There is no penalty that would occur if you undergo facet injections. It is highly unlikely these injections will work as the facets are “disconnected” from the vertebra due to the pars fractures. Nonetheless, if you want to try them, there is very little down side (other than the cost and the highly unlikely possibility of infection).
I would not want you to have both surgeries at the same time. The anesthesia time and amount of different rehab procedures necessary post-operatively would be too much to accomplish.
After fusion surgery of the lumbar spine, you are generally in the hospital for 2-3 days and I would want you to stay in the Vail Valley for another 3-4 days before you fly home.
Dr. Corenman
PLEASE REMEMBER, THIS FORUM IS MEANT TO PROVIDE GENERAL INFORMATION ON SPINE ANATOMY, CONDITIONS AND TREATMENTS. TO GET AN ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS, YOU MUST VISIT A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL IN PERSON.
Donald Corenman, MD, DC is a highly-regarded spine surgeon, considered an expert in the area of neck and back pain. Trained as both a Medical Doctor and Doctor of Chiropractic, Dr. Corenman earned academic appointments as Clinical Assistant Professor and Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and his research on spine surgery and rehabilitation has resulted in the publication of multiple peer-reviewed articles and two books.
Donald Corenman, MD, DC is a highly-regarded spine surgeon, considered an expert in the area of neck and back pain. Trained as both a Medical Doctor and Doctor of Chiropractic, Dr. Corenman earned academic appointments as Clinical Assistant Professor and Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and his research on spine surgery and rehabilitation has resulted in the publication of multiple peer-reviewed articles and two books.