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Neurology (Expert Forum)
Disectomy
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Disectomy
by Jim, Jan 08, 2000 12:00AM
I am a 33y/o male having prolapsed disc at L5/S1 which caused serve pain in my left leg for about a year. I went through disectomy on 10/Dec,99 and discharged on 20/Dec,99. My pain gone the third day after the surgery. I enjoyed only 20 days pain-free. But until 4,Jan,2000, when I walk, severe pain (say, degree 10) together with toes numbness comes back in my left calf just like before the operation I have to stop a while to get relieved and can walk again.My right leg calf sometimes got minor pain (degree 2-3)too. When I sit/lie down, my left/right toes still suffer numbness and mild pain in thigh and ankle.
My doctor told me he had taken the whole disc out between L5/S1. Rupture disc again should not be the case. The left leg pain is caused by nerve decompression while it is moving??? But he don't know the cause of my right leg pain and just gave me some pain killers and told me not to worry.
This makes me very nervous and don't know what to do next.
Should I need another MRI and surgeon again? I can't stand another operation. Is it normal in the recovery process?
Jim
My doctor told me he had taken the whole disc out between L5/S1. Rupture disc again should not be the case. The left leg pain is caused by nerve decompression while it is moving??? But he don't know the cause of my right leg pain and just gave me some pain killers and told me not to worry.
This makes me very nervous and don't know what to do next.
Should I need another MRI and surgeon again? I can't stand another operation. Is it normal in the recovery process?
Jim
Doctor's Answer
by CCF Neuro[P] MD, RPS, Jan 08, 2000 12:00AM
Dear Jim:
Sorry to hear about your pain. Usually, the rehab is several months but everything depends on the etiology of the disc, the duration of symptoms before the surgery, the compromise of the nerve before the surgery, the type and extent of surgery, and then the ability and commitment of the patient undergoing rehab. I would ask both the surgeon and rehab physician and the PT what they think is going on, they are much more familiar with your case. Yes, pain after surgery is the norm and it is usually intense. However, one must be sure it is part of the normal healing process and not something new like inflammation. Most patients usually have to live with some sort of pain for the rest of their lives, sorry to say. I would talk to your physicians and stick to rehab, it will pay off in the long run.
Sincerely,
CCF Neuro MD
Sorry to hear about your pain. Usually, the rehab is several months but everything depends on the etiology of the disc, the duration of symptoms before the surgery, the compromise of the nerve before the surgery, the type and extent of surgery, and then the ability and commitment of the patient undergoing rehab. I would ask both the surgeon and rehab physician and the PT what they think is going on, they are much more familiar with your case. Yes, pain after surgery is the norm and it is usually intense. However, one must be sure it is part of the normal healing process and not something new like inflammation. Most patients usually have to live with some sort of pain for the rest of their lives, sorry to say. I would talk to your physicians and stick to rehab, it will pay off in the long run.
Sincerely,
CCF Neuro MD
I still have have questions. My doctor told me he took the complete DISC between L5/S1 away. I found from the web that, in many case, that is only be done while in fusion surgery and some sort of "cage" will be implanted in the spline to hold the L5/S1 together. But my doctor only remove the DISC! That it. The L5/S1 is now hanging around. Am I wrong in interpreting the web message? or I did a wrong surgery? I am so scare if I was done with something wrong. My doctor is a neurosurgeon in Hong Kong.
Jim
Sincerely, Joanna
After intense pain and a debut of numbness on my right leg doctors decided that discectomy was the
best solution and I had surgery on December 10: Apparently
everything went well and I was on my feet again 5-6 days later.
I was recommended to swim, which I did several times, and
although I could not walk great distances I seemed that complete
recovery was on its way. But exactly a month after my operation
the pain came back, starting from the back and when I try
to stand over a minute or so, all the way down to my ankle..
I am really upset and confused and I am starting to think that I was
not taken care of properly! Both surgeon and therapist recommend
patience and electric currents, perhaps ultra sounds later,
but no one seem to care about the intense pain I have when trying
to walk ( Degree 10 I would say )Pain killers have almost no
effect.
6 weeks after surgery I will have a new MRI taken, and we'll
see if anything went wrong with the remaining disc.. I really
don't want to confront another surgery after all my troubles,
My question is ; How about Pain management Centers ? They
seem to work sometimes ?
What did your rehab specialist tell you about the pain, your PT? Pain can reoccur, but it may be just you over did it and tried to progress too fast, but since I do not know your exam and extent of damage I really can't say for sure. See what the MRI shows and check with your rehab specialist.
Sincerely,
CCF Neuro MD