So I can understand- you have had five previous surgeries on one level of your lumbar spine (L5-S1)? You have had a fusion with cadaver bone as the final surgery?
I am unclear as to what surgeries were done and why they were done. What diagnostic testing have you undergone? Did you have back pain as your primary complaint or did you have back pain at all?
Please discuss your history here. What reasons did you have the initial surgery at the age of 26? When did you have the second surgery and for what reason? What were the other three or four surgeries for?
Surgically placing bone in a segment indicates the attempt of fusion of that segment. Fusion is generally unsuccessful without a mechanism to hold the bones still until the fusion occurs. Rods and screws are used to immobilize the spine. Flexible instrumentation generally does not work in the spine.
If you have leg pain as your major complaint, you might not need a fusion unless the same disc has herniated three times. In that case, a fusion is generally necessary to prevent further damage to the nerve root.
Dr. Corenman