PLIF Fusion

I've had a TLIF from L3 through S1...12 days in the hospital,. 4 months of rehab, 6 months in a brace.  Same approach...going in through the back (posterior)...but this was a lot of rails and screws.  I'm not a doc and don't know why neuros pick one approach vs. another but why is this being proposed for a single-level fusion when an LLIF is available?  I had stenosis at L2/L3 and my doc did the lateral surgery (go in from the side).  One night in the hospital, immediate and permanent pain relief, no rehab, no brace.  Miracle op.  Have you asked about an LLIF???  Again, the PLIF may be the absolute perfect procedure for your condition; there may be a very good reason why the LLIF won't work for you.  Just check it out.

https://patient.info/forums/discuss/the-expandable-spacer-570509

UPDATE: Search YouTube for "Globus LLIF" for the animation.

Pix: Pre-op lateral, post-op posterior, post-op lateral.

I highly recommend a second opinion. I have spent the last 11 years in chronic pain. A simple second opinion could have assisted my decision. Good luck.

Doc   Also wants to do PLIF on L5 to S1  And a bunch of laser work from L1 to L3 . Also have a bunch of stenosis areas ,and a bulge at L4. It is the fusion that I am concerned cause now it’s seems to me that any fusion is the same and creates more problems later above .  I use a inversion table and keeps me in good condition  but when I over extend my back working the nerve pain shuts me down for 3 months in bed , So the PLIF is supposed to be less invasive  but dose it work good  ?!?

Yea, I'm 69 1/2 and in Dec 2014, just over 3 years ago,I had what you are looking at doing. I did get several more opinions...I got 5. First 2 Docs who  worked together said I should let them do 5 levels of fusion in 2 seperate surgeries from S-1 up to L-2. The one Doc of the first  pair who was going to do the surgery was being eased into the practice so the other could retire. I found that out from the last Doc I saw. The second pair of Docs I worked in the same practice so I saw them seperately. They each said that I should do only one level of fusion. I suspected that was because insurance wouldn't cover more than 1 at a time. Then my last doc said though I  have damage at several levels I should do only 2 levels of fusion at the 2 worst locations then put off any more as long as possible. His method was PLIF because that was what he was taught and became an expert in that technique. That was his reason for the PLIF method because I questioned the technique he planned to use versus TLIF. So you might expect more confusion, than satisfaction with more opinions. And based on what I went through, I would lean toward getting the TLIF procedure if it can be done but here is what else I learned. My last Doc said that doing too many levels of fusion like the first two Docs suggested requires you to be sedated by anythesia for too long and he also knew how slow the other doctor worked. My surgery eliminated the debilitating and unbearable pain that I would have maybe 3-4 times a week but instead produced almost a constant 24/7 3-6 level of pain that keeps me from sleeping more than 5-6 hours a night with constant interruption from pain. That's my story but to add one more thing  no matter what technique is performed, is that you can't continue to demand the same service from your back and spine once you are fused because it will wreck the two adjacent joints rapidly. If you can get away with only one joint being fused you will be far better off., The more you fuse the less you will be able to flex, bend and twist, and when you inevitably do flex, bend or twist even what seems normal it will put you in  pain and deteriorate the adjacent joints quickly. Construction labor is one of the worst types of work to be doing after a fusion, the only thing worse would be a limbo dancer. Once damage is done it can't be undone, only fuse more till there is no more that can be fused.Hope it helps.

I had a plif fusionl4/5 15 years ago and suffered chronic pain since, however I think there was complications my surgeon new about and chose to dismiss me, anyway that's another story but I now have been told my fusion failed and have been told that an ALIF revision surgery could be the answer but to make sure there doing the right opp there sending me to be fitted with a brace for 3 weeks as it's possible it could be SI JOINT DYSFUNCTION. 

I have been practically bed bound for the past year with chronic sciatica down both legs, I have never experienced pain like this and would have ended up in hospital at the weekend but couldn't physically stand up or drive, Iv been climbing the walls with pain and only hope they sort it out soon and can fix the problem 😊