Pre-Fusion Surgery

I've had a bad back for most of my adult life. 2001, just before Christmas, I was washing the car and stood up. My life changed dramatically from that point on when I ruptured, more of an explosion, my L5/S1 disc. Did the PT for several months and on my last day one of the fragments from the disc severed a nerve. Long story short, had a discectomy and basic cleanup work done two weeks later. Lost partial feeling in my left ankle and toes permanently. It's like walking with your sock folded over in your shoe all of the time, really annoying.

After six months of normal life, pain started to set in again (not as bad this time). Did the shot thing for about six months, never really helped. I don't recommend having a steroid injection in the Doctor's office without a fluoroscope. My Doctor finally told me that I just had to live with the problem cause I had weak facet joints. Pain was about a 3-4 most of the time. It's amazing what you can block out if you set your mind to it. In 2005, went to a new Doctor, who also told me to just live with it. Turns out he assisted in my surgery in 2002 which I didn't know. They did an MRI, showed disc herniations up and down my entire lower lumbar with L5/S1 50% collapsed. I went on my merry way and lived with it. The hardest part of living with it is showering and getting dressed in the morning. Life is supposed to be an adventure, right? I rarely complained about my back, so on the really bad days I might be able to garner a little sympathy and TLC from my wife and 2 girls (ages 14 & 12), one can dream ok.

My wife finally convinced me to see yet another doctor in the spring of 2007. They did all kinds of wonderful tests, XRAYS, MRI, Discography (this one really hurts), EMG. Turns out that living with it is not such a good idea. L5/S1 didn't even show up anymore (nothing but air) and L4/L5 was now 50% collapsed.

The following is my diagnosis as of the spring of 2007:

1.) DDD L1-S1.
2.) Left L3 foraminal stenosis.
3.) Left L4 foraminal stenosis.
4.) Bilateral L5 severe forminal stenosis.
4.) L5/S1 vertebral deformity.
6.) L4 spinal stenosis.
7.) L5 severe central and subarticular stenosis.
8.) Failed L5 laminectomy (FBSS).
9.) Severe facet joint arthropathy.
10.) Bulging / mild herniated discs L1/L2, L2/L3, and L3/L4.
11.) Severe disc herniation at L4/L5.
12.) Collapsed disc and severe herniation at L5/S1.
13.) Sacroiliac (SI) joint dysfunction.

Considering my long laundry list of problems, I can never expect to pain free in my back again. Regardless of the facts, I have opted to have another go around with the knife in an attempt to put my body back together. My plans are to be able to horse around with my kids at the pool without fear of hurting myself, ride a roller coaster and not feel like my back has just been crushed, play golf and not spend the following week wishing I hadn't, or just living life like the rest of the world. My goals seem pretty lofty at this moment and I know that after lunch tomorrow I'm not going to be a happy camper.

Here is the list of procedures that they will be doing:

1.) Lumbar posterolateral fusion L4-5.
2.) Lumbar posterolateral fusion L5-S1.
3.) Lumbar transforaminal interbody fusion of L4-5.
4.) Lumbar transforaminal interbody fusion of L5-S1.
5.) Left L4 far lateral laminectomy with foraminotomy for foraminal stenosis.
6.) Bilateral L5 far lateral laminectomy with foramintomy for severe forminal stenosis.
7.) Posterior vertebral osteotomy with the bilateral sacral dome osteotomy of
S1 for spinal mobilization and reduction of deformity.
8.) Left L3 hemi laminectomy and foramintomy.
9.) L4 decompressive laminectomy with bilateral foraminotomies for spinal stenosis.
10.) Right decompressive laminectomy of L5 with foraminotomy for severe central and subarticular stenosis.
11.) Placement of inner vertebral body mechanical device at L4-5.
12.) Placement of inner vertebral body mechanical device at L5-S1.
13.) Placement of segmental spinal instrumentation.
14.) Harvest of autologous cancellous and critical cancellous bone graft.
15.) Use of infuse, RHPMP 2. sub muscularly.
16.) Left L5 revision laminectomy and foraminotomy.