Which one is best ? minimally invasive surgery or traditional micro surgery?

  • Thread starter Thread starter efang622
  • Start date Start date
E

efang622

Guest
My neuro surgeon sent a consultation report to me in March 8 .
he said he will offer a " right sided L5- S1 hemilaminoforaminotomy" . I would not need a fusion.he said if join move he will can put a piece fo bone on the join or in the join. It will probably take him less than an hour to do it.
Thanks!
 
I had spine disc herniation 22 months ago and right now I still have moderate right leg pain. the pain scale is 4 -5. I am concerning the surgery but still hesitate. Yesterday I saw a Neuro surgeon who is a top doctor in my area. He said I have two ways can go but if I want him to do surgery, he only can do traditional micro surgery to me which should have one to two inches incision and 4-6 weeks recovery time but it is not fusion. When I asked him if he can do minimally invasive surgery or METRx micro discectomy, he said neither one he likes to do because there are two weakness of these new surgeries : 1) the incision is too small and surgeon neeRAB to use a lot of x-ray to explore where the problem is and maybe eventfully it is still less effective than open traditional microscopy surgery, 2)While using endorscopy ,surgeon only can use one hand to do the surgery because should use another hand to holding the endorscopy. He said the surgeon can use two hanRAB when using microscopy .because surgeon wear it on the head.( like ENT doctor) he didn’t mention some kind of complications when using traditional microscopy surgery such as bigger incision easy to causes scar's adhesion pain , incision’s swelling and irritation .
I am planning maybe first I will accept MISS , if it is failed , I will do traditional some time late .Do kwon if any people here has this kind of experience? I don’t know if this is a stupid plan or I will not accept any surgery and just deal with that pain by other methoRAB if I can find .


Thanks!
 
Hahaha, I am reading this that your doctor said and I can't shop laughing!!!
He said that because he is not capable of performing state of the art MISS.

There is no reason why your MISS should fail. There are many MISS treatment methoRAB. If one fails, another options is open.

MISS is the future, micro-surgery is history...let's all face it.
 
I just had the traditional partial discectomy and lamenectomy. I'm still not sure if I made the right decision. I went from periodically having severe back pain (very little leg pain) to now persistent leg/foot pain but at a lower pain level. If I had to do it all over again, I think I would have waited till I was in agony before going thru w/ the surgery. Anyhow, in answer to your question, I found it interesting that of the two major spine/neurosurgery practices in the area, neither use the METRX system. I wonder w
 
1) if you mean surgery made you worse so next time you will
wait until you are agony then you will accept surgery?
2) You said " I wonder w=I wonder why?" or this isn't a completed message?
 
What is it that leaRAB you away from open surgery or more aggressive surgery than just micro surgery?

In a hemilaminectomy the surgeon removes only part of the laminae, a part of the vertebrae, in an area of the spine. It's called a hemilaminectomy because the surgeon only removes the lamina from one side of a vertebra, rather than both, to maintain as much stability as possible. In a full laminectomy, the laminae from both sides are removed. Removing this structure in the vertebrae creates more room for the nerve, relieving pressure and pinching.

Personally after all the time you've been looking I think you may want to choose whatever procedure and doctor you prefer but move forward. Some procedures have a longer recovery time but at least you start moving forward. Don't be afraid to do a more aggressive surgery. In every surgery of every kind there is no guarantee and in spine surgery there is no way to predict how well you will do. I have a cousin in DC who had a microdiscectomy done about a month agoand the first 2 weeks were rough, and now he's back to feeling well and is SO glad he had it done.
 
SpineAZ,
Thank you for letting me know about hemilaminectomy, the reason which leaRAB me away from open surgery as following,
1) My age and self health condition , I have another health problem: probable COPD ( Chronic cough )and Osteoporosis . Historically, My recovery time is always longer if comparing with others every time when I have sickness and I don't know why. It might indicate my immune system is weak.

2) My working company may didn
 
My pain management doctor told me, Miss is surgery's future and always better than "Open." thanks!
 
I have had the pleasure (sarcastically) of having both the micro discetomy and a bunch of endoscopic discetomy. If you get a micro discetomy your crazy. Every doctor that has ever been recommended to me has been "the best doctor in the state, country world." all Bull**** The endoscopic is more effective, less pain and quicker recovery time. I have had much better results with the endoscopic and I have had 4 levels done. The micro almost left my right leg useless. And I just had to have a fusion because the amount of disc he took out gave me foramital stenosis. I am sorry if I offend anyone but if your doctor doesn't recommend the endoscopic find a doctor that can work a one handed tool with one hand. Yours has not continued his education like he should of.
 
My pain management doctor told me, Miss is surgery's future and always better than "Open." sorry , I put my message on wrong place and have to post twice. thanks!
 
Sorry, I didn't finish my last post. I meant to say that I wonder why neither of the two major spinal surgeon practices in the area use the METRX system (at least none advertise it and the one I went to didn't even mention it - although I never asked).

Regarding whether or not I'd go through with surgery again, I would if I was in enough pain. Before surgery, my back "went out" 3 times in a little over a year. Then it took several weeks to recover. It was very frustrating. Never had any sciatic pain until the last time (when I finally decided to go thru w/ surgery) but even that settled down by the time of the surgery (go figure). Since the surgery, however, I've had very few days where I'd say I was pain free. Maybe I'm still recovering but I'm concerned that I've either reherniated or there's scar tissue (something they never really told me about and I wasn't aware of as a risk). Most of the time the pain isn't bad (maybe a 2 out of 10) but it's frustrating because I was hoping to be able to return to a normal, pain free life.
 
I have a question,

if endoscopic surgery = using tubular retractor to do surgery, Is this kind of endoscopic a hard tubular scopy? Because I found a surgeon who's profile only said he can use a " tubular retractor " and make incision is less one inch but didn't said "endoscopic " .

Thanks!
 
My current pain scale is about 4-5 , if I go to do surgery, the best result maybe
is that letting pain scale to go down to 1-2. I don't know it is worth to do or not. Thanks!
 
Have you considered a second opinion with another Orthopedic Spine Surgeon and/or Neurosurgeon? It often helps to get a few perspectives. I changed doctors in 2009 and the new OSS is fantastic. He is more aggressive in trying to solve the problem (so I have a back and side incision) but it was worth it to get the problem treated fully in one surgery.
 
picnica,
Thank you for your message, but I don't understand what you said , you mean
every doctor recommended endoscopic surgery or don't recommended?
I am looking for endoscopic instead of micro discetomy.

Thanks!
 
Back
Top