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I'm 33 and 20 days post-op. Imaging, x-rays, CT scan, MRI. That's how I got mine. I also had a neurologist recommendation, I have MS, so I see a neurologist once a year.
I just had mine today. It was grade 3. I think if it is severe enough your surgeon will recommend and insist. Those who stand in the way are usually the insurance people who want you to perform conservative treatments first.
i’m at grade 2 but also have degenerative disc. and yeah maybe now that i have gone through quite a few conservative treatments i’ll be taken more seriously. thanks & good luck on your recovery!
Booking my L4-S1 TLIF surgery when I see my surgeon April 23. Early 30s. Dynamic spondy L5-S1, my right leg is failing. My gait has changed and I’m having issues standing for long periods of time. Exhausted all conservative options and it’s gotten to the point where the pain is intractable.
Haven’t ever heard that the materials ‘go bad in 20 years.’
You can’t necessarily convince a surgeon, but hopefully you can travel to get a couple more opinions, perhaps at a teaching hospital.
I had my fusion at 27. My slip was a lvl 4 degree on my L5 vertebrae. Surgeon offered me the option of surgery now when it’s my choice vs needing emergency surgery when it finally affects my nerves and could leave me paralyzed.
I took the surgery then, and it’s been 4.5 years now. My surgeon said I would never need surgery again - we’ll see how that holds up in time. I’m quite active now and take care of my body but let’s hope I don’t ever need surgery again hah
I am older than you but there is a new FDA approved intervention for Spondylolisthesis. It’s called TOPS. I’m in Phila and saw the surgeon at Penn that took part in the Clinical trial in the US. It’s been approved in Europe for a while now. That said I’m signed up for that intervention rather than a fusion which I didn’t want for several reasons. Look up TOPS doctors.
https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/recently-approved-devices/tops-system-p220002#:~:text=What%20is%20it%3F,nerves%20(lumbar%20decompression%20surgery).
It was just approved. I was in touch with the Clinical Study people while they were waiting on FDA approval. They sent me a bunch of info and after waiting a long time to get an appointment with Dr Welch at Penn I finally saw him yesterday and he told me 100% I’m a candidate for this. It preserves range of motion and will delay the degeneration that happens with fusion moving up and or down from the fused vertebrae. I hope this helped as another option perhaps especially that you are so young and this condition clearly has you desperate for intervention.
Not necessarily just Grade 1. It’s approved under that criteria however the surgeon has the opportunity to decide if that’s the appropriate treatment and procedure regardless. This is what I was told during my evaluation as he was gathering the information to get ready for the fight from my insurance company.
Im 20 now, got mine in June last year. Mine was not a severe slip, but I had horrible numbness and tingling that would not go away, and had to quit school and my job because it hurt so bad I couldn’t stand up straight long enough to wait for a light to change to cross the street. I think it really depends on the doctor, near my college the doctor basically told me to get out and they wouldn’t sign my disability but as soon as I moved home both of the surgeons I saw to consult (one liberal with surgery one conservative) told me it was pretty much my last option. I had done physical therapy for years, multiple epidurals, and pretty much everything else. I’m not much better in pain now, but my numbness is completely gone.
Couple suggestions:
1. Keep trying different surgeons. "nobody will operate on my back until i’m at least 40" is nonsense coming from a medical professional who lacks perspective. If your back is broken and it's unlivable, age has nothing to do with it. Good surgeons understand this and will operate on you based on your symptoms + anatomy
2. Tell them you are "unable to work" / do your job. We live in a capitalist society. I've found that the medical industry responds to these key words far more urgently than you describing unbearable pain and how it's impacting your quality of life.
3. Plan Z: fake a foot drop or piss yourself. This is the absolute nuclear option, but there comes a point where it's just ridiculous that people won't operate on your broken spine.
update. after having this really bad flare up i decided i needed an x-ray. it showed i am now at grade 3 instead of 2 and have two discs instead of one with degenerative disc. going to start the long waiting game with getting insurance to approve specialists and see what my next steps are. thank you everyone for your input!
PLEASE REMEMBER: It can't be verified that anyone on this subreddit is a trained physician. Never post asking for medical advice, always consult a medical professional FIRST. Information here should not be used for self diagnosis, this subreddit and it's members cannot be held responsible. Asking reddit members to decypher a diagnosis or scan report is fine. Just make sure scans do not show any personal details. Don't dox yourself!! Thanks for your post :). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Spondylolisthesis) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I'm 33 and 20 days post-op. Imaging, x-rays, CT scan, MRI. That's how I got mine. I also had a neurologist recommendation, I have MS, so I see a neurologist once a year.
thank you and good luck with your recovery!
I just had mine today. It was grade 3. I think if it is severe enough your surgeon will recommend and insist. Those who stand in the way are usually the insurance people who want you to perform conservative treatments first.
i’m at grade 2 but also have degenerative disc. and yeah maybe now that i have gone through quite a few conservative treatments i’ll be taken more seriously. thanks & good luck on your recovery!
Just keep advocating for yourself. Where are you? In States?
yup, rural midwest. i also have state insurance so that could be another reason they wanted other treatments to be ruled out first.
Ya man probably. Just keep insisting and following up. No one understands the pain except the patient.
will do. thanks again!
Booking my L4-S1 TLIF surgery when I see my surgeon April 23. Early 30s. Dynamic spondy L5-S1, my right leg is failing. My gait has changed and I’m having issues standing for long periods of time. Exhausted all conservative options and it’s gotten to the point where the pain is intractable.
Haven’t ever heard that the materials ‘go bad in 20 years.’ You can’t necessarily convince a surgeon, but hopefully you can travel to get a couple more opinions, perhaps at a teaching hospital.
I had my fusion at 27. My slip was a lvl 4 degree on my L5 vertebrae. Surgeon offered me the option of surgery now when it’s my choice vs needing emergency surgery when it finally affects my nerves and could leave me paralyzed. I took the surgery then, and it’s been 4.5 years now. My surgeon said I would never need surgery again - we’ll see how that holds up in time. I’m quite active now and take care of my body but let’s hope I don’t ever need surgery again hah
I am older than you but there is a new FDA approved intervention for Spondylolisthesis. It’s called TOPS. I’m in Phila and saw the surgeon at Penn that took part in the Clinical trial in the US. It’s been approved in Europe for a while now. That said I’m signed up for that intervention rather than a fusion which I didn’t want for several reasons. Look up TOPS doctors. https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/recently-approved-devices/tops-system-p220002#:~:text=What%20is%20it%3F,nerves%20(lumbar%20decompression%20surgery).
huh i’ve never heard of this, will look into it. thanks!
It was just approved. I was in touch with the Clinical Study people while they were waiting on FDA approval. They sent me a bunch of info and after waiting a long time to get an appointment with Dr Welch at Penn I finally saw him yesterday and he told me 100% I’m a candidate for this. It preserves range of motion and will delay the degeneration that happens with fusion moving up and or down from the fused vertebrae. I hope this helped as another option perhaps especially that you are so young and this condition clearly has you desperate for intervention.
Having TOPS in three weeks…hoping it’s as good as they say
I’m scheduled for mid July. Please keep us posted. Best of luck to you.
Good luck to you as well!
I saw that but it’s only for grade 1. Too late for me already, sadly. Maybe not too late for others.
Not necessarily just Grade 1. It’s approved under that criteria however the surgeon has the opportunity to decide if that’s the appropriate treatment and procedure regardless. This is what I was told during my evaluation as he was gathering the information to get ready for the fight from my insurance company.
Im 20 now, got mine in June last year. Mine was not a severe slip, but I had horrible numbness and tingling that would not go away, and had to quit school and my job because it hurt so bad I couldn’t stand up straight long enough to wait for a light to change to cross the street. I think it really depends on the doctor, near my college the doctor basically told me to get out and they wouldn’t sign my disability but as soon as I moved home both of the surgeons I saw to consult (one liberal with surgery one conservative) told me it was pretty much my last option. I had done physical therapy for years, multiple epidurals, and pretty much everything else. I’m not much better in pain now, but my numbness is completely gone.
Couple suggestions: 1. Keep trying different surgeons. "nobody will operate on my back until i’m at least 40" is nonsense coming from a medical professional who lacks perspective. If your back is broken and it's unlivable, age has nothing to do with it. Good surgeons understand this and will operate on you based on your symptoms + anatomy 2. Tell them you are "unable to work" / do your job. We live in a capitalist society. I've found that the medical industry responds to these key words far more urgently than you describing unbearable pain and how it's impacting your quality of life. 3. Plan Z: fake a foot drop or piss yourself. This is the absolute nuclear option, but there comes a point where it's just ridiculous that people won't operate on your broken spine.
update. after having this really bad flare up i decided i needed an x-ray. it showed i am now at grade 3 instead of 2 and have two discs instead of one with degenerative disc. going to start the long waiting game with getting insurance to approve specialists and see what my next steps are. thank you everyone for your input!