DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Everything Else... Wife's surgery today

I used to work for a company that designed and made the implants/instruments for fusion surgery.

High-level, the procedure hasn't changed at all in forever. You're taking out aged/misaligned/shortened bone/disc that's impinging on nerves and causing pain, and replacing it with metal and plastic that will encourage your body to grow bone in its place.

The techniques and technology, however has changed a ton. The collateral damage done over the course of this surgery was pretty crazy. Huge soft-tissue cuts and cutting muscle/bone. There's a ton of healing that needs to happen just to get you back to where you were before the surgery. Now, more and more surgeons are using minimally invasive techniques (much smaller cuts, much less soft-tissue healing needed post-surgery).

Bone growth takes time, and the implants put in are only so strong. You should start to feel better when the soft, spongy bone starts to form, but it takes a while longer until the hard, outer bone is in place. Can't be back to 100% until the doc can see that hard bone on the CT scan.

Wife's incisions are at most 1 1/2 inches long.

I would have thought they would be bigger.

Heck, I have a 4 inch scar on my shoulder from my rotator cuff repair.

Do they do multiple smaller incisions over a larger area on her spinal procedure?

I am going to see a neurologist next month about my back, and I have seen some back procedures where they literally flay open the entire back to work on everything. I do not want to do that. I am hoping that they can go in arthroscopically since they basically just have to remove bone and bone fragments from L5-S1, to get them off the nerves.

Arthroscopic surgery is a "less invasive".

I had my entire right shoulder rebuilt, tore everything, and the biggest incision was a quarter inch. I was in Physical Therapy one week later and back to normal in a month and a half.

3 months later I ran the chainsaw, cut down and cut up a tree.

Modern Miracle.

Nope. 2 incisions. 1 on each side of her spine. 1 1/2 inches each. Only other 'incision' was actually a hole for a drain tube. Perhaps 1/8 of an inch, circular.

I had a "moderately severe" tear, as well as excess bone in the joint that was almost like a saw. (which helped cause about a 1.5" tear across the the supraspinatus tendon)

My doctor said that I was substantially ahead of schedule .... and I am at 8 weeks right now, and started strengthening last week.

A doctor allowing a shoulder complete rebuild patient to start PT a week after surgery seems like a massive liability ... because a tear could happen again until the muscles/tendons grow back together and heal fully.

Now when I had bone spurs/excess bone growth (which, fortunately, required no tendon/muscle repair, as the tears where not severe) in my right shoulder removed, 20 or so years ago, they did 4 entrance points to remove the spurs arthoscopically, and I went to therapy the same week. (I hate to admit the trouble I had laying on my back and trying to lift a 1 pound weight in a semicircular motion) It came back fairly quickly afterwards, though, but there was no tendon/muscle repair in that shoulder.

That makes me feel better about my prospects.

Knocking on wood here, but she is doing so much better than she, or I thought she'd be doing at this time. Hey, bad news can come at any time, and that's why I keep reminding her "don't do too much."

Don't bend over. For anything. I'll do it. No, don't lift anything, I'll do it. She hasn't started rehab, and probably won't for a number of weeks yet, maybe more. She goes to see the doctor/surgeon Tues., so we'll know more then.

I hope she heals up quickly. I know back pain really well, and I hope she is free from it for good.

Well that first week I was taking baby steps and the doctors office is connected to the Physical Therapy office so they were all on the same page with my treatment.

Each week they pushed me harder and I did the things they had me doing at home.

My Surgeon does the Washington Redskins and you have probably seen how fast they come back. That's probably part of it too.

One week of healing and then starting PT seems unbelievably quick for a rotator cuff tear ..... especially a complete tear as you describe. (unless I am misunderstanding what you had) The "norm" for a rotator cuff repair is 4-6 months, often with 4-5 weeks in a sling.

Well, that is how it went and I am fine today.

Torn Cuff, torn tendon that rolled down into my bicep.
Arthritis on the bone that had to be scraped.

Glad the wife is coming along nicely.

Praying for her steady healing.

I was describing how it used to be. It's much better now, and the surgery itself is less surgeon "black magic" and more repeatable with the new instruments and imaging tools.

So, she went to the doc. Tuesday. Great report. No more need to tape plastic over the incisions for a shower. (that was a stresser for both of us)

She's been off the opiods for around a week. No more pain pills. Still shouldn't bend, or twist, and no lifting over 10 lbs. No more pain, but she needs to be smart, obviously.

Still no driving for her. She made supper last night, and she's baked some stuff.

We got an image of the x-ray showing the 2 rods, and the 4 screws. Interesting to see.

I'd been putting the compression stockings on her daily. She hated them, and I hated putting them on her. When she saw the doc. Tuesday she asked him how long she needed to wear them. He got a look on his face. "I didn't tell you? You only needed to wear them for 3 days." We'd been doing it for 12 or 13.

Just over 2 weeks in, and she's supposed to be off work for 3 months, but things are currently going well. Other than the financial hit that will be coming. Daughter had surgery in early September. Obviously, we met our deductible plus by a large amount. But, insurance started over Jan, 1, so we get to pay the full ded. before it kicks in. Again.

And, a friend is scheduled to have basically the same surgery and she's been texting my wife and I with what to expect. She's been so encouraged by what we both have told her that she's looking forward to it. Well, as much as you can look forward to a surgery.

Great news Arch!

Glad to hear everything is right on schedule with no complications.

Well, she is allowed to drive a vehicle tomorrow. That should help some with her boredom.

Just read this. Glad to hear your wife is recovering nicely.

That's great!

Her exact words were: "I don't know where I'll go, but I'm going somewhere." Now, she HAS been out of the house. Just not like normal.

Glad to hear things are going well Arch. Hope it keeps up

Hope all is well with your family Arch.

Take it easy

Knight

My wife is a bull headed, don't need sleep, let's get it done kind of person.

She's been feeling great, and had a surgeons appointment today.

Originally she was supposed to be off work for 3 months. He cleared her to go back to work in early March. Basically, 7 weeks after surgery instead of 12 weeks.

She will be working just part time, and only 3 days a week - that was the stipulation, but it's still very good news. I/we needed some good news.