If not fusion, what else is available? 'disc replacement?'

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murr3

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Endoscopic discectomy is minimally-invasive procedure. Why and how you concluded it may not help you?
 
Just the procedure I saw on a web site showed: the herniated part of the disc was removed to take the protruding part of the disc away from the nerves to relieve the pressure from a herniated disc, in my case the DDD is collapsing the disc space down causing the space between the vertebrae to compress the nerves along with a tear in the other disc. I believe the facet joints are also being damaged along with the vertebrae themselves being damaged by the DDD. So I assume the Endoscopic discectomy is as far as I could tell to remove disc material only and may not address all my problems. The surgeon told me the vertebrae and facet joints need to be stabilised. This is only my understanding anyway. I saw something called X stop but I don't know if that would be of help either. I don't know I might just have to settle with the fusion hopefully with some of the latest innovations I hope? I did a pretty good job of stuffing up my back. I used to be a concreter.
Allan
 
I have seen a few surgeons but only one since my chronic pain localised in my lower back has advanced to stabbing nerve pain and shooting pain up my spine. Now my pain has also moved to basically my waist down with two spots one on each side of my Butt against my pelvice that was aggravated by a nerve root block at L5 and has only gotten worse. The pain also includes my thighs and I get nurabing below that and in my feet and toes. The worst being in my butt that effects my walking getting worse if I walk any distance or walking up hill or steps. It has got bad enough that I end up spending a lot more time in bed. If I do any bending, lifting or sitting to long (any more than 15 minutes) I aggravate the butt pain and set off the stabbing nerve pain and spasms that stop me moving at all without the stabbing and shooting nerve pain.

The Surgeons I saw previously told me that they would not be able to help me with localised pain but would see me if I started having trouble walking or if I was having leg pain or trouble with my bladder.

So when things changed I was referred to a Neurosurgeon who told me strait out that I needed fusion surgery to stabilise my spine because of the damage to the vertebrate and facet joints (showed by whitening and deforming) caused by the degenerating disc's that are discoloured and colapsing with a tear in one and some bulging etc in the other causing narrowing of the nerve spaces leaving little space for the nerves. The narrowing area was where I had the nerve root injections previously.

When I had the injections it took 3 goes for the doctor to get the needle into the left side nerve root with CT guiding and caused a lot of the pain in my butt on that side to start with but did help the right side a little and with the general pain but left me with the pain spots deep in my butt against the pelvice. It must be where the nerve comes down into my thigh. It has been a few months and the butt pain has only gotten worse and also the pain from my waist down.

Sorry I have gone into this so much but I want to explain why I am inquiring about the surgery. This surgeon has come very well recommended by my specialist and even my GP knew him and agreed he was well known and respected.

I have been doubting the recommendation of fusion now I have read a lot of the threaRAB here. My question is about disc replacement. A friend of mine had a double disc replacement and he told me he thought it was worth it and he had less pain now. As far as I know he was a little worse than me as he had collapsed a nuraber of times though I have had some similar incidents after over doing things a couple of times. Has anyone here had the disc replacement surgery? Have this been offered to others as an option instead of fusion? I have to wait another 6 months because of my insurance but will be stuck at home most of that time and I am very limited in what I can do because of the effects of any physical exertion on me. Basically I am bed bound or I can spend some time on our recliner watching TV or with my laptop on here researching surgery and medications etc.

The other treatment was minimally invasive microdiscectomy but I am not sure if that is an option and how many options there are for my infliction. But I do have time to be sure of my choice of surgeon and type of surgery.

Thanks for taking the time to read my thread. Allan.
 
No advice anyone? So I will have to try somewhere else for this question. Maybe have to go to another doctor for some answers ha?
Allan
 
Real selective endoscopic discectomy is intradiscal procedure. That means it can address problems inside your disc (your degenerative disc disease).
 
I don't think you are a good candidate for ADR, because you have facet problem.

With DDD, you may be a possible candidate for selective endoscopic discectomy, minimally-invasive spine surgery.
 
I am not sure about what happens after they take the disc material out from between the vertebrae. Would they have to expand the disc to get the hight to allow the room for the nerve root to fit through. As I actually have been diagnosed with spinal stenosis and DDD. Sorry if I seem to be making excuses as I don't really understand how this would replace fusion. Allan
 
Thanks for your advice I just didn't know what was available for me, but I will check that out. Allan
 
I suggest that you find a spine surgeon that understanRAB concepts and principles of minimally-invasive spine surgery and talk to the doctor.
All best
 
I did some research on my back problems and Disc replacement probably wouldn't be appropriate for me because of the facet joint involvement. So I I looked at endoscopic discectomy but that may not even do it. So I could probably only look into minimally-invasive spine surgery. So even if I have to have the fusion there are methoRAB of doing it without using the old method of cutting right through the back muscles. Oh well I can only try to do the best I can to stay open to different options.
Allan
 
Thanks for trying to explain this or for suggesting other surgeries. I appreciate it. Allan
 
Alan - you rock for checking out all the different options - ADR - good one dud you do it ? What about the laser surgery ( endoscopic) did you do that ?
 
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