Guest guest Posted April 15, 2008 Report Share Posted April 15, 2008 I am looking into doing the revision surgery but I have a question I need answered. My upper back pain has increased alot in the last year. Two of the three doctors I have seen tell me the upper back pain will be fixed be the revision sugery. Can anyone confirm this as a fact through your experience? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 15, 2008 Report Share Posted April 15, 2008 Dear , I think I'd ask some very pointed questions concerning your upper back to see if there are any real issues there too. While most of us while having revision only have our lumbar spine worked on, there are a few like me who had thorasic work done too. Mine was more postural than for pain in the thorasic area, but I did have a great deal of rib and shoulder pain. I also have has two of these done, my first being just lumbar, and my second was necessary due to cracking my harrington rod fusion mass that wasn't touched during my first revision. Many just getting themselves more upright and level find aches and pains elsewhere tend to go away with better posture. Also after getting ones body righted, sometimes muscles reacted badly to the new posture till things streach out. So I'd say listen to the gals here, I'm sure many will chime in, but also know there is no real true way to know if it will go away till afterwards, my bet it would help, but that is only if you don't have problems further up that is causing you pain. While some of us are painfree most of the time, I'd be leary of any doc who gaurntees he can make you painfree. I went into revision looking for a reduction in pain and got far more, I've only had about three bouts of pain in more than five years after my revision, way better than I could have dreamed of. Each of our bodies and spines are different. I'd also ask to speak with patients of each of these docs that have had the SAME surgery to see just how they fared. I do this for my surgeon and am very blunt and truthful to them. Will it fix the pain higher up, maybe if its postural, but I'd sure ask pointed questions, and ask to speak to those other patients, well worth the homework. Colorado Springs [ ] upper back pain I am looking into doing the revision surgery but I have a question I need answered. My upper back pain has increased alot in the last year. Two of the three doctors I have seen tell me the upper back pain will be fixed be the revision sugery. Can anyone confirm this as a fact through your experience? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 16, 2008 Report Share Posted April 16, 2008 , Honestly, I don't think you are ever going to get the kind of " iron clad " answer that you sound like you are seeking. In fact, if any surgeon promises you he will resolve your pain, I think I would look elsewhere for a doctor. I say that not because it is not possible that your pain will resolve, but because the truth is that no doctor can/should promise you that he/she can guarantee it. It would set you up for dissapointment, and them up for a law suit, if things didn't go just right. It is true that for lots of us the realignment of revision has improved pain and function to the point of a pain free (or relatively pain free) status... although that may not be forever. Some of us have found that the area above the fusion actually seems more problematic after surgery. I believe that every time more segments of the spine are fused it is likely that the adjacent segments will take on more of the work and that inand of itself can lead to problems. How well balanced you are overall after revision will play an important role in how the top of your spine fares...so it pays to find an experienced surgeon. As you work through your research and start narrowing your list of possible surgeons I would also start preparing list of questions to take to have on hand for your next consulation(s). For example, this question could be posed as: " You seem sure that the pain in my upper spine will be resolved after revision. Can you tell me why? " or " You seem unsure that the pain in my upper spine will be resolved after revision, Can you tell me why? " CAREFULLY listen to the response. Just because one doctor says he can't promise a perfect result doesn't mean he can't get you there...but he may just be hedging because he doesn't want to over-promise. Here is a link to a spine health article on the topic of choosing a surgeon. Be sure to scroll to the bottom for the related articles on questions for the surgeon and red flags: http://www.spine-health.com/Treatment/Back-Surgery/Selecting-A-Spine- Surgeon/How-To-Select-A-Spine-Surgeon.html I put my questions that I posed to my prospective surgeons in the files, so you can see that it was quite an interview. It took awhile to get confident that I was entitled to complete answers to each of these questions before I agreed to surgery...no matter how long it took. So be it. Neither DrBoachie nor Rand made any such pain free promises to me. I had to take them at their word that they would do the best they could. I knew that neither of these docs were " looking for work " or new challenges. They both had reputations that indicated that they would not operate on someone if they didn't feel they could fulfill their hipocratic oath to " do no harm " , and there were patients out there that I could independantly confirm had the kind of results I was hoping for. I just don't know if you can do any more than that as a patient, aside from checking with the state medical board and insurance claims, which I also recommend. It does take a lot of time and energy to " qualify " your doctor. You should not take anyone elses word for it. In fact, just because someone else had an improvement in pain, even with similar circumstances, in no way means that you can be sure to have the same results. It only means that we can hope that we will achieve the same results. Each of us are somewhat unique in what status we are in from our old surgeries so it really helps to just focus on finding excellent doctors that have done many of these procedures, and then preparing yourself, your family and your circumstances the best you can prior to surgery. Take Care, Cam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 16, 2008 Report Share Posted April 16, 2008 , There are many things to consider about upper back pain in regards to revision. I myself, had a left tilt and a forward tilt but I did not have a hunch. I suffer no ill effects in my upper back either before or after revision. I am completely fused other than the cervical region. Upper back pain can be a readjustment of muscles, nerves, bad posture, bad habits, even sitting at a computer at an odd angle or for too long but for sure, Cam, is right, if you are getting a guarentee from a doc on relieving that pain. I would exit stage right but then again, it is all in the wording of the surgeon and your interpretation of what he/she said. It is always a good policy to bring someone else with you that has a good memory. Take care, > > I am looking into doing the revision surgery but I have a question I > need answered. My upper back pain has increased alot in the last year. > Two of the three doctors I have seen tell me the upper back pain will > be fixed be the revision sugery. Can anyone confirm this as a fact > through your experience? > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 17, 2008 Report Share Posted April 17, 2008 ,I was fused T2-T10 pre revision then from there to the sacrum after which was 9 months ago.I had little to no upper back problems until after revision then started having a lot of pain there and in the upper arms and neck.I had a CT which showed DDD with severe stenosis C4- C5.All of this was already there of course but my surgeon says it was probably aggravated by the fact that my spine was put into a new alignment.So who knows maybe the opposite will be true for you....Donna > > I am looking into doing the revision surgery but I have a question I > need answered. My upper back pain has increased alot in the last year. > Two of the three doctors I have seen tell me the upper back pain will > be fixed be the revision sugery. Can anyone confirm this as a fact > through your experience? > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 17, 2008 Report Share Posted April 17, 2008 I second what said about a the guarantees,that is one thing my Doc and his Nurse Practioner stressed frequently pre-op " there are no guarentees " ..Donna > > Dear , > > I think I'd ask some very pointed questions concerning your upper back to see if there are any real issues there too. While most of us while having revision only have our lumbar spine worked on, there are a few like me who had thorasic work done too. Mine was more postural than for pain in the thorasic area, but I did have a great deal of rib and shoulder pain. I also have has two of these done, my first being just lumbar, and my second was necessary due to cracking my harrington rod fusion mass that wasn't touched during my first revision. > > Many just getting themselves more upright and level find aches and pains elsewhere tend to go away with better posture. Also after getting ones body righted, sometimes muscles reacted badly to the new posture till things streach out. So I'd say listen to the gals here, I'm sure many will chime in, but also know there is no real true way to know if it will go away till afterwards, my bet it would help, but that is only if you don't have problems further up that is causing you pain. While some of us are painfree most of the time, I'd be leary of any doc who gaurntees he can make you painfree. I went into revision looking for a reduction in pain and got far more, I've only had about three bouts of pain in more than five years after my revision, way better than I could have dreamed of. Each of our bodies and spines are different. I'd also ask to speak with patients of each of these docs that have had the SAME surgery to see just how they fared. I do this for my surgeon and am very blunt and truthful to them. Will it fix the pain higher up, maybe if its postural, but I'd sure ask pointed questions, and ask to speak to those other patients, well worth the homework. > > > Colorado Springs > [ ] upper back pain > > > I am looking into doing the revision surgery but I have a question I > need answered. My upper back pain has increased alot in the last year. > Two of the three doctors I have seen tell me the upper back pain will > be fixed be the revision sugery. Can anyone confirm this as a fact > through your experience? > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 17, 2008 Report Share Posted April 17, 2008 I second what said about a the guarantees,that is one thing my Doc and his Nurse Practioner stressed frequently pre-op " there are no guarentees " ..Donna > > Dear , > > I think I'd ask some very pointed questions concerning your upper back to see if there are any real issues there too. While most of us while having revision only have our lumbar spine worked on, there are a few like me who had thorasic work done too. Mine was more postural than for pain in the thorasic area, but I did have a great deal of rib and shoulder pain. I also have has two of these done, my first being just lumbar, and my second was necessary due to cracking my harrington rod fusion mass that wasn't touched during my first revision. > > Many just getting themselves more upright and level find aches and pains elsewhere tend to go away with better posture. Also after getting ones body righted, sometimes muscles reacted badly to the new posture till things streach out. So I'd say listen to the gals here, I'm sure many will chime in, but also know there is no real true way to know if it will go away till afterwards, my bet it would help, but that is only if you don't have problems further up that is causing you pain. While some of us are painfree most of the time, I'd be leary of any doc who gaurntees he can make you painfree. I went into revision looking for a reduction in pain and got far more, I've only had about three bouts of pain in more than five years after my revision, way better than I could have dreamed of. Each of our bodies and spines are different. I'd also ask to speak with patients of each of these docs that have had the SAME surgery to see just how they fared. I do this for my surgeon and am very blunt and truthful to them. Will it fix the pain higher up, maybe if its postural, but I'd sure ask pointed questions, and ask to speak to those other patients, well worth the homework. > > > Colorado Springs > [ ] upper back pain > > > I am looking into doing the revision surgery but I have a question I > need answered. My upper back pain has increased alot in the last year. > Two of the three doctors I have seen tell me the upper back pain will > be fixed be the revision sugery. Can anyone confirm this as a fact > through your experience? > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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