Recovery After Spinal Surgery

Education video on Recovery After Spinal Surgery by Dr. Gary Simonds, former Chief of Neurosurgery at Carilion Clinic.

[lawrenceclemens]

Thank you so much for this video! I have to have lower back surgery due to scoliosis and my doctor today talked to me on the phone for about eight minutes, and the phrase that he used - "The first two weeks will be very painful" - is haunting me tonight and I am very frightened and in a panic frame of mind. I know I have to undergo this procedure, but I am truly terrified. THANK YOU for this video, I broke down in tears watching it. I so wish my doctor had talked to me the way you do in this video. Watching it I feel a little bit better. I wish you were my doctor. More doctors need to see this and learn how to speak to us, their patients. You are a treasure.

[globalana]

So helpful. Thank you I was just operated in Paris and had a beautiful experience. I had energy and no pain. For 2 days while in the hospital I truly thought I’d walk home, about 3 miles away. :). I was advised to cool off so I took a taxi. But surely enough, as soon as I got home, and while my anesthesia had worn off, I realized I needed to take it easy. Tonight is day 5 and and throughout the day I walked twice around a block and took a flight of stairs. Then I worked at my desk hanging my legs in different positions. I was in mild pain. It finally felt that I had surgery. I took 1000 MG x3 of Paracetamol, and I’m feeling the wound. In other words, I’m realizing how vulnerable the area is and how it needs gentle recovery. I’m so happy I made the decision to go through the surgery, yet I also realize I’m not going to play sports right away. I’m fine with that. My consist practice of Ashtanga yoga for years before this surgery, while avoided some poses, gave me a lot of strength allowing me to move my body by lifting myself from arms instead of risking twists or strange bends. .This video is very comforting

[dannas]

Just got out of l5 s1 and i stood up and walked right after surgery thx god walking more and more everyday

[iainstatham]

Thank-you. Lying in hospital watching this after surgery today. Appreciate the content and advice.

[SarahAnnBellham]

I'm going to agree with moving. I have MS so all along I thought that numbness and tingling in my feet was related to that. I also had excruciating pain. My most recent MRI revealed a synovial cyst in the lumbar area causing severe spinal stenosis . Two days ago I had a lumbar laminectomy and it's synovial cyst removed that was causing severe spinal stenosis. I had a tiny bit of pain the first couple of hours after surgery. I left that night and the next morning I had ZERO pain!! With the exception obviously at the surgical site which was expected and minimal. It has improved my life. And no I'm not a commercial I'm an actual patient. And now I really only need Tylenol for the pain.

[jighflaukst]

After my surgery on my fractured l3, they had me stand up a day after. I could barely even take a step. There were pains I never thought I could experience! You can learn a lot just from an injury like that. At the time of me typing this, it's been roughly a month since the Operation. I still have a ways to go until I can walk normally, bend, twist and run. I went from taking 5 medications to just 1. Therapy.is.amazing.

[deborahdesanto]

Thank you so much for this video I just had a Laminectomy and in pain. I called my Dr but it's a busy office and sometimes they don't get back too you but your video helped me a lot. Also you have a very nice calming voice.

[EdwardValenti]

Just had disc surgery for a very badly herniated disc between C6/C7. This was my 3rd disc surgery and except for wearing a cervical collar for 2 weeks it was a relatively easy/pain free recovery, especially compared to my lower back surgeries. However, the pain before surgery was much worse for the neck injury.

[amywalker]

I am 3 weeks post thoracic spinal fusion surgery.

[MrJamiez]

I had spine surgery on the 15th of February! I was waking about 8 hours after, I was in a lot of pain, by the 19th today. I can fully walk, the pain has gone. Bending hurts a bit.

[citizensane]

Thank you doctor. I may have to go thru
this in June-July 2021 in New Jersey, USA.

[scottcarder]

Dr cervical spine fusion surgery had been done late August last year and I'm still feeling so much pain only after being out a part of day to day living.

[HowDareUbuddy]

Just had Upper Spine surgery, 8 disc's fused. Its rough to get going but very possible.

[tonibolton]

Thank you for your advice... unfortunately I wasn't able to talk to the doctor yet.

[spookyrose]

I’m getting surgery on my back on the top because all my spine is following the main one I need to fix thank u for this

[tinamarielombrana-thompson]

What do I do now after FSS after multiple epidural injections, nerve root blocks and multiple spinal fluid leaks and three spine fusions surgeries later the horrific problems continue now I’m being faced with the doctor advising a nerve ablation procedure is needed. I’m highly concerned because the aftermath of epidural injections in my neck left me with Essential Tremors since 2017 because of that I’m highly concerned having anyone get that close to the nerves in my spine. “Is it just me or is there anyone else out there experiencing such a huge amount of bad luck with their spine. To date I’m in pain from my neck to buttocks every day. Increasingly getting worse since my last fusion/laminectomy in January 2017 and I’ve developed adult scoliosis which is very minimal right now not really affecting my spine fusions at this time anyway. I can not do anything physical without suffering afterwards.

[davidnilson]

I am 10 months out of triple fusion spinal surgery and the pain that I have is consistently more than before the surgery. By a large margin. I have been through three rounds of epidural shots to alleviate the pain including and ablation process to kill the nerves and non of this has helped me.
I guess that I am now facing never ending pain for the rest of my days on the his earth.
My advice to you if you are considering fusion surgery is - don’t do it!! Period!!!
When I asked my surgeon how I could alleviate my pain, his response was to say, that I should now consider fusing L5 to S. This is a very difficult operation and one that I could not even consider. Look it up, you will be astonished at the process that needs to be done for this surgery.

[kylelongo]

Just checking in with everyone. Im a little over 3 months into the recovery, started PT, i decided to do water therapy to strengthen core. Anyone thats had lower back surgery i highly recommend trying water therapy before regular.

[michaelh]

I had triple back surgery in May 2018 in one week.. I was in house at Kessler for a Month and half.. To this day I still can't walk normally. I'm not in a lot of pain but I get spasms and muscle weakness.

[donjaan]

after D7 operation how much time before standing