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Has anyone had post op problems after spinal fusion

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mary12617
mary12617

My husband had spinal fusion op in October 2013. He hasn't felt any benefit at all sadly and is still!unable to walk very far before his leg goes numb. In March this year he became very ill and Urosepsis was diagnosed. He spent 8 days under excellent care in hospital and has recovered well. However, no cause for the sepsis has been found. We are wondering if there could be a connection with the metal used in the spinal fusion operation and sepsis. This thought came to mind as a Vet on TV programme said he never uses metal on dogs due to possible infection.

0 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • Brownevo
    Brownevo mary12617

    Posted

    I'm 9 weeks post operative from a spinal fusion and I have to say that I've had more ups and downs than a rollercoaster. I'vehad extreme sciatica, numbness, pain, my pelvis has locked and when sat Icannot straighten my legs, my mental capacity has also been severely affected and my posture changed from perfect to now standing llikea duck.

    About 5/6 weeks post op Ithought I'd made a massive mistake. But Iwent from using 30 pain meds a day and constant pain to now at nearly 3 months taking 1 or 2 pain meds a day and I'm now using exercise to rehabilitate my body which has gone into shock. My pelvis has locked and my sciatic nerves have caused my knee to be painful and its not in its socket.

    I was warned about the body rejecting the metalwork and other issues but fingers crossed I haven't had what your had. If it is indeed infected it needs to be removed. I went through a couple of periods after the op when my temp soared to above100 but this ddid calm down.

    Go back to the doctors and have him checked out hopefully his body is just trying to get used to having a foreign object inside him and things will settle down

    Xx

    • mary12617
      mary12617 Brownevo

      Posted

      Hi. Thanks for your reply. You seem to be suffering a lot still sadly. I am wondering if you were unable to walk very far before op and what painkillers you were taking. My husband has no meds at all but did try 1000mg paracetamol which didn't help at all. To be able to suggest meds to the GP would be useful.

      he has had no post op care other than one visit when he was x rayed and all seemed fine according to consultant.

      do hope you improve soon. X

    • Brownevo
      Brownevo mary12617

      Posted

      Hi there, yes there are many ups and downs with this operation.  You get to a point when you get used to feeling great and then not so great either due to pain or feeling very down about it all.  

      i was lucky enough to go private through work or I would have been waiting 6-9 months on the NHS. Mine had one follow up appointment and an X-ray which I haven't seen and now I'm under the physio, make sure you go the physio, is is something I asked for and I'm glad I did as I've now got secondary issues with my knee and sciatic nerve due to my pelvis locking and my whole body has tensed up, after shock of a major op.

      before my operation I was on a massive amount of painkillers, 8 tramadol, 8 co codamol, 9 acupan and 1 gabapentin a day.  I was a zombie, a dangerous amount of painkillers, but without them I would have been bed ridden.  I was so bad I was in constant pain and every move made it worse.  I could not stand or walk for more than 5-10 minutes.   Even started to develop panic attacks as I was in so much pain.  The doctor wanted to sign me off and put me on morphine which I refused.

      gabapentin is amazing, no after effects at all and great for secondary pain, so pain which is affected by your back but radiates somewhere else such as the leg, knee etc.  tramadol is also excellent but will turn him into a zombie, co codamol is not so good and makes you constipated.  Acupan reduced my pain by 60% to start with but once I got used to them I was stuck! they make you feel ill too like you have a flu.  Each morning I felt like I had a hangover from all the meds and it took me an hour to come round.

      Paracetamol do sod all.  Keeping positive helps, stress has an awful reaction on your nervous system and made the pain worse, so I meditated daily, put some good music on , got into the sun and closed my eyes, it certainly helped clear my mind,

      exercise is key to recovering.  I walked every day with a walker, then a stick now I don't have either.  I am doing Pilates which is starting to free up my pelvis and I actually managed to straighten my legs this morning when sat down for the first time in months. I cried as I didn't think I'd ever be able to do that again.  My surgeon told me to walk until I ached then rest, exercise is key to getting recovered.  It is very hard, the hardest thing I have ever done in my life.

      i have often wondered if I had made a mistake it thinking back I was near damn suicidal from all the pain meds and constant pain.

      be warned though long term use of narcotic medicine isn't good, I have to go through very very severe withdrawals from being on them all for months, but it takes a long time to build up to that point.  Go to the doctors ask them for some pain meds to help him exercise and walk walk walk.  Then get. Decent physio at around 8-10 weeks and do as they tell you.

      good luck xx 

  • skybluepink
    skybluepink mary12617

    Posted

    Does he suffer recurrent utis, as mine cause sepsis & severe back pain & inability to move  requiring a cocktail of drugs  including neuro ones if utis caused by hidden spina bifida  found in your 20s .Bronchopneumonia age 5 is another .Also needles in spine could be a problem ?But NHS too busy pretending it knows best.Yet MRIs too expensive .Mine found on IVP then arm felt as if falling off like when I had the cardiac arrest .This I discovered by trial *& error pain so extreme .Upping former uti medication could do the trick  also TENS & ultrasound machines 

    Some private Drs now recognising referred  infection can play a part but are restricted by NHS policy & procedures such as history as sometimes based on wrong diagnosis  such as myth.They have told me hands are tied when mentioned meningitus ?

    I reckon best way to treat is dilute what they do for those who are acute.

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