Who has had more then 1 Microdiscectomy?

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Lilly66

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Hello, I am 31 years old and have been in chronic lower back pain with sciatica for over a year now. After exhausting all conservative treatments, I received a microdiscectomy on Noveraber 30, 2005. It was the "miracle" surgery", no pain at all. 6 weeks later, I started experiencing horrific back and leg pain. After having an MRI (which indicated that the same disc reherniated and that I have degenerative disc disease), seeing my Neurosurgeon and a Spine Specialist, we all agreed that I should have a "revision" microdiscectomy. Fusion is the other option as there is a good chance that the disc could reherniate again. All the doctor's agreed that I should have another microdiscectomy as I can always have a Fusion in the future. My surgery is scheduled for February 15th (ouch, 2 more weeks of pain). Our fingers are crossed that this surgery will take!

Have any of you had a second microdiscectomy? Kindly share your story and/or thoughts.

Thank you so much!
Heidi
 
Hi Heidi,
I also had a M-D, in October 2005. I havent needed a second one ( as yet) but was wondering if there was anything that you did to reherniate your disc,or did it come on suddenly. I am so scared of reherniating.
Cally
 
It came out on its own. My disc is just badly degenerated. We hope that this revision surgery will do the trick!!
 
I have had 3 M-D all on the same disc. With each herniation you will have the chance of doing it again although statistics are against doing it again. I have herniated my L5S1 4 times and have just had a fusion. The M-D worked great each time but the integrity of the disc was such that I decided to fuse so that it would not possibly do it again. I had 4 out of 5 doctors tell me fusion was my best solution. My advise would be to take your mri and xrays to several doctors for opinions. Also take into consideration what you do for a living and how active you are. Will you be concerned that the instability may cause you to herniate again, ask your doctors.
good luck, I am a fusion success story - there are people out there who fusion is a great choice.
PEmom
L5S1 lamis 3x
L5S1 posterior TLIF 4/2010
 
Hi, I am recovering from my 3rd Micro..

I was a college athlete and the first one worked great, so great I thought my back was completely normal and decided to lift heavy weights and snow board.. Well I reherniated after a long snow boarding trip !!!

I had a re do discectomy in 05 again it worked great and I was good for 5 years !!! I just re herniated again this winter after being cold and hopping over a fence when I was locked out of my home !!!

Now im recovering from my 3rd and its been very hard this time !!
 
30-40% people that had microdiscectomy or discectomy have returned pain and/or re-hernaiation. All this can be called as failed back surgery syndrome.

This is why all of you who consider first spine surgery should consider minimally-invasive approach.
 
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