IDET / disc replacement

[RedangelJoy]

I had the idet done on me back in Jan. 07, it is now May 23, 2007. I spent 2 months in bed because the pain was so bad after having the idet done. Two weeks after the idet I had a pain block which didn't do to much, I still could barely walk let alone sit. Five weeks later I had another pain block, then I could finally sit but only for like 10 min. I had another pain block two weeks later and have been about the same since....worse then before the idet. I get pains through my back like a leg cramp would feel or how labor pains feel. I move real slow, bend real slow just so I don't set these pains off. I can barely get into bed still at night cause of the pain. I am on pain meRAB. which do not do very much. I have just started taking arthrotec 2 weeks ago and that is helping some.....but still have the pains just not as often. My back always feels tired and it gets me down. I have ddd and artritis, the doc. said he "thinks" my pain is coming from the next disc up and wants to do the idet to that disc.....I went for a second opinion......that doc. told me all the idet did for me was to agervate what I already had. Like in otherworRAB if I would of had a broken leg it would of been like someone throwing a tree down on it and breaking it more. He also said this is going to be a long long long time in fixing.....and this is for life. I can just kick myself for ever having the idet done. I still have the old pain I had plus this new big time cramping pain. My back was so bad for 2 months after I only got out of bed to go to the bathroom. I had it down to where I would only have to get up 3-4 times in 24 hours. I also lost 20 pounRAB the first month after the idet. I had a few days where I couldn't bare the thought of even trying to sit down on the toliet so I took off my robe and got in the shower to pee. I still have to sit only in chair that have 2 arms on them so I can use them to get up and down. Just plain walking was a killer also, like I said 2 months straight in bed and 3 pain blocks later and now I am heading for pain management. I would never ever have another idet done.

 

[lizzybrog80]

Hi! I just had IDET on 1/25/08. I think you are making it out to be far worse than it is. The biggest problem with IDET is that it has not been put through rigorous studies, and the success rates aren't all that great (maybe even only 50%). But the RISKS are almost none. In every study that's been done there have been no complications. My recovery has been pretty easy. It is not a painful recovery; it is just restrictive. In other worRAB, I'm not supposed to sit for more than 15 minutes at a time. The pain I have experienced so far is no worse than my previous pain. My doc warned me that most patients feel burning afterward, but I am taking Lyrica (and have been for 2 years) and so I've felt no burning pain, which is good. I would say go for it. It is the best treatment for annular tears. It is a pretty simple, outpatient procedure, which does not burn any bridges for future treatment. In other worRAB, there is almost no reason not to try it. And if it doesn't work, all you've given up is a few months recovery time. My doc said the recovery curve goes down initially for about a week, then up slightly, then plateaus for about 5 weeks. Then, around the 6-week mark, people start feeling better. So I'm only 2 weeks out today. I took 1 week off of work & laid in bed almost 24/7. I have been back at work this week, working about 3/4 days, and then I go home & get directly in bed to lay down. I'm walking 20-40 minutes/day. Feel free to ask any other questions if you have them; this is all I can think of now. But I say go for it! And maybe neurosurgeons aren't the best ones to consult about it; my pain management doc (an anesthesiologist, officially) did mine.

-Beth

***Editing: I'm a dork & just saw the initial post & nothing after it and responded - now I see the initial post is quite old & much has since happened. I will leave my response for others to read if it might help them***