I have been experiencing terrible lower back pain for some time now due to a Pars Defect in my L5 disk. Along with the pars defect i have fractures at L2 and L3, degenerative disk disease, and kyphosis. In 2 weeks I am getting a 360 fusion on my L5. If anyone has had this surgery could you please help me out and let me know what it was like after the surgery and how long it took to fully recover? I know i will be in the hospital for 3-5 days but how long does it take for the pain from the surgery to recede? And how long did it take for you to be able to fully function and move? Thanks.
Each person is different. I had a L4-S1 360 ALIF back in 2007.
Some people bounce back pretty fast while others have a slower recovery. Expect 3-6 months for fusion to happen and about 1 year to be cleared by your doctor (provided he/she does follow up appointments).
Aqua therapy is great for getting your muscles moving again after surgery. The key is to be compliant with what your doctor says to do/not do.
Keith
L4-S1 360 ALIF w/Instrumentation 11 Jan 07