This is the best explanation of this topic I've seen. My neurosurgeon told me exactly the same thing and talked me out of a fusion. My films showed no instability.

I had a fusion with a metal cage! I've been told I'm only going to get worse!

This channel explained MUCH better than what my neurosurgeon did. Thank you! Please, everyone, ask for a second opinion before doing any spine surgery!

Transparent and educational. The way it should be.

I thank you for not candy coating anything this the best video I’ve seen again thank you

Dr. I saw you on a Versace runway in Paris. Congratulations your great doctor and a top model

Isn't it possible to take any legal step against the surgeon you described? How can surgeons be allowed to destroy lives with such impunity? I must thank you for the information you shared, but I must admit that I found the tone in which you said, "unfortunately, yes", chilling. It sounded as though there's nothing one can do against the brazen malpractice, advertent or not, of surgeons!

My life has been destroyed. DONT HAVE A SPINAL FUSION!! I'm in constant pain 😢

When will the spine surgeons treat the patients as humans not machines for the repairs? It’s so sad that so many people’s lives were destroyed by the fusions at the hands of the surgeons.

Your not kidding I am mentally drained.. I had spinal fusion had to had second one screws lose tilted … Haven’t worked for over a year not to mention the weight gain from the steroids and pain killers..

Thank you. I had emergency spinal fusion lumbar 10 screws and a rod surgery. No back pain. Sciatica in both legs which progressed into increasing inability to walk. Yes. Disc slipping out etc. The MRI was gruesome I now realize. less than 60 hours after arriving at the ER on a Friday I was being operated on. I am grateful. This was no elective surgery. Yes. I've had back pain since. Episodes of sciatica which resolved with PT. But I'll never complain about what that neurosurgeon did for me. Never took pain medication before nor after surgery. I nearly lost my ability to walk and fortunately I was persuaded by others to finally go to the ER of a good hospital. I will never bitch and moan about fusion surgery. There are some bad ones though. My mother sustained a compression fracture in the thoracic region. After it had healed some quack in Toledo wanted to fuse it. She's 90. She saw my doctor for clear spinal stenosis in her lumbar region. He did laminectomy surgery at several levels and despite her age she bounced right back. She'd had sciatica some years back and the stenosis was diagnosed then. So be careful.

and you cannot hold your the hospital or surgeon responsible that's part of the paperwork you must sign before your surgery

I hope tjhis DOES scare the hell out of you!!! DO get a 2nd, 3rd, and 4th opinion! Go to a teaching school as well, Not one of these quacks advertising all over the place, Also, if your Dr does NOT order a bone density test BEFORE surgery LEAVE!!! I just buried a dear friend who was wanting relief from pain, who doesn't? She did not listen to me warning her not to have "minimally invasive surgery". There is NO such thing! I told her the surgery would not get rid of the pain. She went in for surgery in Jan and died in the hospital six months later. How do I know what I know? Over a year ago now I had another three level fusion. (First one went OK , no complications. But as he said, any fusion will lead to another down the road) So 4 months after second surgery 20 years apart ,I was making zero progress. and going to physical therapy did more harm than good. Surgeon said I have bursitis. Well, turns out he was WAY off! The entire stucture has collapsed, no fusion, made worse when I learned I had osteoporosis. Like A house of cards it crumbled away. Scariest news? Hardware has migrated out of place and is now embeded in the Aorta and IVC vein. Any fall, any accident ,could push the hardware right through those blood supply and bleed out. My friend who died was ignored by her surgeon and was neglected when she displayed lack of wound site closing. She fought off an infection unti;l her poor body gave out. (I had also had a severe infection the rehab hospital ignored) All these years of pain and negligence has given me intense PTSD and I trust no Dr! I am in more pain than I was in befor surgery and wish I could go back. Most of us say the same! So buyer beware. I hope you are!!! I pray I save at least one person from this mess.

I wish I would have got multiple opinions before going into spine surgery. But I was in so much pain I was willing to jump on the 1st opportunity to help me. I had 2 surgeries 2 months apart. With my 1st surgery decompression of L1 through 5. I lost my ability to control my bowel bladder. Which everything was blamed on the opiate medication I was taking. Even though I had to straight cath. And left the hospital with a catheter. It would take 2 years of multiple doctor's appointments to figure out that I needed an illiostomy. I also had cervical fusion of 5,6 and 7. At 4 years I started getting a lot of odd symptoms that could not be explained. Profusely sweating and shoulder pain. And one thing I noticed is normal doctors don't know anything about the spine. They can't even interpret the MRI repot. I do a better job at determining the adjectives than most doctors do.At 7 years almost to the day . I am Now dealing with going back into surgery but I'm in so much pain I'm willing to do anything.. My herniation, bone spurring and degenerative disk is impinging the vascular nerve. Looks like it's happening above and below my fusion. My T2 Is also herniated but not as severe as 2,3,4. I'm having a really hard time finding videos on cervical fusion of the entire neck and the range of motion after. I also didn't realize with cervical fusion that there is an expiration date is an expiration date when the need for more surgery is. I would suggest for anybody undergoing spine surgery to go online and get into a support group and physical therapy. Because because rearranging your life life goals and the things you use to do it's a difficult process the only people who went through it can understand.

I’ve had to have two back surgeries, 1st I broke the screws and fusion, the 2nd one I’m 6weeks in and starting to have some issues but I don’t blame my surgeon, he was honest and told me all the risk, and I made the final call so it’s on me, now I hope I don’t have to have a third one but if so I still don’t blame him, he’s done a great job and there are just risk you as a patient must weigh out. So understand you have a 50/50 chance of not coming out the way you want or think it will be

Thank you for the video. I can't hardly describe the hell the last 15 years have been, since I had a 2-3 level cervical fusion. I lost 30# and almost died, the fusion did not take and I ended up having the hard collar for a whole year. I also seem to remember the allografts were coated with something called infuse that was allowed in 2007 only. anyway I have not been able to even watch a movie, because holding my head still causes extreme pain as does laying in bed so the head is stationary. 15 years of 2 hours sleep if I can get a hold of a sleeping pill. Of course now herniated discs. I had the surgery because of neck pain, no slipped or herniated discs were present. The worst part is no Doctor will listen to any of this. Totally left to survive from day to day. My lumbar however slips and has torn discs since I was young, but after the Cervical I have been afraid to tackle it.

Always go to a good hospital that employs their surgeons the way teaching hospitals. Don't trust any surgeon who bounces from hospital to hospital. No accountability. No permanent staff. Guaranteed failure.

I'm suffering from 3 herniated Discs' L-3 L-4 L-5 S-1. This is accompanied along with 24/7 sciatica pain, with spinal stenosis, and arthurites. To this day, I ABSOLUTLEY WILL NOT have this surgery, with the risk of making my situation even worse.

When medicine runs like a business where a doctor's income is correlated with volume of procedures, pain and suffering of patients increases. It is human nature to be biased. Patients need to advocate for themselves for the best outcome.

I've had 3 failed back surgeries with fusions that have left me with constand L5 pain down my left leg, terrible back pain from the scar tissue and severe scoliosis from instability caused by bad surgeries. The first surgeon cracked the L4 facet joint while attempting a simple disectomy not because of bad luck but because the surgeon was inexperienced and did not follow the correct procedure and left me with instability and the beginning of scoliosis. The second surgery with a different surgeon, was an attempt to fuse the now unstable L4 joint which left me in severe pain and bed ridden for 6 month and still unstable. The following year a third surgeon refused the failed L4 fusion and also fused the L5-S1 joint which seemed to work but still left me in pain and still with scoliosis. Now I'm told my hardware has loosened and is causing stabbing pain when ever I move. All of these failures could have been prevented if the surgeons had taken time to do the procedures correctly instead of trying to get to the next surgery to maximize their profit. I've tried to find a surgeon to try to remove the loose hardware and correct the instability but none want to do a surgery for fear of making it worse. So please don't act like it's bad luck or just an oversight, these surgeons did not care about how they affected their patients but just went through the motions without regard for consequences and never accepting responsibility for the pain and suffering they caused.

I had 3 spine surgery in last 4 years and every time screws become loose ,I don’t know if I find bad doctor or I am not lucky ,my life is very difficult ,I can’t walking and pain all the time ,my legs crump and I can’t sleeping,it’s any way I can do any thing about it.

You are a Life Saver! Thanks a ton My hat is off to you.

A great and informative video. Thank you. Just had S1/L5 fusion with decompression. Though in my case I had root nerve impingement as a result of spondylolisthesis! Only been 2 weeks now but am hoping for a good outcome with my recovery.

I’m in the same boat. I’m not trained the ready an mri however I can see the vertebrae that are now misaligned and causing hip and ankle pain. My next step is now an implanted spinal cord stimulator. Out of work seven months now , besides the pain it’s extremely depressing affecting my mental side. 15 years of pain with no end in sight. I can’t take this anymore.

No acute lumbar spine fracture or posttraumatic subluxation. 2. Patient is status post fusion changes from T11 to 1. 3. Mild multilevel spondylosis of the nonsurgical levels. Chronic Changes ARE present. I have severe low back pain,and neck and shoulder pain, an loosing feeling in bladder and burning radiation down both legs ...had fusion surgery in 07

DONT DO THIS SURGERY MY LIFE IS DESTROYED IAM ONLY 39

You're a lovely soul. Thank you for your video.

My second surgery was C1 to T1

Had fusion surgery L5, 6 yrs. ago. I had constant pain and complained to the neurosurgeon about my sciatica. I explained that many years prior I had been in a car accident which involved a lap seat belt. I had a laparomy to remove 7"from my small intestine, appendix, and an an injured spleen. That same year I was also thrown from a horse. I was walking with a cane for weeks and suffered a small fracture on my ischia. I had lived with back pain for many years and just could not take it anymore. My neurosurgeon explain that my L5 was detached from my spine and that most likely that was the reason for my lower back pain. I kept asking about my sciatica but he stated that the pain could very well be from the L5 and not the sciatica. I went for a 2nd opinion, and that neurosurgeon agreed with the first. I have been in pain since my surgery with zero relief. I don't take anything for the pain except ibuprofen or acetaminophen which does nothing. I am always on my feet but there is only so many hours I can stand before my sciatic pain has me sitting or laying down and unable to move. I know I cannot undo what has already been done, but how can I get relief so that I can continue to live a somewhat normal life?

I have had 11 back surgeries. Fused feom T-1 to T-12. I hate my life....constantly in pain.....😢

I am researching information on allergy from the metal implanted. I am allergic to it, had a Melisa test, and now, should I have my rides and screws removed? It’s like a taboo topic. No information at all.

Had ACDF in 2019....3 years NO PAIN. No regrets!

Excellent video, very informative. I had leminectomy some 50 years ago. Had hit in vehicles also. I now have been having falls 5 in last six months dropped gate left side. Seen Specialist Nuro who advised I need L4/5 S1 fussion I have Spondylitis pars fracture, and stenosis T section fractures 10:11:12. Also C 5;6&7 bone spurs been advised to have fussion on neck I am very worried because 72 Diabetes neck gets me both arms fingers . Back goes into my groin buttons both sides can’t walk far need to lay down PAIN UNREAL. Don’t like having to take JUNK to live. On waiting list for fussion however with my luck it will stuff up and make me worse.

It must be said that neck surgery has a much better chance of success. Don’t lump it in with lower back surgery. I had two disks removed 30 years ago and do not regret it.

I had spinal fusion with slippage of the plus two replaced disc in 2015 but know my is in so much pain I don't what to do.😢

Had laminectomy to cure leg pain. Result was back pain (didn't have it before) Then I had a spinal fusion. Result was worse back pain (disc implant and cage slipped out of place) Third surgery got cage and disc implant in place but now have May Thurner Syndrome (blood clots) and continued back pain. Now I'm looking at fourth surgery to remove bone spurs and remove spinal cage. I should have never had any surgery and gone to a chiropractor.

I underwent a L4-5 fusion surgery for severe low back pain without any indication of instability and guess what that didn’t work. But what options did I have? The pain wasn’t getting any better over the years and left me unable to do any work or do anything. I’m only 27years old. Before getting the surgery I took cortisone shots and physio but that didn’t help me at all. So there was only one option to get back to some kind of normal again. I took it and gambled and failed.

I had four spine surgeries 3 discectomy lamectomies, and a fusion 2 years ago all on L5 and S1 I have been in severe pain this past year I had an MRI which showed some problems but not until Friday on a CAT scan found out that the right side never fused on my fusion and the left side has a fracture plus some kind of bridging going on I just don't know what to do and I need to find a great Surgeon to help me fix this mess I'm only 51 years old please help

My neurosurgeon did emergency surgery and saved my quality of life. 10 screws& a rod. Better than not walking.

1st was L2 L3 - L4 L5 laminectomy and fusion ) not all connected together) went good for about 1 year then started having sever pain and heaviness in both hips. It felt like walking with 50 lb weights attached to my hips. New scans show loose hardware and 1 of the fusions did not take. (No fault of my surgeon). Just had a revision ( nov, 1, 23) to remove hardware with new and fusion and hardware from L1 - S1 connected together for the whole length. Was doing incredibly good. Walking without pain or pressure to hips. but on day 15 post op I woke up and could barely stand from nerve pain on both lower right and left side of surgery site. Doc gave me prednisone, been on it for 6 days and no change. It feels like something is trying to push its way out of my back. Scaring the hell out of me. I like my surgeon and don’t think he messed up anything. Just worried about the next steps if this doesn’t go away. Good luck to all of you Happy Thanksgiving.

this was very interesting. You spoke about the lower back fusion, what about fusions in the cervical area?

On the bright side after a few years your brain starts adjusting to the constant pain signals from your fusions in my case neck and back and your not freaking out so much. I think you start accepting the fact that you just have to live with it for the rest of your life and you have to adjust your habits and lifestyle accordingly. That unfortunately means loosing a lot of friends cause you can no longer keep up with them

When you're nursing surgeon says if it makes you feel any better I work for the hospital. 🏃 RUN 🤑🤑

Hello Dr. Kimball Do you have experience with minimally invasive surgery for a giant thoracic herniated and calcified disc? I would be very interested in hearing from you. What is the best way to communicate with you? Thank you Excellent presentation.

Unfortunately fusion surgery has become a big scandal nowadays....😓😓😓

What about getting a spinal fusion after a staph infection are away your disc? That happened to me & I wish I waited longer after the infection was treated to see if I had pain. Now I have a fusion & am in more pain than before

Goody, I am going for my THIRD surgery in 3 weeks. After my last surgery 8 months ago, one of the screw is lose

I am diagnosed with moderate to severe cervical spinal stenosis at C3- 5. The 1st surgeon said that I also have myelopathy, the 2cd opinion surgeon says that I do not... The first Dr. wanted to do a posterior laminectomy, the 2cd. Dr. wants to do an ACDF. My insurance won't pay for a 3rd opinion... I am confused and wondering. I do have arm weakness, but no gait issues, and no bladder or bowel issues. I have intermittent achiness and stiffness in the neck that is managable - my range of motion is good. I am 57. What would you recommend?

all because the GP sent to neurosurgery instead of physical therapy.

Are there films available from the case study?

what if it is just spasm and muscle pain in spine can it be nerve damage after sergery

Did you mention DDD as a reason for fusion ? Annular tear.........ruptured disc or a fissure ?

‘Slipped disc’. ???…..no such thing!

What do you do When you had full.spinal fusion and fake neck im .losing my ability to walk they. .hurt.and losing strength this result. From drunk.driver and this was done years after i.had 3.

Hurt my back like 10 years ago. Never went to get check out. Sometimes I go years without pain, but sometimes I do make certain moves and it start to act up. Still not in crazy pain unless I do something crazy or workout wrong. Going to have my back checkout for the first time, want to see wat the damage!

Does reoccurent hearniation qualify for spinal fusion at l5 s1 level ??

life over

How did you see slippage or diagnose "slippage" on her x-rays 2 months after surgery?