leg pain after back surgery

[allison74]

i had anterior lumbar fusion l5-S1 in may of 06. Immediatedly developed leg pain, with numbness and pins and needles. told surgeon on 2 separate occasions he ignored my questions as to why this happened. The last 8 months have been hell for me. i am now on 800 mg of neurotin 3x a day. i cannot put any weight on my left leg at all.i had an MRI and a Cscan done , not really a 100% sure , but it looks as though the screw on the left side of the plate in my lower back went down too far and is actually sitting on the nerve going down theleft leg. any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[shannonwooten]

Hey, I don't have any experience with this but it sounds like your best bet is to find a specialist (Not sure what spec you should go to)... find a doc that will sit down and talk with you and answer all questions that you may have.

[Kikko]

I can only imagine the pain and discomfort you are experiencing.  I have a problem like that in my cervical spine.  One of the screws anchoring the lower portion of the plate that was put in my neck is angled wrong and is going through a portion of vertebrea and into the disc below and resting on a nerve.  I have terrible arm pains with the pins and needle feeling and then when I lay down at night, my arms go totally numb.  I can have it removed but due to other cervical problems from a surgery done about 30 years ago, my vertebrea in my neck are calapasing forward.  The only solution is for the plate to be removed and rods inserted front and back of  the entire length of my neck.  The Doctors (I have had consultations with 3 different specialists) say they cannot give my any idea if it would even work or what type of results I might have.  The worse results are what are scareing me from going through with it.  Do go for a second opinion with another specialist.  Good luck to you.  Will keep you in my prayers.   Kikko

[nursefalcone]

I just had fusion L4-5 on 3/27/07.The day after surgery I was complaining about my left thigh being numb.The doctors told me it can be normal after surgery,but will correct itself.I'm now 1 1/2 wks post-op and my thigh hurts to walk on it,hurts to touch it.I called MD who put me on prednisone for 6 days to see if this helps.The fustrating part of all this,they never said this could happen.But me thought I might be developing a clot.I see the MD on Mon 4/9,he will have many questions to answer then.

[brook9]

I HAVE HAD TWO BACK SURGERIES IN THE PAST 4YRS. MY BACK PAIN WAS JUST AS PAINFUL AS YOU COULD GET , I WAS TAKING VICODIN, PERCOCET, INJECTIONS, AND THAT  DID  NOT HELP THE PAIN , SO I HAD SURGERY AND MOST OF THE PAIN WAS GONE EXCEPT FOR MINOR DISCOMFORT, BUT AFTER MY 2ND SURGERY I HAVE NUMBNESS IN MY LEG, LEFT BUTTOCK IS NUMB AND I HAVE SHARP PAIN IN MY FOOT ONCE IN A WHILE. MY QUESTION IS WHAT IS CAUSING THIS?

[l avila]

my mom had back surgery about 2 months ago, she has extreme hip pain and says her physical therapist told her it was locked up since she had not walked properly for 3 years. she also told her one of the tendons in her leg was shortened from not walking properly?  would an MRI be helpful to see what is going on.  i would like to see her have a better quality of life.

[fairycrystal17]

I had lumbar fusion L5-S1 3 weeks ago.  I felt great after the surgery, did the walking that was recommended and everything.  One week after the surgery I woke up with excruciating pain going down my right leg.  It has not let up.  I went to my surgeon and he explained to me that during surgery a nerve root was damaged and the myelin sheath is no longer there protecting it.  He told me that the pain was due to the nerve trying to heal itself.  He didn't give me a time frame for when the pain would end, but a close friend of mine experienced the same thing and she said that it took about 6 weeks to get over it.  I can only hope that my pain will go away that soon and not remain.  I have been prescribed Lyrica a nerve pill to desensitize my leg but it really doesn't work

[Chutlan]

In 2000 I had a laminectomy at L5-S1, where the damaged disk material was removed from my spine.  After 6 years of chronic back pain I decided to have the operation.  Upon waking after surgery, my back pain was gone.  However, I now had a numb right foot from the middle toe to the smallest toe, and only to my arch.  After 7 years of hopping that it would improve, I gave up.  My surgeon said that the nerve root was affected during retraction.  It is a small price to pay for what I consider a successful operation.  Pins and needles I can take.  The back pain almost drove me insane.

[twilightsmaiden]

I had my surgery in '01, L5-S1 discectomy, fusion, screws, rods, you name it.  After the surgery  I felt pain for almost a year.  Since '02 till last December I have been fine, yes I had the numbness in my leg but no pain.  Almost 7 years after my surgery all of a sudden I have excruciating pain in my right leg.  It started with muscle spasms, weakness, and finally pain.  Why after all these years is it happening?  The MRI and xrays say the surgical site looks fine.  I can barely handle stairs, walking, and even driving now.  

[Wes45]

I would like to share my Experience Strength Hope in regards to spine surgery, I’m not a doctor I am a patient and In 1991 I had a fusion (L4-L5-S1) preformed by Dr. James Thomas http://www.makoa.org/scimap.htm which was a result of an unattended birth defect and climaxed when I stooped to pick up a vacuum at work in 1988.
Except for the occasional stiffness due to the lack of exercise or cold weather, I’ve had no real problems with my back; I started driving truck in 1998 (dry van) with occasional loading or unloading when I couldn’t hire someone.
On 06/31/07 while del. Plants in CO. I experienced a “popping” sensation in my low back area while lifting a roll up door on my trailer, after my del. I spent the rest of the day (14hrs.) loading empty plant racks.
After a couple of weeks and an equal # of doctors It was determined that L3 was slipping out and to the right front.
We added L3 to the Fusion by removing all of the old hardware and putting in all new matching pins and screws, the surgery was performed on 04/23/08 by Dr. Michael Trainor of Prescott, AZ. And except for a Dural Tear, http://www.allaboutbackpain.com/html/files_links/spine_complications_dural_tear.html went off without a hitch.
I am however experiencing some pain in my right upper leg and occasional numbing of my right foot. I’ve spoken to Dr. Trainor and when he was in there he found 3-4 pcs. of vertebrae which dad been rubbing the nerves. It’s my understanding nerves are like elec. Wires in that they have a protective coating and if allowed to keep rubbing against bone they will become “Raw” or “Frayed” and will continue to send false signals to the brain causing us to feel pain that may or may not really be there. These nerves sometimes take several weeks to regenerate the protective coating.
I hope this info will help with post surgery frustrations. If your surgeon is not clear with his/her answers than you need to tell them you don’t understand be politely FIRM and there’s always the “NET”.
God Bless and good luck to us all for a speedy and complete recovery…Wes    

[Kimberly1958]

I  had back surgery May 31st of this year. I had fusion on L5 removing it all the spine. I was in such pain for YEARS and it was a SO GREAT to be able to WALK without a WALKER. Finally, Back pain was at a minimun. But...right after surgery, MY LEFT LEG WENT NUM, SWELLING. My doctor also said it was normal and would go away. Well, it hasn't YET!! I know its still SOON, but...i am really having a hard time. I had a Venus Doppler done to rule out blood clot, he did say it was so much nerve damage and went so long to have surgery that this would take a while. I have had 4 spinal epiderals. None of them worked. Now, from walking with a limp, my back pain has re-occured. Can't win for losing. Now, don't get me wrong, I THINK I HAVE THE BEST DOCTOR, SURGEION, EVER!! I do everything he asked me too and trust him COMPLETELY!! I just worry about my leg, if it will EVER GO AWAY!! Yes, it is better and i am thankful, but...this keeps me from walking normal, doing any kind of excersing, for when i do its SWELLS SO BIG and it keeps me from doing alot. I don't know what i'm gonna do, i go see my surgeion every 3 weeks now, and he did say last appoitment, may have to go back in, do surgery again. I'm having a Grandbaby in Novemeber, don't really want to do it now but, i will do whatever he says. I KNOW HOW IT IS!! IS IS AWFUL! The leg pain is terrible, but...like otthers have said, it is NOTHING compared to DISKS BEING ON NERVE but....it sure scares me and makes me wonder how long this will go on!!!

[dave61]

I had L5-S1 micro surgery in 2002.  My doctor is the best neurosurgeon in Texas.  I ruptured two discs and he repaired them both.  I walked ttwo miles every day for two months following surgery and MRI showed both had regenerated.  I still have some pain in my left foot and toes but nothing like it was.  My surgeon told me it was due to bruising of the siatic (sciatic) nerve when the discs ruptured.  I cannot even imagine what you are going through with a screw damaging that nerve.  I would consult another surgeon immediately to see if a repair can be done to your fusion.  You will still have pain but not nearly what you must be experiencing now.  Good luck and God Bless.

[casper_47]

Girl I have had two back surgeries on L5 S1.. Right after my first surgery I devoped the same symptoms that you did.. My doctor did an MRI and found that a couple of bone fragments had lodged into the nerves from surgery... 7 Days later I had my second surgery...It was wonderful... I have been pain free in my legs and my back since.. I don't know if thats the problem with you or not... It also sounds like it could be your syotic nerve...Good luck and keep posting.. Hope you get better soon...~~Casper

[ragland]

I just had surgery on my cervical spine this last thursday. the doctor said that they would have to fuse vertebre 4 thru 7 of my cervical spine where they would have to take bone from my hip and fuse it to my neck. My problem is that my hip has been draining ever since and only just recently starting draining yellow stuff the last two days. My left hip has been very swollen and painful to the touch. Now I have severe pain up and down my left leg. This is the hip that the doctor took the bone from. I would like very much to know what septis is and what does smoking or not have to do with anything.

[justplaindave]

On July 8th of 2007 i went in for surgery, I had a lower level disc decompression discectomy on two level's(L4-5 and L5-S1). I had to go back to the hospital four day's later because i was very ill, my doctor ordered my third MRI and CT mylogram,the results of these test's showed that i had four tear's to the dura which led to spinal fluid leakage ( massive headache's and nausea). My doctor was very confused by this and ordered surgery immediatley to correct the tear's. I was in the hospital for another week after the surgery partly because i developed a very bad iilius (bowel ubstruction) due to all the i.v. morphine and other meds they had me on. I was at home for about 12 days when i started feeling sick again, my doctor told me to come in asap! When i arrived he dicovered that i has a major staph infection, he put me in the hopital that day and i had 3 more surgeries in the next 5 day's to clean the infection out, it was so deep they called it a bone infection,all told i was in the hospital 10 day's on this visit. After going home i was placed in the care of a home health agency(which i cannot name at this time) they came to my house and showed me how to do my anti-biotic infusions thru my pic-line. After a few day's i started getting very ill and called the home health nurse to find out what to do, she said she was 5 or 6 hour's away from me and i should go to the E.R..I went to the E.R. and they gave me the all of the normal stuff(regalin,finagrin,etc) and i started to feel better so i was sent home. I had lunch and was feeling a little better, but when i did my 2 o'clock infusion i got sick immediatley so i called the home health nurse back, she called my doctor's office and they informed her to come see me,she did not,instead she told me that if the anti-biotics were making me so sick that i should stop taking them,so i did as she requested,and i started feeling better almost immediatley. The next day my doctor's office called to follow up with me and i informed them i was feeling better because i stop the anti-biotics, they were very up set with me and told me to come back in right then. Upon arriving at the hospital my doctor discovered that because i had been off the infection meds for three day's i developed septisemia(infection in the blood due to the infection spreading) once again my doctor put me back in the hospital right then where i stayed for 6 day's recieving massive amount's of anit-biotics to get the infection back under control. Upon being released from this hospital(my doc believed the infection was under control again)they sent me to a re-hab facility ( i had no choice in this) I was in the facility for 6 weeks,3 of which i had a vac-pump attached to me 24 hour a day sucking out fluids. When i was released from the re-hab facility i went home and was still on about 11 different medication's, i was home from the hospital for 3 weeks when i got very ill again and had to go back to the hospital for 4 more day's due to complictions from so many medications(very low potassium,very dehydrated and malnurished). Finnaly after a few more weeks under the supervision of my infectious disease doc i started feeling better and today i am ok. They still say i may have to have a fusion in the near future(no way if i can help it). I like most of you suffer greatly and daily from nerve pain in my right leg, the most annoying of which is the numbness in my thigh and down into my toe's, with spasm's that can still send me to my knee's, but i hope to do all that i can to deal with these issue's on my own with a healthy diet and as much excersise as my broken body will allow. My story is kind of a horror story(the worst case scenario if you will) so again i say my thought's and prayer's go out to you all and i pray each of you get better soon, sincerely, david............