Success after 3 years of suffering

[Hooch]

Wonderful news for your family.

[dshobbies]

Any success story brings hope to so many others. Glad your mother is doing well and thanks for posting.

[Maria]

So glad to hear your Mom is pain free! How incredible/wonderful! Thanks for taking the time to post the update!

[Maria]

Jim,
Not everyone is a candidate for ADR and fusion is still an option for some who for whatever reason fall into the category of needing it so there have been a number of threads in the last few years w/people reporting successful fusion surgeries even multi level.

In my own case there was a time I was a candidate for ADR at several lumbar levels but I let that time pass and surrounding structures are no longer what they should be (facets) for an ADR to be performed. Fusion is still an option should I want to go there. If my symptoms warrented this and I would consider it or if it's all that's available to me and thought to be what would correct the problem in the hands of a talented/gifted surgeon coming highly recommended.

I think Mark has acknowledged before (a number of times) that sometimes fusion is the right surgery for the right reasons.

What's your status with recommendations? Are you seeking more opinions to validate what you've been advised to do thus far? Hope whatever you choose to do will work for you. Keep us posted.

[Keano16]

17 month follow up. Pains are stable 2-3/10 which could be related to fusion level (L3-L4) or any other degenerated level. My mom is happy with current situation!

Follow-up X-Ray shows "solid fusion" (quoting dr. Saftic and dr. Zeegers).



Click for full resolution image!

[Keano16]

Important discovery by our team.

Thanks to my research and kind and friendly involvement of dr. Robert Saftic (Vertebris International Spine Hospital Croatia) and dr. Peter Hajek (Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, UK) we are on a breach of important discovery for patients suffering from chronic constipation after spinal fusion surgery.

As you may know, some studies show that smoking is slowing bone healing and obviously fusion process, and because of that some spinal surgeons advise patients to stop smoking just before spinal fusion surgery to increase chances of successful outcome of fusion process.

Under guidance of me and dr. Saftic, my mom stopped smoking in March 2010 (just before fusion surgery) and developed severe and chronic bowel constipation. Only solution to get bowel out was irrigation or enema device.

After tons of tests (and I really mean tons!) with neurosurgeons, neurologists, orthopedists, anesthesiologists, radiologists, internists we came to dead end - NO SOLUTION FOR CHRONIC CONSTIPATION which we though is related to spinal fusion.

Few days ago, I've found two studies (one from French group, one from UK group) which state that in 1 of 11 patients (based on 1000 from that study) can develop sever bowel constipation following stopping smoking. After finding this study, I bought my mom Nicorette gums and box of cigarettes and after 2 days (with just one morning cigarette) she produced bowel movement and first feeling of her intestines in past year and a half.

Maybe this will be helpful to some of you in future!

[Maria]

Hi Keano,
Interesting. Made me recall my coffee and cigarette days pre and post surgeries tho pre use of opioid medicine. I have chronic constipation if I don't take (currently) 4 Senakot-S q.p.m. and Miralax 17gm q day.

Maybe Nicorette would be cheaper and as effective. Wonder if there's any adverse long term effect from use of this (as Senakot S supposedly makes the colon walls darker/black so was recommended by GI doc not to take but it works so I continue!)!!

Glad to hear your Mom is "going" as this seems to be a common natural occurence with many as they age and adding a contributing factor just seems to really clog up the pipes which can be quite distressing and painful!

[dshobbies]

Who ever thought nicotine could actually be good for you

Regardless, I'm glad your mother has found relief. I remember those early days, after my surgery when constipation was a huge problem. I thought I'd never be normal again!

Dale

[Keano16]

Then imagine how she felt after 17 months of constipation.....

[jbcool35]

Nice x-rays. That's exactly what mine looks like only at L5/S1. Glad she is in good shape and it all turned out good for her.