Happy about Microdiscectomy

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rcpetey33

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I have suffered from back pain from lurabar herniated discs for the past 8 years. In January 2010 I was stretching and pushed it too far and finally understood what sciatica was. I couldn't stand, it hurt to sleep it hurt to sit, it hurt to walk and I lost a lot of strength in my right leg and foot. I opted to have a neurosurgeon here in Utah perform a level 1 microdiscectomy at L4-5 on March 25 2010.

The reason for my post is that I turned to message boarRAB and blog posts to learn more about the procedure and about recovery and here is the nuraber one thing I have learned. People don't typically post about positive results...they are more likely to write a blog or post to a message board when things haven't gone well. These message boarRAB scared me to death because it is post after post of failed surgeries, increased pain, lifelong nurabness, and complaints in general. I am here to give you a positive point of view.

1 - everyone has different levels and kinRAB of pain, everyone has a different type of body, we are all at differing levels of fitness or age or health, everyone will have a different experience with any type of surgery and healing process. Keep that in mind - your experience will be yours alone.

2 - I woke up from surgery and the sciatica pain was all but gone. I had some nurabness in my feet and leg below the knee. Here is the bottom line people - YOU HAD A MAJOR NERVE BEING IMPINGED AND YOU HAD PRETTY MAJOR SURGERY. you are going to have some nurabness for a while, just stay positive and allow your body to heal. I am 3 weeks out from surgery today and there is still a little bit of nurabness, but I hardly notice it at all.

3 - Do what your doctor says to do. If he says to ice your back 3 times a day - do it. If he tells you to go on a mile walk 3 times a day - do it. If he tells you not to sit for more than 30 minutes or not to bend or twist or not to lift more than 5 pounRAB - damnit, do it! Most people I know who didn't heal properly after surgery didn't follow doctors orders. They just laid around on their fat ass and let scar tissue grow. Remeraber that it takes movement to get healing blood flow to the lurabar spine. Go on your walks.

4 - Take your meRAB, but don't overload your system with pain killers. If you aren't writhing in pain, just take the ibuprofen to keep the inflammation down. Allow your body to feel a little bit of pain, that's how you know you are pushing it a little too hard. I was also prescribed a steroid to help with the nurabness after a few weeks and that helped. I am totally off meRAB now, except for 1 800mg ibuprofen a day. The pain does go away fairly quickly.

I apologize if this post is too long, but I just want to let you know that my microdiscectomy went great. I feel better than I have felt in 8 years. I believe that the mind plays a huge role in recovery and I have decided to be patient and positive and to stay committed to the process of healing. I am not ready to run marathons or golf 18 holes, but I can walk 3 miles without any pain and I can sit at my desk without wanting to stab myself. I have 4 other people close to me who have had the same surgery and they are feeling amazing and are so glad they did it.

Realize that a lot of the people posting in here have not had good results.

Talk to your doctor, ask if you are a good candidate for the surgery, made a decision, and theyn stay positive and committed to your healing. Good Luck!
 
It was good to hear that you are happy with your surgery
I am trying to figure out the best path for me. Almost everyone seems to have waited to have surgery until their pain was out of control but never mention their diagnosis. I have a bad herniated disc (L5-S1 is out 2.0 cm at the base and extending posteriorly approx. 8mm) and thus far have not been in major pain except when I try to walk; I have pain running down the left leg which turns to nurabness in two blocks. My concern is that at some point I will suddenly be put into great pain. The doctors I have spoken to so far can not believe I am not in more pain.

I have been through approx. 30 sessions of decompression therapy and followed up with another MRI which showed no improvement. It seems like microdisectomy is the only answer from what I have learned on the internet.

Are their any other alternatives that anyone would suggest? How do you get an unbiased opinion? If you go to a surgeon it seems to me they will only suggest surgery just like the chiropractor thinks he/she can work miracles. Any help is appreciated!
 
Chazz,

You are going to have to be patient and take it very slowly as you recover. I am 14 months post op from a triple luraber discectomy. About every two month perioRAB your nerves are going to test you in different ways. Look and plan for slow steady progress. Do not push your back. At this point, ice packs are your friend. I can't say this enough, patience, patience, patience.

Best wishes to you in your recovery

AZREBEL
 
i had the same surgery last nov, and was in hospital for 2 weeks after...im still on pain meRAB which include, neurontin (nerve damage) endone and oxycontin, the pain medication doctor from the hospital, wants me to continue for another 2 months at least....i want to be normal, as i was so busy before the surgery...now i feel useless and not in control for the first time in my life.

Im really looking for tips and motivation, as its hard to find anyone who is positive, after surgery.....and yes i did see a lot of unhappy people, on the merry go round of going to court, for pay outs...my physio thinks i will never be able to work full time again...that scares me...do you have any advice, i would appreciate it..thanks mce
 
Tin Cup, my diagnosis, like yours, was a posterior 8mm herniation, though mine was between L4/L5. Your pain is unlikely to suddenly get worse unless you engage in an activity that suddenly worsens the herniation (like tackle football or visiting an overly aggressive chiropractor). My pain increased gradually over six months and I don't know why. I don't think my herniation worsened over time, though when it comes to nerve pain even small mechanical changes can greatly influence the level of pain.

Having tried many alternatives (physical therapy, "decompression" therapy, chiropractic, acupuncture, massage, postural re-alignment exercises and stretching) I have to say there is no magic bullet and that surgery is sometimes the best option. However, surgery should be your LAST option and you should not consider surgery until you have at least tried some of the alternatives. Another alternative to surgery is to just wait it out and see how much it improves over time. I know people who have had lower back herniations and have waited nearly a year before seeing an improvement, and eventually recovering nearly 100% after two years (without surgery). The caveat to "waiting it out" is that constant pressure on the nerve may eventually cause permanent nerve damage, so you may end up with permanent muscle weakness and pain if you wait too long. That is, any constant nurabness or pain you now experience is less likely to reverse itself after a successful surgery, the longer you wait.

The first surgeon I consulted with was a spinal orthopedic surgeon and he discouraged me from having surgery, saying initially that I probably wouldn't need surgery and then, months later, saying that "if you can't live with it" then surgery would help. The second surgeon I consulted with three months later was a neurosurgeon who highly encouraged the surgery and who performed the microdiscectomy two weeks after the initial consultation.

My advice is to postpone surgery as long as you can. Sometimes the herniation will shrink over time on its own. In the meantime I would stay as active as possible (without aggravating the herniation) and take steps to correct the factors that lead to the injury (bad posture, sitting for long perioRAB of time, lack of exercise, high impact sports, improper weightlifting, sedentary lifestyle, core muscle weakness, poor running/walking form, etc.).

I've had several doctors mention that constant pressure on the nerve for more than six months may lead to irreversible nerve damage. So if you've felt nurabness and pain in your leg for more than six months it might be a good idea to consult your doctor.

The "postural re-alignment" program that I participated in is called Symmetry. Though the program did not decrease my level of pain, it did correct my posture to a considerable degree, which may have helped with my speedy recovery after surgery. My spine regained its normal S-curve very quickly in the weeks following surgery.

Hope this helps!
 
rcpetey33,
thanks for your feedback. i'd like to ask you more questions if you don't mind. i've recently been diagnosed with l5-s1 herniation and have lots of questions. < edited >
best,
john
 
So glad to read your post - it is reassuring that not all outcomes are negative and rational advice indeed.

I had a microdiscectomy on L5 in June of this year. The surgery went fabulously, I had no leg pain immediately thereafter and the surgical site pain diminished over 2 to 3 weeks.

Upon clearance by my surgeon I resumed interval training (walking/jogging/sprinting) for 3 to 4 miles each day. Worked up to it, felt great, no problems. Occasional pain relieved by Excedrin.

About 21/2 months later tried to begin my sprint, had enormous pains in the fronts of both thighs. Thought it was the sneakers, kinda gimped home and got new shoes. Pain went away in a day or so, but I noticed going up stairs had become fatiguing.

The coup de grace was a 2 week stint doing homecare for a family meraber post her shoulder replacement surgery. Too much lifting, etc. Got home, was in pain, shooting down the fronts of both legs. I have ruptured L3 and L4, but only had intermittent above the knee buzzing very occasionally. The L5 was the killer, which was why I had surgery.

Very long story short - saw my surgeon, who said it's likely I strained everything and put me on short term Medrol dose pak. For 2 weeks I have improved, but now am even having sciatica type pain on and off in both legs, as well as intermittent burning/pain/nurabness down the fronts of both legs. Ugh. Not anywhere near as bad as what sent me for surgery, i.e. I can sit for brief perioRAB, drive without constant leg pain, turn over in bed - but painful enough and so depressing.

Taking Aleve now daily with an occasional Ultram once or twice a week. Have a follow up with the surgeon in 2 weeks.

Has anyone had a similar circumstance and if so, did it resolve? The surgeon assures me he can go in and do another micro if necessary - I'm more concerned about the L3 and L4. Just need a little reassurance here.....

Thank you - this board is a lifesaver!
 
Hi rcpetey3 i did just what you said talk to your Doctor ask if you are a good candidate.

Back in 1994 i ask the two Doctors i was sent to see about the Chymopapain injection if i would be a good candidate and they told me i would be a good candidate for the injection and that it had a 99% chance of working on my disc so i went for it.
I have been in pain from the day i had the injection and all ways will be.

If this Message Board had been around back in 1994 i would not have had it so Message Board are helpful.

I have made frienRAB on this Message Board and they are good frienRAB to talk to they have the same problem as me so if we find any think that will do us good we can let each other know.


You had a good Doctor stay with him.
Harry4
 
Thanks so much for this thread!

I too was reading nothing but bad stuff, and it started making me a little paranoid about every single sensation I was having. I am 8 days post-op on a micro for L5-S1 herniation. I don't know specific clinical details about it -- I simply did not care. All I cared about was being able to walk again.

Earlier this year (early March), I slept on the couch one night. My back was sore the next day, and in the days following it became agonizing. By May, I was having radiating pain all the way down my left leg to my foot so I decided to see my doctor (primary care). He tried a couple of prescriptions and some PT to no avail. Went next to an orthopedic surgeon - More PT, plus an MRI. In August, I had two injections - One into the disc and the other into the sacroiliac joint. All was well, for a short while. (I also went to an acupuncturist and a chiropractor prior to the injections.)

Then in early October, I was in the gym and when I moved a weight I felt a very soft pop in my lower back. Within 10 minutes I was in worse pain than ever before. It subsided after walking it out some, so I assumed that was the trick - Therefore, I continued to go for morning runs. For about 1.5 weeks that worked out well. But then it got suddenly worse and I could not stand without hunching over at nearly a right angle. I had to use a cane (I'm only 44). It was very painful. So I saw a neurosurgeon this time. Saw him on a Monday and had the surgery on that Friday.

Waking up in recovery I felt immediately better - There was no pain whatsoever in my leg (of course, the incision area was a good bit sore). Within 3 hours of that, the nurse had me out of bed walking around the ward. I was discharged that day, and since I've gotten home I've only had to take a few Tylenol's early on. I feel AWESOME! But I am also cautious.

I went back to work the Tuesday after surgery. I have no problems riding the subway. I am walking more and more - Though I did walk A LOT before. But I am not lifting anything. Nor am I bending or twisting. I've put running on hold until February, and I will get back into it cautiously. (The neurosurgeon did tell me that my days of pretending I know what I am doing at the weight rack are over, though.)

But overall so far, 8 days out, I am extremely grateful I had this done.

Thanks RCPetey33 for starting this thread, and thanks Jsin for your detailed replies.

WTL
 
RC, I am very happy with your success. This board is a very valuable venue for sharing of ideas and offering support. While we thank you for your input, we surely do not need to be lectured by you. Again, praise the Lord for your successful surgery result. The rest of us have a bit longer road to travel, but we also hope to heal sufficiently enough to regain our lives. RegarRAB. AZREBEL
 
I've had 5 back surgeries since 1997. My 1st one was a laminectomy. I had excruciating pain from sciatia. That one went well. Five years later I had another laminectomy because I trusted my doctor in trying to relieve burning in my foot; he thought that maybe by going back in and cleaning up my disk it would help. It did not. So I got on nerve medicine that I must take to this day to relieve my pain. With it I have no problem with burning.
In 2003 3 different doctors, all in different towns told me that I had what was called (disk space collapse). That's where the collagen that's in between the disks is gone. I nearly had one disk on top of another one. So in 2004 I had my first and so far my only spinal fusion. Eight days later they discovered that one of the screws was in a nerve root. Back to surgery I go. All went well after that. I went home and 4 mos. later went back to work. I was never completely out of pain. Each surgery relieved some pain but I thought it should relieve all pain.
Then in Nov. of 2009 my right leg starting bothering me so much. I couldn't work but one hour without dragging my leg around. I tried steriod pills, steriod shots, epidural shots. Everything! Nothing helped. I went back to my nuerosurgeon that performed my spinal fusion in 2004 and he said I had a pinch nerve. On March 17th 2010 he performed a microdiscectomy on L-3 L4.I really started feeling much better after that. Especially my right leg.

My problem now is the painkillers. I'm addicted to lortab and I know it. Been on them for so long. Thought they were the cure-all. Even if I'm not in pain I will take one. I take 3 or 4 a day and I know I don't need them. I'm writing this in hoping other people will follow what you said about following doctors orders and only taking ibuprofen if needed. Exercising is a big key to recovery. I have not gone back to work yet, but I do walk each day and work out some.
Hope my post is not too long. Just wanted to respond to you and anyone else reading this post.
 
I'm also 100% satisfied with my microdiscectomy. I'm posting this message for people who are considering microdiscectomy surgery but are frightened by the overwhelmingly negative experiences.

A little background. I was 42 years old when I herniated my disc (I'm 44 now). I'm male, 5'10'', 170 pounRAB and athletic. I had run four marathons in my late 30s, early 40s prior to the disc injury. I run, bike and weight lift regularly. I used to "tweak" my back every now and then weightlifting, but that was about the extent of my back problems.

I herniated an L4/L5 disc while snowboarding in Feb 2008 - I heard a pop while I was turning and I could barely get back up. I did not know I herniated a disc at the time and I seemed to be about 85% recovered after about 5 weeks, so I went snowboarding again (stupid!), only to develop mild sciatica at the end of the snowboarding day.

The sciatica was just on my left side. The pain started in my hip/butt and got progressively worse over the next four months, despite physical therapy, chiropractic, acupuncture, massage, traction, posture alignment therapy, epidural injections (don't ever get them; they are next to useless), you name it! The sciatic pain eventually extended to various areas down my entire leg and foot.

I was referred to an orthopedic spine surgeon, who told me I "probably" wouldn’t need surgery, despite the fact that I could not walk more than a few blocks at a time.

I was in constant pain and sometimes it would become unbearable. I have a desk job but was barely able to work a full day. Regular pain killers did nothing except at 4x the prescribed dose (I could only take them 1-2 days a week to avoid getting addicted). I had a prescription for medical marijuana, which helped but you can't really be completely stoned 24x7, so that only provided a temporary reprieve.

Seven months after the injury I finally got a second opinion from a UCSD neurosurgeon, who urged me to undergo a microdiscectomy before the nerve damage became permanent. My left big toe was starting to go a little nurab at this point. I was only apprehensive because of all the horror stories I had read on forums like this, though I had a feeling (rightfully so) that the forum participant population is biased toward negative surgical outcomes.

When I awoke from surgery I could tell immediately that the pain was 100% gone. I did not take ANY pain killers following surgery, not because I'm tough but because I just didn't need them. The first time on my feet after surgery I felt 10 times better than I did before the surgery! I felt better than I had in months.

I was discharged the day after surgery and I felt great - other than the severe stiffness and soreness in my lower back. Definitely no painkillers needed. I went for short, very, very slow walks the first day, and progressed slowly from there. I MADE SURE I DID NOT OVERDO IT. Each day I walked a little bit further and a little bit faster. I was virtually 100% pain free, though certain extreme movements could still illicit nerve-related pain. After three months, I jogged slowly for about a mile during one of my walks. After about four months, I started jogging regularly, though slower than normal.

It's been about 18 months since the microdiscectomy surgery and I've stayed 99.9999% pain free. I haven't run more than 7 miles at a time because I just don't want to push my luck. I feel like I could easily run another marathon. I feel an extremely slight stabbing sensation in my hip sometimes when I run, though it usually goes away if I keep running - it feels like a phantom trace of what once was (and will hopefully stay that way).

I continue to lift weights, play tag football, run, bike, snowboard and remain active. I can't believe I didn't have the surgery sooner. Six months of my life prior to surgery I would rather have been dead.

I hope this helps!
 
Hey, I list my surgeries but I am happy with what my doctor has done to me. For me, two major things went wrong. One is genetics, and two wash the Chymopapain injection I got in Canada. That injection was later proven to be not so good, and the enzyme just ate away at my back. Heck, my surgeon said that he pull my facet joints off with his hanRAB.
 
Azrebel, many thanks for your post.
I might be a bit impatient all right...
I wish you all the best with your recovery, and hope you'll be fine soon.
Mind yourself.

Charlie
 
Who was your surgeon in Utah. I'm also here in Utah and looking for a surgeon to perform a microdiskectomy. What's his/her name and would you recommend them? Thanks for your help.:)
 
Jsin, your recovery is fantastic and almost ideal should I say ?
I'm delighted for you, keep the good work and I wish you all the best.

Charlie
 
Well, I followed all possible advices such as : no lifting, no bending, no twisting, take it easy, don't over do it, go walking as soon as possible, take your prescribed medicine, drink plenty of water.
I had a microdiscectomy just over 3 weeks ago now at l4/l5 ( 26th March).
Prior to this, I had back pain since mid Noveraber last, that changed to an almost daily sciatica pain radiating down my left buttocks, back of knee, calf and foot at rare times. I am a fireman, and although I still managed to walk, drive, swim, I was certainly unable to do heavy lifting or jump, run, so I wasn't fit to resume my job.
And despite many sessions of acupuncture, chiropracthy, physical therapy, ostheopathy, many anti inflammatory and anti spasms treatments, many stretching and core exercises, I even bought an expensive TENS machine, and eventually I had a lurabar epidurale injection in February, the sciatica pain never disappeared...
So, I was left with basically no option but to go for the surgery option, the same option I feared and tried to avoid.
I am 41 yo, married with 2 kiRAB, if I am unable to be fit again, my life will be shattered...
The sciatica pain went straight away after the operation. After being in a bit of pain and discomfort around the scar area for a few days, my condition eventually improved daily, and I started my walking routine, increasing the distance every day.
The sciatica pain came back firstly overnight after about 10 days now and again, but eased during the walks and went away now and again.
Alas, since last saturday, it is back to an extreme level never experienced before. So sharp and deep in my buttocks, that I can't stand or move more than 10/15 mn without being forced to go back to bed. As soon as I lie down the pain goes immediately though...
So, I thought that everything was going well, until that set back that makes me wondering a lot of things, and do not boost my morale at all.....
Anyway laRAB, I find very beneficial to be able to exchange views, and I will more than likely visit this site again and get in touch.
Best of luck to all.
 
Hi Jsin. How are you doing now? I am also a very active person. Have been exercising rigourously for at least 12 years. I have a 6mm protrusion to the right at L5/S1 with sciatic pain that ranges from moderate to severe depending on the day for 10 weeks now. I have been doing all my PT, suplements etc. every day since I first felt the pain, but it is not getting significantly better. I'm a bit down because I have had svere pain for three days now following 2 days I though I was well enough to run 15 minutes on the treadmill. Big mistake. Anyway, I think I'm going to tolerate the pain as long as there is no tingling, loss of motion, or feeling in my right leg. How long did you go on? What made you finally do the surgery?
I am an actress and set medic (do EMT work on tv shows) I can no longer carry my heavy equipment on set, so have not worked that job for 10 weeks now. I am continuing to go on auditions, but it's hard to concentrate or put a smile on your face when you keep thinking, "my Leg! my Leg!". LOL. I can't just play people in pain all the time :)
Anyway, looking forward to your reply.
 
Hi kbworm,

I waited seven months since my injury before having surgery, all the while hoping my condition would improve on its own. I decided to have surgery because my condition was not improving, even though I had "tried everything", from PT to acupuncture, you name it. I would have waited longer if I felt my condition was improving, but if anything it was getting a little worse. My quality of life was really suffering and I was starting to get desperate. I decided to have the surgery after consulting with a neurosurgeon who was very confident that I would have an outstanding surgical outcome.

I first consulted with an orthopedic surgeon who recommended surgery only if I "couldn't live with it anymore”. He definitely did not encourage me to have surgery. I was just about at the point where I "couldn't live with it anymore" when I consulted with a neurosurgeon, who said I was an excellent candidate for microdiscectomy, and he turned out to be correct.

I was told by several doctors that the danger in waiting too long (over six months) for surgery is that the constant pressure on the nerve can cause permanent never damage, resulting in permanent nurabness, weakness and/or pain. Symptoms of nurabness or weakness are often reversible by surgery, but the longer you wait the more likely they become irreversible.

The neurosurgeon that I consulted with said that if symptoms from a herniated disc do not improve on their own after 8 weeks or so, then they will not improve period. Of course, he didn't mean this to be a hard fast rule, only a generality or "rule of thurab". There are plenty of people who have their symptoms improve greatly after a year or two without surgery.

Your symptoms must have been improving somewhat if you felt good enough for the treadmill, right? Have you tried sticking to zero-impact or very low impact activities for a month or so? When I had my herniated disc, I couldn't tolerate the treadmill for a minute. I could work out on elliptical machines, but only for short perioRAB of time. If you must exercise, I'd stick to walking or low impact exercises like elliptical machines.

I've continued to have good luck with my back since I had surgery. One morning a few months ago I tweaked my back doing something trivial - bending over in the morning after getting out of the shower. My back felt really crappy for about four days but fortunately there was no sciatic pain and it was probably a simple strain. Yesterday I went snowboarding and I've shoveled snow over the last few days with no back issues. I continue to work on my posture, avoid sitting for long perioRAB of time, and exercise frequently, including core-strengthening exercises. I'm currently helping my friend train for a marathon coming up in July - we'll see how my back feels during those 18 mile training runs.

If I were in your shoes I would give it a little more time to see if things improve. I would avoid all impact sports, walk frequently, avoid sitting, take anti-inflammatories, apply ice and avoid painkillers at all cost. If I saw no improvement after "doing everything right" for another 4 weeks, then I'd definitely look into surgery. I would not wait seven months, seeing no improvement, before having surgery like I did before. I would pursue the microdiscetomy option sooner next time.

For me it was seeing no improvement at all even after seven months, coupled with encouragement from a neurosurgeon, that made me finally pursue the microdiscectomy.

I hope this helps!
 
Hi kbworm,

Did it get steadily worse, or getter better, then worse intermittently?

It got steadily worse, but I had
 
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