Discectomy - After the Operation

[GK2THEMAX]

I am so sorry to hear of your experiences at the hands of the physio Deboy, it sounds like a poor job was done.

I recently attended a clinic where a physician prodded me in my back and totally made my long standing far worse. He crippled me, I lost all power and feeling to my legs.

It has taken me 7 months to return to normal, so your experience is still quite short for most sufferers. I would suggest leaving the Physios alone and seek out a good and gentle Osteopath or another 'hands on' physical therapist, there are loads on this Forum, so take a good look for one in your area. Therapists like these have kept me going for over 20 years, so try these first. They are not cheap:
but a good one is worth every penny!!


All the best


SPINELF

 

[Suz123]

Hello everyone, I hate to see that you all seem to have gone through the same thing I am going through now. I had a lower discectomy 16 months ago and the actual pain that I was in was gone for a while. A few months after I began to have numbness and pins and needles of the worse kind in my left leg and it started in my right leg a few weeks ago. Now I am in pain all the time and now it is in my neck and shoulders and my hands ache with numbness. I am going to the Dr. in 2 days. I have been told that my problem will only respond to surgery. I will do anything at this point to get rid of the headaches and leg pain and pain in my hands. I wonder will I qualify for disability so my son and I will have a little bit of income. I wonder If I qualify even now because I can't hold on to anything or stand in one place for more than 5 minutes. To be pain free sometime in my life before I turn 40 would be so good. I don't mean to whine about this but I feel like I am at my breaking point. I so tired of pain.:

 

[Mari Sunjara]

Morning

Following on from my appointment this morning, it was the spinal specialist that I saw. Hes refering my to a surgeon for a discectomy.
I asked when im likely to be able to return to work and hes very doubtful that it will be this year and i might have to wait quite a while to have the discectomy done

I cant wait to get back to a normal life and begin to do things again that I miss so much i.e being able to lift our three year old son, work on my car etc.

At least the balls rolling. Its just going to be a case of sitting back and waiting.

 

[John Lennon]

Hiya Deboy.

I'm glad things are moving along, but if this is your first spinal operation, make sure you do your research and find out what you are getting yourself into, and that there are no alternative 'non invasive' treatments that will improve things enough to reach your goals!

Best wishes

SPINELF

 

[????k?????l?g???]

To be honest I havent thought of anything else. Ive had a prolapsed disc for over three years now. Ive been down the physio and medication route, Ive had acupuncture as well and nothings helped. This by far has been the worse its ever been and with the nerve damage ive been laid up for over twelve weeks so far with no let up. I need to get my life back and I feel that surgery is the way foward.

The specialist showed me the scan picture at the appointment. Seeing where and what the problem is, is very strange. I mean the scan pic is of the inside my body

 

[omfgzzitsjessica]

I understand where you are coming from deboy, the is nothing worse than the feeling of uselesness and severe pains combined.

Did the Surgeon tell you what to expect during the discectomy?

All the best

SPINELF

 

[Lauroendurn]

Dear Darrin, we all can relate to or empathise with your symptoms and suffering.

I think it is quite possible that the neck and shoulder issues 'are' related to your previous discectomy, this is quite a occurence at post op, and due 'almost certainly' to scarring and leisions and cutting type damage caused during this type of procedure, although your Surgeon will allmost certainly refute this.

Please don't just decide on a second procedure until you have researched it thoroughly.

With regards to these upper pains, numbness and aches, I would suggest seeing a registered and 'gentle' Osteopath or Chiropractor or other similar Therapist who should be able to relieve some of the symptoms in your head, neck and shoulders by releasing pressure on you nerve strands at these levels. If they can do this, you should start to feel less stressed and thereby be able to think more clearly, you should then be able to start to 'get a handle' on your feelings of 'overwhelming' pain and suffering.

Given your severe condition and disabling symptoms, I think that you would certainly qualifiy for 'at least' some sort disability benefit/s. Speak to your local Consumer Advice Beureu (CAB), I'm sure they can help with detailed information re: benefits.

How did the Doctor consultation go Darrin?

Best wishes and kind thoughts


SPINELF

 

[Duct Tape Fixes All]

Ive got to wait for an appointment to see the surgeon as ive only just been referred from the spinal specialist.

 

[C_LAYS]

Best of luck deboy!

Keep the pressure on Specialist's department, by calling them frequently and offering yourself at short notice, in case of cancellations.

SPINELF

 

[Annoniems]

Todays pain is a combination of groin strain and buttock pain, it feels like its running through my body joining up together. God it hurts Oh and it still feels like I have an elastic band around my ankle

I hope to god I hear from the consultant soon. If I have to travel to get it done sooner then so be it.

 

[Mistah J]

I know what you mean deboy, when you get that groin feeling, you swear blind that if you reach down and touch it, you half expect find a 'hearnia' there!! Weird isn't it!!

SPINELF

 

[Catnipgirl]

An appointment has been made to see the consultant orthopedic surgeon on the 30th November.

 

[ycdsyekn]

Good news Deboy!

I'm glad that you haven't had to wait too long for an appointment!

Best wishes and good luck!

SPINELF

 

[hcenquqgirxilgezj]

Thank you

 

[EugeneBrumley]

Hi everyone,

It has now been 18 days since my Discectomy. I am absolutely awesome! I saw my Surgeon for a follow-up on Tuesday and I have now been cleared to sit and drive, with only small limitations (lifting no more than 15lbs). I am doing so well that I don't even need to go to Physical therapy (I believe you all call it Physio). However, I am going to go to one appointment and then continue the exercises on my own and at the gym.

My scar is less than 3 inches long, vertically on my lower back. They didn't use any stitches, or stapes; just glue. It looks great. I am massaging it many times a day, to break up the scar tissue. I no longer have any pain at the incision, so it's easy to do this. Still a little itchy from healing.

I am no longer sore from surgery. I do, however, have some nerve pain in my right leg, off and on. My Surgeon says that this is completely normal, due to healing and that it will go away. I've noticed that the more walking I do, the less pain I have. I have also seen pictures that my surgeon took before and after of my spine, when he opened me up. These are amazing. It's very obvious that it is fixed! He spent over an hour, talking with me about everything and answering all questions that I had. He truly is my Super Hero

I want to touch on the importance of walking after post op. When we are sick, we lay in bed and rest/nap in order to feel better and to let our bodies heal. When we have surgery, we think we need to do this as well. However, with this particular surgery, that is NOT the case. I really want to stress that to you all. The best thing you can do is to get out of bed and walk. Listen to your body! The more you lay, the stiffer you get and the more pain you will incur. That's why I CANNOT believe that in most cases I have heard, you all stay in the hospital bed for days. This is NOT good. The first day, post up, it is good to rest, but after that, get UP! I can't stress that enough. I noticed that the longer I laid down, the worse it got. I also noticed that on days that I skipped walking, the pain was much more intense. My doctor confirmed this, as well. He said that lying down for extended periods of time is a huge NO NO!


SPINELF - I read your comments.


I'm a little confused by some of your remarks, because I never mentioned anything about 'Traditional Surgeons'. As a matter of fact, I was confused by a lot of what you wrote. I'm sorry, but maybe you could describe things in ‘lamens terms’, as your medical vocabulary and knowledge is far better than mine. J What has been set up in the USA for over 6 years? My surgery sounds minimally invasive, which I believe, according to you would be a MISS type surgery, but then it also sounds like I had one of the 'traditional Surgeons'. I apologize for my lack of understanding - but I would truly like to better understand your statements.

Prior to having my surgery, I got 3 opinions from 3 different Orthopedic Surgeons. Each one would have done the surgery the same way. The reason I chose the surgeon that I did, was because my mother had a neck fusion (3 bad discs) 9 years ago with this doctor, with wonderful results. A friend of mine is having surgery next week with a different surgeon and also got 2 other opinions. Each Surgeon would all do the same thing. So, that seems to be standard here.

If you would like, research these doctors. Here is a list of Surgeons that I met with; all from Maryland:

Dr. Myles Brager (this is my guy)
Dr. Paul McAfee
Dr. Neil Naff

 

[randomkidullneverknow]

A MISS surgeon would use an incision less than one centimetre long, the op is done under sedation with the patient awake and walking into the op and then getting up and walking out right after.. Therefore your surgery although awesome sounds more like the old fashioned/traditional form that we just yearn for over here, and find it very very hard to get. In the UK most incisions are about 12-30 centimetres! Also the patient is completely anaesthetised for 3-4 hours with a large scar and a lot of work to the muscle and bone just to get to the disc, hence not being able to get up and walk straight away.

 

[summerlove32]

I am sorry for the delay in responding, it’s been a busy week.

You are quite right Amybt, the ‘traditional surgery’ phrase was wrongly attributed to you. I was replying to 3 similar treads at once and became mixed up, I am very sorry and I apologise unreservedly!!

I am also very sorry, for being unable to explain myself better in general.

----------------------

What I was trying say about the differing health systems was this, because the American health service is largely run on the grounds of private and free market principles, backed up with public money to support it of course, truly MISS Surgeons in America ‘feel more able’ to open up new clinics and invest in new equipment and training. In turn, this investment leads to more research and diversity within the American MISS health industry itself. This means that there is more choice for American patients and more competition for American medical practitioners who insist on using the ‘standard or traditional’ spinal surgeries.

These standard Surgeons can then do one of two things, either they carry on operating using the same old procedures in the same old way, which is known to have a highly destructive impact on the body and which ‘so far’ has little to no clinical evidence to support it’s use, ‘or’ they can start ‘adapting’ and ‘improving’ these basic procedures in order to minimise the negative and destructive effects for the patients. These Doctors will be the one’s that I described as ‘caring’ for their patients futures. I would assert again, that I believe that these Surgeons are few and far between, but because of the American Free market approach, the pressures on American ‘traditional’ Surgeons to adapt and improve is substantial, unlike the in UK, because if their patients do not improve as quickly or as well as the more caring Surgeons do, they endanger 'their own livelihoods' as patients will avoid them and ‘freely choose’ the more caring Surgeons.

Because of Britain’s NHS system there is nowhere near enough pressure brought to bare on NHS Consultant Spinal Surgeons to make them adapt and improve their procedures to ensure a better post op outcome for their patients. Don’t get me wrong, there are good Spinal Surgeons in the UK, using the ‘Standard or Traditional’ procedures ‘who are’ making a positive impact on their patients lives, as Fitbird said, but this is because these ‘rare’ Surgeons are going the ‘extra mile’ to ensure this positive outcome and a better future for their patients.
The internal political pressures within the NHS ‘not to rock the gravy boat’ and to ‘maintain the status quo’ must not be underestimated!

Microdiscectomy, ‘or’ reduction of disc bulges, is one of these improved procedures. Surgeons using this procedure only usually cut up to a 3 inch initial incision, which is better than old traditional ‘open back’ surgery, which could be up to 6 inches in length. But what is rarely told to patients, is that even though it will be 3 inches in length, they use tools (retractors) to widen this 3 inches by spreading the surrounding nerves, tissue, muscles and tendons so that the actual size of the hole they are working through, could as large as 6 inches in diameter!

This ‘spreading action’ can cause severe and long term crushing injuries, tearing damage, and morbidity in patients who often experience ‘as much’ post op pain as those who are treated by traditional Surgeons using ‘open back’ procedures.

By the by, the 'Micro' in the name does not mean there is anything small about this procedure, it is an ‘open back’ procedure, it actually refers to the 'exterior use' of a ‘microscope’ used to look ‘into’ the back during the procedure!

----------------------

Thank you for your link to Dr. Myles D. Brager Amy. I have researched his background and I am sorry to have to report that he cannot, in my opinion, in any way, be regarded as an MISS or cutting edge Spinal Surgeon!

He has been described as being a competent, friendly and an informative Surgeon and is listed as being highly regarded by his patients on his ‘non procedural’ skills in 3 Surgeon selection web sites:
www. healthgrades.com/physician/dr-myles-brager-y4wcv
www.ratemds.com/doctor-ratings/5028/Dr-Myles-Brager-Westminster- MD.html
www.vitals.com/doctors/Dr_Myles_Brager
However, he has also been reported as being in the top 50% (by procedural volume) of US Spinal Surgeons listed who carry out destructive ‘fusion device insertion’ and ‘spinal canal exploration’ and he is also reported as being in the top 25% (by procedural volume) of listed US Surgeons, who regularly perform the equally destructive ‘fusions’ and ‘disc removals’.

Fusion ‘or’ as I prefer to call it, turning 2 mobile vertebrae in to 1 solid immobile bone, was never originally developed as a spinal treatment, it was a ‘last ditch’ attempt to prevent the life threatening effects of muscle spasms on TB sufferers in the early 1900’s. It was noted by early practitioners, that as a side effect of the fusion operation, pain levels in these TB sufferers also reduced, and it was for this reason, that these Surgeons felt it would be a good spinal treatment.

But for the last 6 years, I have been unable find any facts or figures that would prove to me that this treatment has any ‘long term’ benefits for patients, but I am well aware of many family, friends and forum buddies who have gone on to receive 2nd, 3rd and sometimes 4th procedures as the lack of mobility in the spinal system, creates further stress and strains upon the remaining vertebrae!

To put it mildly, morbidity inducing fusion, is as far away from dynamic and minimally invasive MISS surgery as you can get!

I am sorry to have to say this, but judging from the resume Dr. Brager would have provided, I am pretty confident that your discectomy was not an (MISS) procedure. However, I am sure that 'we are all' very glad that you are benefiting from his procedure anyway, no matter what it was called.

This positive outcome for you ‘may mean’ that Dr. Brager is one of the ‘better Surgeons’ who have risen to the challenge of the unstoppable march of (MISS) spinal surgery in the good old, US of A!!

Best wishes

SPINELF

 

[Squirrels&PearlsGirl]

Hi, i just had a discectomy 4 days ago , i had a lumbered l5 disc that was to touching my sciatic nerve.
Over the past 2 years i have had very little back pain but sciatic nerve pain that has been unbearable. Ive had a nerve block,tens machines , all sort of pain releif from gabapentin to pregabalin to amytriptiline all useless.
Anyway post op most of the nerve pain has gone ,however i do still have it if i bend over and now that the morphine is completely out of my system i can feel it a little bit when i lie down running down the back of my leg.
Having read some posts its obviuos that the nerve will take some time to heal.
I was allowed home the same da following surgery and i am walking comfortably , doing the 3 main phsyio exercises given and apart from the obviuos post op soreness dont feel too bad.
My main concern is the sciatica and how long if ever it will take before i,m pain free as i say i never get back pain.
Anyway anbody who has been in my position before ? and did your sciatic pain go away all together?
Thanks for listening.

Tony

 

[devismutuellensy]

First up Tony, Stop bending over!!!

It is early days yet, so take your time!!

It can take between 3 and 12 months to gain a significant and more importantly 'stable' improvements after a sciatic decompression procedure, it took me around 4 - 5 months to completely get rid of mine, but it does depend on the type of operation you underwent.

The key to a successfull recovery is keeping active, try and keep a 'diary' of your daily exercises and mobility gains, this will help you see just how well you are progressing.
There is nothing worse for 'post operative moral' than to start thinking that you are not improving as much as you really are!

It's going to take time Tony, so be patient and pace yourself, so that you don't over exert yourself in the weeks and months to follow. You will see from other members posts, that quick recuparations are posible, but I think it is best if you don't think that way, just go with the flow.

In the mean time, while you are watching day time television, take a good look around this HP forum, there are loads of good therapists advertised here, offering many different treatments, some of the gentler ones may help with your recovery, both in the short, medium and long terms, see what think!

Best wishes


SPINELF

 

[Footballher10]

Hi all,

Just thought I would write a quick review of my discectomy, as I have read far more bad reviews than good.

I had my operation on my L5 disc 3 days ago. I have nothing but good things to say about the whole process!

I am 24 years old and have suffered from severe sciatica for 15months. It has literally been the worst part of my life so far and I had 3 epidurals before I decided to go for surgery.

I am currently in no sciatic pain what so ever, and my back seems to healing well. So for anyone wondering if they should go for surgery, my advice is DO IT.

I am terrible with needles, injections & hospitals etc, but the surgery process is worth it.

I feel like I can finally get on with my life after a painful and stressful 15months.