MAJOR BACK SURGERY (OPINIONS PLEASE)

Hi everyone, just chasing some real time life experience from anyone who has had their lower back joints fuzed. Namely L5/S1 or L4/L5.

Hey mate I really feel for you, and am unfortunately all too familiar with this world.
Had l5S1 fused about 17 years ago, when I was 32.
It functioned pretty well for the first 12 years, I think I was surfing about 8 months after the op. I hadn't surfed in the 2 years prior...and like you, I was no chance of surfing again if I didn't have it done.
Unfortunately things have gone south in the last fews years, and I am pretty much now in the same state I was prior to my operation....slowly dealing with the reality that surfing is now a thing of the past. Due to the fusion a lot of stress gets put on areas and joints around the fusion...so now my l4l5 disc is really bad, and I am on that scans and doctor appointments run all over again, thankfully a bit wiser that I was 20 years ago
Really is much advice I think I could give you and more than happy to give you my phone number if you want it.
Seriously buddy take care of yourself, and I wish you all the best

tbb is sorry for dropping in...just waving spookypt thru...
...to earlier link for spookypt by udo...linking that one back to here for replies.

Cervical Discectomy and Fusion
https://www.swellnet.com/forums/wax/232326

Crew wish you good health spookypt.

Hi matt, If the option for an artificial disc is there, I'd take it - at least if it fails you can fall back to fusion.
At 33, had S1,L5 degeneration, wasn't surfing or playing sport from the pain, Worked in my own small business, office job, so was on my knees on a towel to take pressure off knee caps for about 18 months. (it was my own company, couldn't afford the fancy standup desks at that stage). One day I thought, this can't go on, I've still got plenty to give. Eventually sold up everything I had to raise funds for surgery, got L5, S1 disc replacement. After 3 months rehab, was back out in the surf - having no pain was a dream for those first few years. I'm 39 now, a few niggles have crept in at upper levels and cervical spine, most of which I can settle meditation techniques and a bit of mobility work.
A life of back pain is no good mate, it does weird things to the brain, hope you can get it sorted out. All the best.

Scaffold mate of mine had fusion done in Thailand as being kiwi it was going to cost him mega buck to do it in oz even though he's paid high tax there for a decade. The Joy's of being treated worse than a refugee as a working kiwi in oz. Any way he is back on the tools and pumping scaff gear so it was a success for him.
Other mate had it done with mixed results.

I just got my MRI scan results

L4L5 and L3L4 discs are both ruptured...amongst other interesting reading...scar tissue compressed nerves and cysts...something about hourglass effect
My doctor laughed and said it would have been easier if they wrote what wasn't wrong

I am booked in to see an orthopod in a few months to enquire about disc replacement rather than fusion...I figure any more fused vertabrae will make mobility increasingly limited...no chance of achieving my dream of surfing again...which I just can't give up on yet

But I have read that a candidate for disc replacement will not have had previous major surgery...not sure if this means I am definitely ruled out...or just much less likely...anyone know?

Good luck with all that Balance, hope it goes well for you

Hey fliplid genuine thanks for that, really appreciate it

How did your back operation go Balance? I've just had a L4/5 discectomy and laminectomy 5 weeks ago.