Medical technology has certainly changed.

I have been given the plan by the surgeon team, which involves lower lumbar surgery with pedicle screw fixation which will fuse L4-5, L5-S1, and the pelvic bone. The arthritic joints at those levels will be cleaned out to make more room for the nerve roots, so that they will not be squeezed anymore. This should relieve a great deal of my low back symptoms and prevent progessive permanent nerve damage. While I harbor no delusions about being completely pain-free, I am now well on the way to some much needed relief. This will mean that now my entire spine and pelvis, with the exception of 7 vertebrae in the neck, will be fused as one solid piece. Dr. Mudiyam says that my motion should not be affected too much, since there is barely any motion at the remaining lower levels anyway. Part of my old hardware has to come out, so my entire spine will be exposed during surgery, through the same incision as before. I also have some trochanteric bursitis of the right hip (inflammation of connective tissue) due to altered mechanical function due to the prior fusion, which will require cortisone injection treatment. It looks like this will be scheduled in December.