CSF Leak after back surgery

[Steve2242]

On Jan 27, 2009 I had a small tumor removed from L-3 , I had a laminectomy. When I got to recovery, they told me I had a small CSF leak, and had to stay reclined for 24 hours and then gradually elevate to 60 degrees to see if I got a headache. I did not. The wound was healing very well, no other symptoms.  I of course was put on Oxycodone which gave me severe constipation. Nobody told me of the risk of CSF leakage, nor the importance of stool softners etc. and so I tried very hard to have a bowel movement when I got home (with no instructions from the hospital). Within a week I developed a large (3" X 5" X 1") bulge below and around the wound. I was seen and told at first by the doctor's nurse to put heat on it. Three weeks after surgery, I saw a resident who told me it was probably a hematoma and that I should come back in 2 more weeks. Yesterday, I finally saw the surgeon (6 weeks post op). It is still the same size although I have virtually no other symptoms (no headaches or leakage from the wound). He drew out some fluid with a needle and it was definitely CSF. He told me that either it would go away by itself in 90 days, or I could do nothing, or have surgery to repair/glue it. I asked him if there was any risk to doing nothing, he said only that I would have the negative cosmetic bulge.

Just does not sound right to me.

[jannie235]

i recently had decompression surgery 2,3,4,5,6 ..came out sore but ok they found i had csf leak 2 days later i had spinal drain in ,which took too much fluid n i ended up in icu with head exploding the drain was taken out i wentt a day then a small leak again .... im now on anti biotics .... it s still leaking each day and i ve been told to drink coke ..i have no headache just dressing changed each day and a csf patch each time its chanbged
so what next?? as i have had previous blood clot im not for staying laid down
does any one have answers ????
im now getting worried ...as it doesnt seem to want to stop leaking???

[abhijeet v ghosh]

hello steve,
how are you?don't worry now as a lot of time has passed by. So it's a wait and watch policy now as that bulge will hold only a cosmetic importance for you (if it doesn't goes).
However, if the size is increasing constantly, then you might need  to repair it.

regards