[fuzzy]

I had a fusion at s1l5 with adr (activ-l) on top at l4/5 and the recovery is said to be and was the same as a 2 level adr. Anterior approach together with the adr, nothing was done from the back. The STALIF fusion parts are designed for up to 3 screws and my surgeon only used 2. He used my own bone rather then artificial as in his opinion it works and there was less chance of problems with the adr autofusing then when using the artifical bone graft. The most post op pain I had came from the graft site at my hip for the first 3 weeks or so after that the hip calmed down and it was the usual post op abdominal issues. I was given the same recovery guidelines as a adr surgery with no restrictions after 6 weeks. After one year the bone was nicely grown into. According to the surgeon the screws are only here to hold it together until it fuses and now they have no use as its now fused. I think his strategy was a good one as the adr moves a lot more then my worn out natural disk did and seems to make up for the fusion below so I don't notice any limits in my abilty to move but then I am glad to have less pain now and no more severe pain attacks coming from my low back.