4 Years Post Op Spinal Fusion Surgery

Hi everyone, 

Once again  it has been awhile since i last posted on here but i thought that my 4 year post op was a good reason to post again. Today is officially my 4th year since my spinal fusion in 2016 and i wanted to update you on how i am doing in regards to scoliosis 4 years on. The answer is pretty positive in all honesty. Since my fusion Scoliosis has become a much more manageable aspect of my life! 

Whilst Scoliosis was once a huge part of my life it is something i no longer worry about, i suppose one of the greatest benefits of having the surgery for me personally, is this eradication of worry. In retrospect i remember often worrying about when my inevitable surgery will be and if my curvature had progressed and the implications of both these things upon my life going forwards. Whereas now i feel secure in the realisation that in my own mind my Scoliosis is "fixed." Whilst i realise that i will never be free of Scoliosis i have come to accept that it is a part of me and the reason why i am who i am today. Going through Scoliosis treatment at a young age force me to grow in maturity and it taught me real acceptance of not just my own differences but also others. 

I wanted to also acknowledge that whilst my own experience has been positive i am aware that this is not the case for all Scoliosis patients. I am extremely lucky to have had such an amazing experience post operation but i know that Scoliosis correction surgeries are not always as successful as one may wish. I also don't want people who are reading this who don't have Scoliosis or are about to have the surgery for it to be given the impression that this surgery is easy and always has positive outcomes. At the end of the day i am one Scoliosis patient out of thousands of differentiating stories and personal accounts of Scoliosis. However, i want my own personal account to be heard and i want people to see that Scoliosis, whilst daunting, can be a positive experience also.  I want people to be able to acknowledge both sides of the Scoliosis personal accounts, be it positive or negative and be able to use them to inform themselves and prepare themselves as best as possible both mentally and physically for spinal fusion surgery. But, i hope that my own personal account can spread some light of positivity for Scoliosis patients reading this.

Common Questions About Scoliosis Post Op: Q&A Section

Q- What is the loss of flexibility like after surgery?

A- This is very individual and can be different for each patient and it also depends on how much of the spine is being fused. Personally i had T4-L4 fused and i have lost some flexibility since surgery but it is manageable. For example i can still bend to touch my toes and i have relatively good side rotation too!

Q- Will i have pain after surgery? 

A- Yes, immediately after the surgery you will be in some discomfort but again this is relative and your pain will be managed with strong pain medication. Personally the pain was more discomfort, i found it hard to get comfy in one position and instead of pain as such it was more unusual it just needs some getting used to which comes with time. As the days go on the pain/ discomfort becomes less and less and for me i rarely have pain anymore just the occasional ache if i have done too much that day. 

Q- How long will i be in hospital after the surgery?

A- Again this is relative to the patient but the average time in hospital post operation is 5-7 days i was in for 6 days after my surgery. 

Thank you for reading and i really hope this has been an informative post for you! 

Please feel free to comment below any questions you have about Scoliosis or any future Scoliosis posts you would like to see.

Looking Back xoxo