anterior/posterior fusion
 

I had anterior/posterior surgery last April and have been doing really well. I had a 70 degree lumbar curve and a 40 degree thoracic curve. I am now fused with titanium from T-12 to L5. I'm about 90% fused and my doctor has given me the go ahead to start trying for a baby this summer (or sooner, except I have to get another chicken pox vaccine since I never had it as a child). I am wondering if there is anyone who had anterior and posterior fusion and then had a baby. I was told that I would most likely need a c-section, as I am quite small. Prior to my surgery I spoke to someone who had just posterior fusion and then had a baby, but nobody that had both anterior and posterior fusion. Is there anyone out there?
Heather

I am going to have my anterior/posterior fusion on April 26th. My doctor told me I just had to wait a year and then would be just fine getting pregnant.

Do you mind me asking why you had the anterior/posterior fusion? I am trying to find someone in the same situation as me who has had these surgeries.

Heather, we are in NJ as well. My son is having surgery in June. Would you mind sharing where you had your surgery and who performed it? Thank you. Carol

Hi Heathmoose...

I'm trying to imagine why having both anterior and posterior surgery (as opposed to posterior only) might impact having a baby successfully. A/P surgery is usually a tool for us older folks, and for the very young, but I'm sure there are others who have had both surgeries and then had babies.

You might want to do a search for other posts (see the blue bar above) on the word pregnancy.

Best of luck.

Regards,
Linda

Hi Heather,

My daughter, who is now 18, had anterior/posterior spinal fusion surgery (T1- to L2) at 16 years of age.

She's not planning on having any children (at least not yet), but we did ask her surgeon and he said she could.

He didn't mention a c-section. I'm wondering how they could do an epidural with that much fusion, but your fusion doesn't start until T12 (which is great).

Let us know what you find out. I would be interested for my daughter as well.

Take care,

Susan

anterior/posterior fusion/future pregnancy
 

I needed to have anterior/posterior surgery because my doctor said it would provide better correction. My lumbar curve progressed to 70 degrees and I had rotation as well as curvature. My lumbar curve is now somwhere around 19 degrees. My doctor said it should not be a problem having a baby, but I can no longer have an epidural. However, I was told I could have a caudal, which is a type of spinal.

I had my surgery at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. Dr. Boachie-Adjei performed my surgery and I was quite happy with him, as well as the hospital.
Heather

Hi Heather! I'm sort of in the same boat as you in that I just had anterior/posterior surgery 5 weeks ago and a major question for me to my doc was concerning having children after the surgery. My Ortho simply told me to wait at least a year and then I should be fine getting pregnant after that. No mention of c-section though.

I've also had trouble finding people who had the surgery and then had children. As for needing a c-section due to being small....one of my good friends just had a baby this week and she is 5'1 and weighed only about 100 pounds prior to pregnancy. Her labor went really well and she delivered vaginally with only 2 pushes! I think for those of us who have had this surgery, it's probably a wait and see situation concerning c-sections.

how are you doing Heidi?
 

Heidi, How are you doing? Are you feeling a bit better as time passes?
Hope all is going smoothly in the recovery. Laura

anterior/posterior fusion/reply to Heidi
 

Hi Heidi. Thanks for writing! It is nice to know there's someone else in a similar position. Actually it was my ob/gyn who said I should probably opt for a c-section, but who knows...I guess I will just have to wait and see. It all won't happen for a while still. I am approaching my year mark (April 20th)

How are you feeling? I am trying to remember what I was like 5 weeks post op. I think I was starting to do more, but still on the pain killers. I would have days where I had more energy and then the next day I'd sleep. I wasn't able to eat much b/c of the pain killers. I remember going in for my first post-op visit and my weight was really low. There was a big change for me once I got off the painkillers. I hope you're doing alright...it will get better!

Are you in a brace? I was in a brace for the first 3-4 months post op, but I did not have to sleep in it.

Feel good...stay in touch!
Heather

Hi Heather and Laura! I'm doing pretty well I think. I'm out of bed for a total of 5 hours a day now and taking Hydrocodone and a muscle relaxer at bedtime and then am on Tylenol every 4-6 hours for the remainder of the day. I do have a brace, but am not wearing as much as I am supposed to. My weight is pretty good. I only lost about 5-7 pounds but am having trouble eating big meals. I too have days where I have tons of energy and then a day or two where I'm tired and just want to sleep the day away....
My toughest challenge is with strengthening my right shoulder where my thorocotomy site is. I came home from the hospital with no ability to move my right shoulder at all and have been slowly regaining the strength in that shoulder. Thanks for checking in girls!