3 Weeks Post Laminectomy Pain

  • Thread starter Thread starter rbsa
  • Start date Start date
R

rbsa

Guest
Hello. My husband is three weeks post op laminectomy done by ortho doc. It was out patient surgery followed by daily VNA visits. Week one was what we expected with only discomfort around the surgical site. Along about the beginning of week 2, he was awakened by the same sever pain he'd been having prior to laminectomy. The pain is deep in the hip and extenRAB down his leg to the ankle and foot. He describes the calf pain as like having a "charlie horse" that simply doesn't go away. We had the 2 week follow up with ortho surgeon and he was not concerned about the pain at all. Told him to take it easy for a few days, continue on Percocett and gave him a note to go back to work in another week!
We are both frustrated to say the least. Dr. did explain that there was a piece of the ruptured disc poking into the nerve and since the nerve was d
maged it will take "awhile" to heal. My husband has followed instructions, he is walking, not bending, lifting or twisting yet he can't take the pain any longer. It's Friday, which means the weekend leaves us with no choices other than the ER. Any and all advice will be greatly appreciated. We do have a call into our family internist to see what he advises. I might add that the dr. who did the surgery has a good reputation, has done rotator cuff surgery on me without any glitches whatsoever. Help!
 
I'm sorry for the pain that your hubby is having. It's hard to realize that there still will be pain after the proceedure is done. What he is having is nerve pain in his leg. It's not uncommon. What you have to realize is that nerves don't like to be messed with and when they are, it takes them a looong time to settle back down. What you need to remeraber is that your hubby didn't get this way in a day-it took a long time and now it will take time for all of this to settle down. He is only three weeks out-which is fresh from the proceedure. If ata three months is was this bad I would be concerned.

While the percoset is all well and good, your hubby would probably benefit more from one of the meRAB that are use to control nerve pain. Nuerontin, Topomax, Lyrica-all of these are used. You might want to get a script for one of them to try.

I wouldn't be too concerned at this point. I know that sounRAB callow and uncaring, but it really just a part of the healing process. Sometimes the post pain seems worse than the pre pain. I know-I've been there, done that. I have had two back surgeries and am now fused from T9-sacrum, and am a cper(chronic pain) for life.

Good luck and hang in there!
 
I am at 3 weeks tomorrow too. I am going to update my other thread "2 weeks post op"
 
Back
Top