Due for 4level ACDF and PCF.

Hi Bononic, welcome to the forum. What was your surgeon's explanation for doing your surgery this way. I admit, this is unusual. We've had plenty of members have 4 level fusions done by the posterior approach.

Care to share a little more info?

Have you had a 2nd opinion for this proposed surgery? If not, I encourage you to get your gp to refer you to a neurosurgeon for a 2nd opinion. What type of dr has made this recommendation? The things you have listed in your post are typically handled in one surgery, not two. If this were me, I would not agree to this surgery without a 2nd opinion.

I am not trying to scare you, however, several years ago we had a member with back issues. The surgeon she went to said she needed 2 back surgeries. She worked in the medical field & knew something wasn't right with this recommendation. She sought out a 2nd opinion & the surgeon did one surgery.

No one should ever go into spine surgery blindly & not understand things. Do you have a family member of friend that can go with you to dr appts? Having a 2nd set of ears can be helpful, plus you need to ask questions.

I will come back in a bit & list some things that will be helpful in your recovery, but please get a 2nd opinion.

Did the other surgeons recommend 2 surgeries?

B, I would get 2nd opinion on this proposed surgery. I would let the surgeon know that 2 surgeries are recommended & that you are questioning the need for 2 surgeries. I would ask the surgeon to evaluate you as if you are his patient & what he recommends. Ask him to explain what is involved in the surgery, about how long will the surgery take, how long will you be kept in the hospital, will you have adequate pain control?

Keep in mind a posterior surgery has a longer recovery time than the anterior approach. Since you have so many levels involved this adds time to things too. You overall health plays a roll, will you have someone at home at least for the first week or someone that can check on you?

B, here is something you can do on your own. Go on the internet & type in top 5 neurosurgeons in your city. See what names pop up, a lot of times Healthgrades & Rate MD's will list the drs & you can read about their reviews, what insurance they take & their education background. I suggest staying away from the older ones simply because they are often are not up to speed on the newer surgery techniques, spine surgery has come a long way. My lung dr, his dad is an older well known cardiologist, he said my dad should retire because he is stuck in his old ways & has not kept up with current times, lol.

Good for you on keeping your diabetes under control & the weight loss is great. It's hard to lose weight as we age, I'm 68. My husband is type2, boy what a battle it has been, he doesn't listen very well. He had back surgery nearly a year ago, he's 76, it took longer for his incision to heal because of the diabetes not being under control. He had a good result & it took care of his pain.

The virus has sure changed many things for us. Get a little scratch pad & write down some questions & same with the dr's answers. Be sure to have a pen handy.

B, here is a list of things members have all recommended for surgery that helped with their recovery at home.

A recliner to sleep in, if you have one or an adjustable bed great. Most said it was more comfortable to sleep in a recliner at first, too painful & difficult trying to get in & out of bed. If you don't have one consider renting one or borrowing one from a family member.

Take your medication on a schedule, set timers for reminders. It is best to stay on top of the pain & not let it get out of control, same with your muscle relaxer. Ask the surgeon to call in your medications a couple of days before surgery so you will have it once you are home. If pain medication tends to constipate you, get a stool softener. Have plenty of water on hand, bendable straws, easy foods that can be heated in the microwave, shirts or blouses that are button up, you don't want to try to raise your arms up for a pullover shirt, cold packs, slip on shoes that are not slick on your floors, remove throw rugs so you don't trip on them, if you have a walk in shower get a non-slip stool to sit on if you don't feel like standing very long. You should be given discharge instructions on bathing. Get a reacher/grabber, these are neat gadgets to pick up things off of the floor & can be found at most pharmacies & Walmart. We have 2 metal ones that we use all the time. Get a front closure bra, easier to put on when you need to wear one. Follow your post op instructions to the letter. I have probably left out some things. Let your husband help you out, you need to spend your energy healing.

Keep us posted.

I found out from my surgeon that the reason I have to have 2 surgeries is because I have posterior hypertrophy of the ligament. I guess that is rather a rare thing. The ligaments in the back have thickened snd he has to remove part of the lamina (?) to release the pressure in the back of my spine that is being squeezed. I guess I understand. Thank you all for your help and suggestions. I’ll let you know what happens.

Is your doctor Board Certified in Neurosurgery ? You can find out if he is at the link below.

Certification Matters-https://www.certificationmatters.org/