recovery time for l5 s1 fusion

I am 3 days short of 4 weeks from surgery. L5/S1 fussion. The front incision healed quickly. The two in back are still tender. I started walking the day of surgery. I do still have some nerve pain in my left glute and calf, foot, toes, and some on the bottom of the right foot. I have been driving since the second week after surgery. Probably wasn't supposed to but have had no major issues or pain while driving. My pain issues stem from sitting for prolonged periods. I also take pain meds early evening or around bed time. My nerve pain is not as severe as it was before surgery and actually manisfests feeling different. I will have a 6 wk. follow up in just over two weeks. I fully expect to be pain free, and to see bone growth early on. I could not have functioned much longer with the injury. The L5 slid further forward in the 1 1/2 months from MRI to surgery. I was in continual pain which was severe. I am walking well and feel better (less pain) while doing so. I am sure the nerves muscles, and tendons will have to adjust to the fact that I am at least 1/2 inch taller and able to stand erect for the first time in months if not years. Hope each of you do well.

Me again. Today is Surgery plus 5 weeks. I have noticed some changes to pain and how it manifests. Yesterday my lower back started to click and move as if adjusting. I am still experiencing some surgery (screws) pain. Most of my pain still builds from sitting. Both feet feel as if they are on fire. I walked a mile today and experience very little to no pain while walking. Mostly when standing still or sitting. I am encouraged that it is taking longer in the day before the pain starts manifesting. I am still taking pain meds late afternoon or at bed time. I fully expect to be completely pain free sooner than later. I hope you all are feeling better and progressing towards health and healing.

2 months ago: just had 3 month check up -doing well, feet doing better, driving and getting around with one cane. no pain at all, just a few electric jolts once in a while. still in Physical therapy and it's helping a lot.

Hi im laura, my fusion was nearly 4 weeks ago im having jolts in my back it scares me

Today is 8 weeks since surgery. I plan to return to work Monday. I am still taking pain meds at least once a day. My pain is caused by sitting to long or standing to long in one place. When I am moving, walking, I have little pain. My six week exam was good. I have good bone growth and healing looks good. I have more flexibility and greater ease of movement. I am not yet pain free but believe I will be. Just takes time. Hope you are all doing well with recovery.

I am almost 15 weeks post surgery for the L5/S1 fusion. With the exception of a little bit of nerve pain at the bottom of my left foot, I am almost pain free. My primary exercise is walking. I try to walk a mile to 1 1/2 miles every few days. I came off of the pain meds cold turkey. I didn't realize there would be withdrawal symptoms. Please talk to your Doc before stopping the pain pills out right. I stopped in my 9th week after surgery. It took almost a 3 weeks to recover from withdrawal symptoms. I am excited about being totally pain free soon. It has been almost a year since the injury that precipitated the surgery. Had I not fallen on my back, I probably would have lived with the spondylolisthesis the rest of my life. Good luck with your recovery. To those of you considering surgery who have heard, "never get a fusion", sometimes you don't have a choice. As for me. Even though recovery is tough and takes time, I am glad I had the surgery. I can highly recommend Texas Spine and Joint Hospital in Tyler, TX. The Doctors, Nurses, and staff are awesome!

I had L5-S1 fusion with microdiscectomy and foraminotomy on April 29th, could not walk n to hospital and walked same day as surgery. Went for 1 week post op check up was told I could drive and go back to work following week (1 1/2 weeks post op). I did and still do wear my brace if I do any lengthy walking but am doing great. Also after a week back to work I went on plane trip to TN for my nephews graduation. so I got an additional weeks rest.

The short answer is it will take up to 6 months before all pain subsides. That includes pain from sitting, over doing it, lifting too much and nerve recovery from pre op conditions.

I had l5-s1 fused on feb 3rd 2015, and I am now I a condition where my back is no longer giving me any issues, bar minor pain from the occasional bad sleeping position or soft mattress. I could drive after 2 months but the importance of staying out of seats is essential to your recovery. The muscles will be severely damaged from the nerve pain pre op, as well as the operation itself. Give yourself as MUCH time as possible to recover. Physiotherapy is the only key to success here. Good luck, stay out of chairs, do your physio. Best. Al

it is not the pain meds buddy. it's nerve damage. don't count on this MD. to fix it. Go to a Urologist. Then seek a more aggressive neurologist. your current doc is a lazy quack and won't admit it's either his doing or irreversible nerve damage. sorry

Had my TLIF at L5 S1.... Last August 15, 2015...due to a severe pain in my back and right leg... I decided to have my surgery when I began experiencing numbness in my saddle area and could not "push it" when i am at the toilet.... first week post OP is terrible ... I could hardly walk.... Had my first Therapy on September 15 and went back to work on October 19, 2015.... I still experience some pain in my butt . specially when sitting on a hard surface....

Thank you. I am having a fusion l5s1 january 19 2016. I am so nervous i feel sick almost cancelling at times. My Dr said if i dont get fused one day i may not be able to walk.

I had the same feeling about canceling. I just had L5 S1 Fusion on Nov 23rd. Although I am still on pain med, I'm starting to ween myself off, I no longer have the leg pain i had prior.

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I am having my l5 s1 fusion Jan 25th 2016. I understand your fears. My prayers are with you. I hope im strong enough to go through with it..... Really really nervous!!!

Reading some of these responses amaze me! I had 2 surgeries in Dec. 2015. Day 1 from the front to replace ruptured L5 disk with a spacer or cage as the doc called it. Day 2 was repair of broken vertebrae and fusion. I was in hospital for 5 days and am just starting therapy 6 weeks after surgery.

I can now drive if I don't take pain Medes but I have yet to get thru a day without needing. I was in great shape going in and am already walking up to 2 miles without stopping. I just hope that those that talk about going back to work or driving 5-6 weeks post surgery are not rushing things.

I intend to only do this once so taking things slow is worth it for me. Listen to your body and your doctor.

Best of luck to all.

KAH

It is a couple years since your post however thought I would share. Ihave had DDD since 1990 and had 3 fusions and 1 cervical fusion in my neck. I started going to Henry Ford Hospital to be approved for pain pump implanted to give me releif from constant 7-10 pain levels for over 8-10 years now. wear Fentanyl patch 100mcg/h and take percocet daily . well while going to Henry Ford had xrays done and they discovered a broken titanium screw and a loose screw. needless to say this explains the sever pain all these years. it this point all I know is I have to have another surgery to repair the old surgeries and whatever else has been broken up over the years.. I am ready for the fix but not the recovery its been 11 years since last one and I am now 60 and a bit scared but hoping to get back some kind of life to spend with my 2yr. old and 3 year old grandchildren. they are what I fight and live for. when they see me they get so happy and I am overwhelmed every time. so bring on the scalpel and fix this crippled grandpa. good luck everyone. I have been telling my daughters who have watched this play out since they were 3 and 6. I worked through 6 different surgeries until they were out of school and I am proud I did. now I want some years with tolerable pain.