OT Lumbar Fusion

[Alistair]

My dad (76yo) had spinal fusion about a month ago. Don't recall which area beyond "lower back". This was after years of worsening pain that impacted his sleep and ability to function outside the house.

They went in from the back. Procedure time isn't too bad, but depending on exact location and severity, they might keep you for 2-3 nights at the hospital. Dad was in for 2 nights, I think.

He did have a complication, in that he took a bad fall the night he returned home. Got up to pee in the middle of the night, passed out (not sure if a blood pressure drop or what), and fell backwards over the edge of the tub (while we was mid-urination). Broke two ribs and a different vertebrae. And obviously went back into the hospital for another few nights. Definitely not common, but do be careful those first few nights back home - don't try to sneak around at 3am and avoid waking your partner - wake them up and ask for help!

He's recovering fine now, and walking around much better than prior to surgery. It had gotten bad enough that even a quick walk up the block wasn't doable. He probably should have had it fixed surgically 3-4 years ago.