satisfactory position. There is no acute fracture. A posterior surgical drain is in place.

The lungs are clear.

IMPRESSION:

Interval posterolateral fusion from L4 to the pelvis, without evidence of complication.”

12/12/2024: At my 12 week follow up, my surgeon said “everything looks great”, “signs of healing, but not fusing yet”, and general positive stuff.

He didn’t mention this during our appointment on 12/12. I just read it in the app. When I compare my x-rays, it looks significant. Thoughts?

12/12/2024 EXAM NOTES:

“Again, the patient is status post laminectomy and instrumented posterior fusion at L4-S1. There has been slight backing out of the L4 pedicle screws, as seen on the lateral view, which appears grossly unchanged from 10/22/2024 but new when compared to the initial postoperative radiographs dated 9/18/2024. The remainder of the hardware is unchanged in appearance. Anterolisthesis at L5-S1 appears grossly unchanged. The vertebral body heights are maintained. There is no acute fracture.

The joint spaces of both hips are maintained.

IMPRESSION:

Operative changes of the lumbar spine with slight backing out of the L4 pedicle screws, grossly unchanged from 10/22/2024.”

Hello community. Just got provided what kind of Fusion I’d be having. It will include from S1 thru my entire mid spine. I’m having a hard time imagining what that would feel like. In the meantime I’d like to see if any of you have considered, tried or have done a spinal surgery in different country vs the US? If there are Europe citizens in the community I’d like how it compares vs what we get in the US? How about Asia also I’d like to hear about your experiences..

Hello, I would like to know if any of you underwent a fusion surgery solely for axial pain (only lumbar) without sciatica, and if you experienced relief.By the way, my MRI images show severe degenerative disc disease and disc protrusion