Should i have a second surgery????

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dympls

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HI EVERYONE:

First time I have used this, I am so confused, I had a hemilaminectomy back June 06, only for my symptoms to come back not more than 6 months later. I can't walk for more than 10min or sit for very long, I feel like I am 100 years old, and I am only 40.

Went for an MRI in Feb/09 and I have a disc fragment L5/S1 occupying the right lateral recess, measuring 4 mm anteroposter, 9mm in transverse and 7 mm in craniocaudal because of this there is mass effect on the tecal sac and traversing right S1 nerve root.

My NS who by the way told me my first surgery that there was a 97% success rate, says that I was a fluk, and I should go for the surgury again.

The only thing that keeps me going is the oxy's that I am taking, but because they are so addictive I can't take them forever, I don't know what to do, is there anyone out there that has gone through a similiar situation, and actually had the second surgery??????

Could really use some advice, is my herniation that bad??? No one will be give me a straight answer, my family doc and ns are pushing for surgery, I'm just afraid I am going to come out and it might be worse.
 
I would definitely get a second and maybe even a third opinion. Another surgery might be exactly what you need, but this is pretty major! Do you trust this doctor? I would get an opinion from a spine specialist, either orthopedic or neuro, in a different group. That's important, as docs in the same group use the same charts, so the second opinion wouldn't want to contradict his colleague. When you go to your appt, take all your tests with you if you've had MRI's, CT scans, etc. But don't tell this new doc what the first doctor said. Let him come to his own conclusions.

I wish you the best,
Emily
 
I completely agree with Emily - get as many opinions as you need to feel comfortable. I have heard different things about fragments - one option I head is that they can go in arthroscopically and just pluck out the fragment. If this is true, then it could be a simple out patient procedure.

Good luck
 
What have you decided? I'm searching this web-site for my boyfriend.....he had the second surgery in april.......still unable to have a life...now they tell him fusion is the next step. He's been out of work for over 6 months so he was terminated....ltd has been denied....and the 3rd surgery set up for sept........
 
Hello,

I had almost the same problem several months after my surgery. I had a multi-level laminectomy, foraminotomies, and something else I can't remeraber. I suddenly woke up during the night (needing to use the restroom), got out of bed, and almost fell b/c I had no feeling in my left foot. Then I got horrific nerve pain all down my left leg, ankle, and foot. It was absolutely excruciating and the pain & symptoms were there 24-7, no matter what position I was in. I couldn't sit, stand, walk, or lay down. I had my MRI and I had the same thing except I had a piece of tissue stuck in my left lateral recess at, if I remeraber correctly, L5/S1.

My surgeon sent me to his group's pain management doctor, very quickly, I might add, and I had a nerve block done. I believe the needle went in right through that area, from the side. When he injected the anesthetic & steroiRAB, he was hoping to flush the tissue out of that space. Apparently, i guess it worked. For about 2 or 3 days after, I did have quite a bit of pain, but it was all localized around the injection site, for the most part. But it is normal to feel some pain like that for a couple days after ESI's or nerve blocks. By the third day, I was feeling great! I can't remeraber exactly now, but I was good for many weeks until I had another episode of nerve pains in a slightly different area. But I keep having this happen all the time. Every few weeks or months, I get a severe exacerbation of pain & symptoms. I think that I keep herniating disks.

But anyway, I think you probably should get another opinion in your case. Perhaps someone else might try some sort of injection or other treatment before suggesting surgery.

I am sorry that you have to deal with all that pain, especially when you had surgery that you thought would rid of it. My surgeon had told me that my surgery had about an 80% success rate and told me the surgery would not help my arthritis or arthritis pain at all. So he was very honest about all that.
 
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