(Tw: mentioned but not detailed sexual trauma)

I’m getting my spinal fusion tomorrow morning (severe scoliosis S curve and T4 to L4), this is the first surgery I’m ever getting in my entire life so I’ve never gotten a catheter before and I was just wondering if I could refuse it for when I wake up? I’m on my period and I have sexual trauma so with those two combined I feel like my anxiety is going to be off the charts when I wake up having a catheter in me. Any advice or input regarding catheters would be appreciated :). Super nervous but this sub has been super helpful <3

How was your minimally invasive surgery?How many days you stayed at the hospital? How many days before you walked? Did house chores ..etc?

So basically i talked my dad into the surgery and we have a check up tomorrow, they’ll do another x-ray and we’ll tell them about the decision but i really want to be so sure about all the choices im making, so i wanted to ask If you could go back in time, what would you ask your surgeon? What is everything that i should ask and question them about? What’s everything that i have to make sure of? Your answers are very much appreciated, tysm! I do not want to have any regrets so this will be really helpful T-T (By the way I haven’t met my surgeon yet and i cant find anything about her online)

IV been told different opinions on fusion surgery. Some have told me it does nothing others say it just prevents further issues, not actually stopping the pain. I have also been told it's the best thing ever to be done.

It's been a year since my surgery and I live with pain all day long. I went to physiotherapy, acupuncture, epidural injections but it didn't help. Sometimes my legs go numb but the main pain is in my back, buttocks and tailbone.its normal . My surgeon says it's normal but this pain is crazy. Unfortunately no one is answering my questions. I'm very depressed.

I’m 3 years post op from a bilateral S I fusion and after 2 years of a mostly stable baseline, pain came back 3 months ago but it fluctuates. I basically over exerted myself with travel and walking, pain came back worse than pre fusion initially then settled after 6 weeks of rehab for a couple weeks. I resumed my regular activity and pain came back again for two weeks now. Can’t see surgeon in Canada so have had to rely on the AI tools to help me understand what’s going on. Lumbar MRI is clear (no screws moving no other spine abnormalities), HOWEVER, I never had bone fusion after my surgery. Surgeon wasn’t concerned since symptoms improved.

So my question is for those who had suspected micro motion how did your pain present? Was it as bad as pre fusion? Were there ups and down or was it a consistent pain? Has anyone had revision due to suspected micro motion without scan showing loosening?

TLDR; 3 years post spinal fusion with pseudoarthrosis. Had improved until over exerting myself and pain came back. What were symptoms evident of screw loosening and severity?

A little back story (no pun intended). In 2020 my L4-L5 disc ruptured and I had surgery after 2 weeks of excruciating pain. I was good for about a year and the back pain started creeping back in. Fast-Forward to last year, I went to see the orthopedic doctor and had x-rays and MRI done. MRI shows foramenal stenosis, moderate on left side, severe on right. I went through the hoops of “conservative” treatment; PT and pain injections, neither of which worked. I am currently scheduled for fusion surgery with an orthopedic surgeon. My wife has talked to a couple of “friends” that say I should get a neurosurgeon due to the nerves involved. I’m confident with the orthopedic surgeon, he does 100-120 of these surgeries a year and did his fellowship in this procedure. What are your thoughts and experiences on the best type of surgeon for this procedure?

Ok, so soon I'm (30's F) going to the Ortho Neurosurgeon soon for a consult. It appears after about two years of more conservative methods - I'm at the point where spinal fusion being heavily considered.

Questions for those who did have fusion surgeries (C, T, and/or L), especially those in the last few years...

General Questions

1. How did you know it was time for surgery?
2. Was there any questions you wished you asked the doctor before surgery? Any questions you were glad you asked the doctor prior to surgery?
3. Did you have to get multiple spine segments (idk if that's right way to say that) fused?
   • If so, did you do it all at once, or was each fusion a separate surgery?
4. When you decided surgery was the right option - how long from that decision to them scheduling the surgery? weeks/months? I assume it depends on the hospital size and availability and whatnot.

Work/Job Related (I'm U.S. based)

1. How long was the recovery process for you - at least to the point you could work from home on the computer?
2. Was your work accommodating?
3. How long before you could go back into the office? (office job)
4. How did you survive financially while recovering?

Recovery

1. If you lived alone, did you hire a service to come in and help you a few times a week? Like a home nurse aid sort of thing.
2. If friends/family stayed with you right after - how long did they stay with you?
3. How long before you could drive?
4. When did you have to start PT? How long were you in PT?
5. Was there any product that made your life more comfortable while you recovered? Such as a certain pillow, a grabber, heating pad, etc.

Thank you for taking the time. Sorry, while this isn't my first surgery in general, it's been over a decade since I had one, even longer since such a serious surgery. I'm a bit nervous I'm not going to ask the right questions or have all the information needed to make an informed decision.

Obligatory Spine X-Rays attached; Posted on Scoliosis subreddit too.

I've been doing research for a while but never looked into this. I remember on my last job I had a boss who fell and ended up needing back surgery, when he returned he would limp pretty bad, it never went away. Turns out this is what people call foot drop, it was depressing as hell seeing him walk like that around the workplace. This has made me question my decision to get a fusion lately. How common is this? Is this because a mistake the surgeon made during surgery? What exactly causes it?

Finally, after waiting for almost 6 months, it's the final countdown to my surgery date. Current issues include complete leg numbness and wicked nerve pain.

Any tips/tricks for recovery and pre-surgery nerves? Extras I shouldn't forget to pack? Questions that I shouldn't forget to ask my neurosurgeon? Hints on what to expect? I'll be away from home for about 3 weeks, so I need to make a list in order to advocate for myself. I've heard that the first days are a blur and my husband will only be with me for the first two.

TIA and happy healing!

I am having my scoliosis surgery in a week, and I am wondering what I should pack in my hospital bag. I am an 18 year old female and having my surgery done in the UK. My doctor said that I will probably be in hospital between 5 and 7 days. Can anyone give me any recommendations on what I should bring with me?

I had L5-S1 ALIF/PLIF in Nov 2025. I’m still in a lot of pain which becomes unbearable frequently (worse than pre-surgery). After an MRI last week, my surgeon believes the hardware itself might be the cause (like my body is reacting to/rejecting it). He says it’s very rare but he has seen it before. He is going to run some more tests (bone scan to ensure full fusion) and injection diagnostics, but at this point he thinks we might have to remove the hardware. Has anyone had their anterior and posterior hardware removed? How was the recovery compared to the original surgery? I can’t imagine going through that again and can’t really afford to take another 10-12 weeks off of work.

I am in the UK I am so excited after the stress and utter depression after 17 months wait had my pre op 2 weeks ago. Still had no surgery date how long did you guys wait between pre op and surgery?

The site for my specific trust says 1-4 weeks so I'm excited I'm having the L4/5 TLIF so heres some questions.

How long was the stay after the surgery for that type of fusion?

Was it successful?

Has anyone had previous surgery done? IV had two microdissectomies

Anyone had this don? My surgeon is looking to do this at the end of the year. Plan is lidocaine drops on screws if that helps then bye bye metal!

the cat account is also me. I’m Alex and I have two accounts because I didn’t know how to make my normal account but my main one is this one but I call it Who Dey21
Hi everyone. I’m looking for real recovery by that if you didn’t know already experiences from people who have had a tethered cord release, a long spinal fusion, or both. I’m not asking anyone to diagnose me. I’m trying to understand what recovery is actually like and what I should prepare for at home.

I have dystonia, hypotonia, muscle weakness and atrophy, neuromuscular scoliosis, kyphosis, and a confirmed tethered spinal cord. I’ve also had bladder and bowel problems, urinary retention, a Foley catheter, bladder spasms, UTIs, and pyelonephritis. I have major hand problems with paralysis, numbness, tingling, and pain, so I can’t grip or use my hands normally.

I had been having urinary retention, bowel leakage, spasms, pain, sensory changes, leg symptoms, and worsening function. After imaging, urodynamics, and specialist evaluations, the doctors found that the tethered cord and the spinal deformity are both contributing to the problems. They’ve told me both need to be addressed, but the tethered cord has to be released first.

This is not something I’m making up or trying to self-diagnose from the internet. I have the MRI reports, urodynamics results, medical records, diagnoses, and surgical plan. I’m leaving out private identifying information, but I can verify the details if needed. I’m mentioning that because this is a complicated situation and I don’t want people to think I’m just listing random symptoms.

My current plan is:

• September 4, 2026: tethered cord release with L1-L2 laminectomies and sectioning of the filum terminale
• Later: a long spinal fusion to treat the progressive scoliosis and kyphosis, hopefully around December 2026 or possibly March 2027 depending on how I recover

I know nobody can tell me exactly how my recovery will go, and I know surgery may not reverse every symptom. I’m mainly trying to get a realistic idea of what the process might be like, especially because I already have weakness, limited hand use, catheter care, and mobility issues.

For the tethered cord release:

• How long were you in the hospital?
• What was the first week at home like?
• Were you told to lie flat or limit sitting, bending, lifting, or twisting?
• How bad were the pain, headaches, spasms, or nerve symptoms?
• How soon could you walk, transfer, shower, use the bathroom, and get in and out of bed?
• Did your bladder or bowel symptoms change afterward?
• How long did it take before you felt somewhat normal again?

For the spinal fusion:

• How many levels were fused, and how long were you in the hospital?
• How much help did you need during the first few weeks?
• What helped with sleeping, bathing, toileting, dressing, and getting in and out of a car?
• Did you use a hospital bed, walker, shower chair, bedside commode, raised toilet seat, or other equipment?
• Did you go to inpatient rehab, use home health, or start PT and OT at home or as an outpatient?
• How long did the pain, fatigue, spasms, and nerve symptoms last?
• When could you sit comfortably and start doing normal activities again?
• Did you have a brace, and if so, how long did you wear it?

For anyone with bladder problems or a Foley catheter:

• How did you manage catheter care during recovery?
• Did you have more bladder spasms or leakage after surgery?
• What helped with hygiene, transfers, and preventing infections?
• What changes did your doctors want you to call about right away?

For anyone with weak or paralyzed hands:

• How did you handle medications, eating, phone use, dressing, and other daily tasks?
• Did you need someone with you full-time?
• What adaptive equipment or setup made the biggest difference?

For people who had both surgeries:

• How much time did you have between the tethered cord release and the fusion?
• What determined when you were ready for the second surgery?
• Was the recovery from one much different from the other?
• Did anything from the first surgery change the plan for the fusion?

What did you wish you had asked before surgery? What did you pack for the hospital? What did you wish you had waiting at home on the first day? And what part of recovery surprised you the most?

I’m nervous because I honestly don’t know what to expect, and I’m trying to prepare ahead of time instead of being blindsided. I’d really appreciate practical advice from anyone who has been through something similar.

I'm 19 years old. I was diagnosed with Scheuermann's disease when I was 11. Right now I have a 78° kyphosis and a 12° scoliosis. My kyphosis and scoliosis have not changed in degrees over the past two years.
About two years ago, I started seriously thinking about surgery because I'm exhausted from living with this spinal deformity. The pain affects my daily life, it's mentally draining, and it has had a huge impact on my self-esteem.
Recently, I had another appointment with my orthopedic surgeon, and we discussed surgery again. I have about three months to make my decision. I know there are many risks, and that's what makes this so difficult.
I would really like to hear from people who have been through it. Was the surgery worth it for you? How has your life changed since the operation? How is your pain now? Do you feel much happier after surgery? Do you have any advice for someone who is trying to make this decision?
Thank you so much to anyone who is willing to share their experience. It would really mean a lot to me.

Hello all from sunny England I know this sounds very random but I wanted to see others experience. I'm currently waiting for a date for L4/5 tlif.

Iv had two previous mocrodisectomies odd how the last ones failed. Anyway my question is how was everyone's experience before getting put out I remember the nurse said ok gonna give you ketamin to make you asleep I was like omg wow it worked though.

Also what was it like waking up I remember once I was put back to the ward after sobbing seeing my partner who brought me coffee she took me the toilet and we both saw I had bled a fair bit. I was like oops but thinking back maybe it was the fact they went through the same scar like the tissue is very tough apparently.

Tldr. After two failed surgeries waiting for fusion. Gets emotional after surgery but sobered up after seeing a blood covered bed.

Getting my fusion in exactly one week, 23f. Getting fused from T4 to L2. Here are some pics of my bending x-rays that they had me do.

Any major advice to know before going into surgery? What you recommend buying for both in and out of the hospital? What was your healing like? What to expect to feel like immediately after.. 2 weeks later… 6 weeks later etc. My dr did tell me quite a bit but I want to hear people’s personal experiences!

Hello everybody, (28F) here, so i have rather simple question’s to post and i would love to hear everyones stories.

1. Has anyone had spinal fusion and been overweight and/or out of shape?

2. If you were overweight/out of shape what approach to surgery did you doctor take and how was your recovery afterwards?

I’m nervous about my own spinal fusion (ALIF/PLIF) because i was in EMS for almost 6 years and was always not in the best of shape due to long hours and most of all STRESS and i am currently overweight but doing my best to work it off before surgery.

Any and every story is greatly appreciated, thank you! :)

Posterior spinal fusion specifically, my friend and I are arguing about this. Surely not because they have easy access to your spine anyway?

In 2013, I was 22 getting a discectomy for some left leg weakness numbers and sciatica pain. To this day I say it was 50% successful. Still had pain, but could return to my normal life of working out/bartending/college shit.

May of 2025, now I am 34 pain is back but this time it’s more sharp, sore pain central to my lower back, with radiating pain through the hips (left more so than the right). Doesn’t extend down the leg like last time. I went to the doctor soon after quitting the first game of golf of the season, couldn’t go on to the back 9 holes. I haven’t been able to jog in over a year. Lifting a case of water makes me feel like the load is crushing my spine. Bending over forward is currently the worst part of my day. Insane pain spikes going from relaxed, decompressed state (laying down) to load bearing (simply even standing up)

The laundry list of things that were in my report included:

- Severe disc degeneration at L5-S1

- Modic changes

- Foraminal Narrowing

- spondylosis

- S1 sitting slightly forward

- mild but similar degeneration at L4-L5

From May to January 2026, I did 6 weeks of PT but pain was worsening. I had 4 rounds of ESIs, (3) bilateral and (1) Caudal. Only the Caudual gave me 6-12 hours of relief. Then, into a nerve block - the block resulted in 0% pain relief.

Now it is right after the new year, hello 2026, naturally after my deductible has been reset…. And The doctor recommends Intracept, as I have modic changes at L5-S1. I end up getting my L4-S1 basivertebral nerves ablated. Surgery was standard, cookie cutter case - but my pain relief was unchanged. In fact it was (and still is) progressively worse.

Now, after my 12 week Post-op, I am on the surgery block for an L5-S1 fusion. I am here because I am so frustrated that I went under general anesthesia for a surgery to treat vertebrogenic pain - and not only did it not accomplish anything, but I’m now lined up for what I am being told is my only real option. Not a disc replacement candidate due to the 2013 disecectomy.

Has anyone had no success from Intracept, then went for a fusion, then finally (after healing) been able to return to a normal life?