Spondylolisthesis

[Maggi C-B]

After years of pain and loss of mobility, I was referred to a surgeon.

In September of this year, I was told that a simple operation would free me from pain and restore me to mobility.

In September I had an MRI of my spine.

Two weeks ago, I returned to see my surgeon for the verdict......

I was told that the simplke operataion is not an option.

Instead, my surgeon proposes to carry out Spinal Fusion surgery..

I cannot go through it. My research leads me to believe that it has many more risks than possible benefits.

I'd like to hear from fusion patients.

[Pooka1]

My 13 yo daughter was fused from T4-L1 earlier this year for AIS.

By the second week after surgery and still in the thick of recovery requiring regular pain meds, she was saying she was very glad to have had the surgery. Of course she was fast becoming a pretzel and was developing daily pain at the shoulder blade from the relentless rotation in the period before surgery.

She has had no pain since a few months after the surgery.

Modern surgical procedures are the best and only hope for kids with progressive scoliosis who reach the surgical range.

Good luck in your decision.

[leahdragonfly]

Hi Maggie,

Is the surgeon saying you need a fusion of a scoliosis curve (involving multiple vertebrae), or is a shorter fusion to correct/stabilize a spondylolisthesis (forward slippage of one vertebrae)? There is quite a difference between these two surgeries, so it depends on what they are recommending.

In 1984 I had a fusion of L4-S1 for a spondylolisthesis. I was a teenager. I had to wear a body cast for 3 months afterward because no hardware was used. But, I recovered quickly and had total relief of all back and leg pain. I am 100% glad I had the surgery. I have had 23 years virtually without problems. I now have another spondylolisthesis at L4 and will eventually need surgery for that, but I am glad I had the original surgery and don't regret it.

Lastly, spondylolisthesis surgery is generally considered to be highly successful, much more so than fusion for non-specific degenerative (non-scoliosis) changes such as disk disease.

Good luck,