“What pain medicine is given after spinal fusion?”

For spinal fusion in the cervical spine (neck), there is typically little pain and most people can do well with Acetaminophen (Tylenol). For the lumbar spine fusion, it all depends on how many levels are to be fused and whether or not the surgeon goes through the back or stomach area. If through the back it also matters whether or not the surgeon chooses a minimally invasive type of procedure using fiber optic type scopes to look directly down over the pedicle bones to place the hardware, or makes larger incisions. And finally, it depends upon how much pain medication someone has been using prior to the surgery. Before considering what type and how much pain medication you will need you should address with your surgeon whether or not you are a candidate for the minimally invasive type of surgery. That will dramatically cut down on how much pain medication you may require. Certainly older surgeons or those who trained long ago may not be trained in use of minimally invasive techniques and this is something you may wish to investigate further before undergoing the procedure.