Does surgery for spondylolisthesis help relieve pain?

jason3552 · Newbie Joined: 18 Jul 2007 Posts: 5

Hi I am a 33 yr old male who is considering surgery for spondylolisthesis on L5 which is causing a lot of pain in my low back and some nerve stuff in legs and back. I am curious if anyone knows will this surgery stop or ease the pain? Doctor recommended a wait and see approach (if nerve damage gets worse) and when i asked for pain med. he recommended a shot in the spine but that freaks me out, however am willing to try anything just tired of suffering! Help on either of the subjects is needed thanks!! Crying or Very sad

kimlisafreeman · Newbie Joined: 20 Jul 2007 Posts: 1

Hello,

I am a 35 female. Had a spinal fusion 2 years ago and a laminectomy a year and half ago. The fusion surgery was horrible. I do not recommend to anyone. I was in terrible pain after the surgery. So much that I wanted to die. Pain meds only helped so much. I now have more pain than I did before surgery. My surgeon is terrible. Dr. Goldstein, in NY, NY. Do not go to him. The ironic thing was he was voted one of the Best Doctors in NY in 2005 and 2004. What a joke that survey is! He does not provide me with answers as to why the surgery failed to relieve my pain. The only reason I had the surgery is because my surgeon said it would help the pain. He never answers my questions and just tells me to go see a pain management doctor. I have a wonderful pain management doctor that I found on my own. However, I am still taking pain meds and living a nightmare. I can't participate in sports, Can't excersise, can't go out dancing and I am terrified of being Pregnant. I rarely go out socially as standing or sitting too long causes a lot of painl. I used to be a very social person, but now I hardly ever see my friends. My family and friends have noticed a big change in me. I really want to start a family too. Before the surgery (fusion was at L5-S1 with instruments posterior and anterior), I very bad back pain and left leg pain (back sciatica). Tried PT/injections and meds and pressure point injections for months. Nothing lasted. Now after surgery, I have muscle spasms in both lef and right calf, a very sharp pain in my lower left buttock when I bend certain ways, like when I bend up from brushing my teeth, swelling and numbness in the right side of my abdomen, servere soreness all over my back, left leg pain and pain in my abdomen muscles. My surgeon had the nerve to tell me he doesn't think my sworeness in my belly is because of the surgery even though I never, ever had this type of pain until when I woke up from the surgery. And he cut me in my stomach. How can he say that the incision he made in my belly would not cause pain???!!I think he did something wrong and won't admit it. I wish someone day he has back problems and has a spinal fusion that causes him a great deal of pain. He's too busy on his boat to help patients he butched. He won't admit he did anything wrong. Be very care of surgeons; they think they are GODS and know everything; but they don't. If they operate on you, and you complain, they'll insinuate that the pain is all in your head. What disgusitng human beings surgeons can be. IF any one knows a good, honest doctor or has any other advise/tips, I would be sooo grateful. I am living in a nightmare and just want to wake up from it. For those of you thinking about spinal fusion, I would not do it. It's too much on your spinal to recover from. Thanks to all for listening!
A sad girl from Brooklyn.

jason3552 · Newbie Joined: 18 Jul 2007 Posts: 5

Thank you sad girl in Brookylin, I feel for you extremly, I cant imagine what you are going through. If you read this please know someone can sympothise with you no one seems to understand what we go through. I have a referense for you if interested I found him after I found this site his name is "Sensei Adam Rostocki" <thaitravellr@optonline.net he seems to be very interested in helping peeps like us worth a look!! His website is cure-back-pain.org. Thanks for responding I will keep updating as I figure out more help available!
Jason

Guest · Guest

I also had surgery for spondylolisthesis with Dr. Goldstein. I'm surprised you're so negative. I found the surgery to be life saving. I'm back doing everything I ever wanted. Last year I ran the NYC marathon in 4 hours. I owe it all to him!

cnf · Newbie Joined: 01 Aug 2008 Posts: 1

I'm a 40yr. old mother of 2 with grade 3 spondylolisthesis and have been in chronic pain for years. The pain is worse when I play tennis which I have been doing more and more as I don't want this pain to get in the way of doing things I enjoy and that give me an outlet. I have spoken to a number of surgeons and have one in particular that I think I am going to use this fall and get the spinal fusion.
What grade spondy did you have? I am impressed that you are able to run so much after the fusion. I used to run a great deal and had to stop due to pain and logically it didn't seem like the best form of excersise. I thought it was not a good thing to run after fusion.
As you can see I'm very athletic and want to continue to be so after surgery. What grade spondy did you have? HOw was the recovery?
Thank you.

painter33 · Newbie Joined: 21 Aug 2008 Posts: 1

I am a 35 female.../quote]

Failed spinal fusions are not always the fault of the surgeon. Much of the outcome is based on what the patient does post-surgically or, in some cases, based on another problem that is exposed when one is taken care of. Nevertheless, I'm sorry you've had a poor outcome. I've had two instrumented lumbar fusions and a third is necessary, not because my surgeons did anything wrong, but because of my congenital deformities, spondylythesis, and stenosis. Once one level was stabilized, the increased movement on the next higher level has sped the degeneration process, not spread it. It's common and usual for a second procedure to succeed when the first does not. If you live in or near NYC, there are other terrific spine surgeons who can help you with your instability I can only refer you to docs in Boston or, horrors, Baton Rouge, LA (the place not the physician). A lifetime of medication isn't really the answer for you - you're too young and you want to have a family. Don't fear another surgery or write off every other surgeon because of one experience. I've trusted my life to two orthopedic surgeons (one retired) and have felt completely confident that I've gotten the best care possible. It's an attitude thing.

Does surgery for spondylolisthesis help relieve pain?

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