Spinal Surgery :: Post Lumbar Laminectomy
Mar 11, 2014
I am a 50 year old female who had lumbar laminectomy at L3/4 eight weeks ago for lumbar stenosis and spondylolisthesis. The surgeon also performed a dynamic stabilisation at this level. As I understand it, this involves the insertion of a flexible and rod and screws, similar to fusion but allowing more flexion at this level while at the same time preventing the vertebra from slipping. Prior to surgery, I was unable to walk or stand for more than 5 - 10 minutes without becoming uncomfortable because of weakness in my legs and a tight cramping sensation in my buttocks. Surgery has relieved me of these symptoms, but I now have aching in my lower back, groins and hips when standing or walking for more than 5 - 10 minutes. I wasn't given any physio follow-up after discharge from hospital, but have had a couple of sessions with a private physiotherapist. She seems to think that these pains are due to the ligaments and muscles having to stretch as my spine as been realigned and my pelvis is now tilted forwards instead of backwards as it was before. Has anyone else experienced similar pains and if so, how long did it take for them to resolve? I am also very stiff first thing in the morning and when getting up from a sitting position. I do not have any pain when sitting or lying down.
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Does nerve pain on the feet and calves go away after spinal surgery? I've been suffering from burning nerve pain since my back surgery. I had a laminectomy and fusion at t22 l1.
What can I do to help. Other imaging?
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i am having a posterior lumbar 4-5 laminectomy with synovial cyst removal on August 27,2015. I have a 5 day trip to Germany planned 6 &1/2 weeks later.
I now know the recovery to be longer than the one week I had thought. I know it is at least 6 weeks, after my pre surgery intake with the wonderful nurse I have. Does anyone have feedback about a 8 hour plane ride to Europe with only 6 weeks recovery time? Thanks
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I am a 40 year old male that has had two back surgeries. First Surgery February 2014 Lumbar Spine Posterior Discectomy Micro-discectomy on L4 & L5. Surgery failed no improvement. My Second surgery March 2015 Anterior lumbar interbody fusion (alif) surgery on L4, L5, & S1 with cage implants and bone grafts harvested from my own hip bone. I experience sciatica on my right leg and most frequent on left leg ;shooting pain down my right/left hip/buttocks, goes down the back of the leg. The last 3 years left foot numbness. My worst pain is in bed getting up is very painful. Before my ALIF surgery I suffered from sciatica foot numbness and pain in mostly my left leg region. After 6 weeks post ALIF surgery or so I started getting pain in my buttock/hip region. This actually started during my physical therapy. At first I was doing water therapy this is when it started. My last day of water therapy I was literally about to go to ER from P.T clinic. From there on it just had gotten worst, no real improvement. I went back for more P.T sessions stretching and other exercises . What Physical Therapist did notice that my hip motion was very limited and not much improved happen during all my sessions about 40 or so. Its being about 10 months after surgery and 4 months of P.T. and pain on hips doesn't go away. I have to be careful going up or down stairs. Getting out of bed or moving around in bed its a battle. I have spoken to my surgeon and he says it will take more time for recovery and possible have to live with this pain as a fact of life. I have also spoke to other doctor s and pretty much same response. Once thing I just found out recently is about Hip Bursitis. I was diagnosed with Arthritis. My surgeon keeps on saying its my Arthritis causing pain but prior to ALIF surgery I never had this buttocks pain , specially getting in and out bed. I was wondering if anyone has had same symptoms after spinal fusion surgery having Hip Pain From Arthritis or Hip Bursitis?
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I had back surgery in March 2013 that left me with mechanical instability, acquired spondylolisthesis and lots of pain.
I have 2 ortho spine surgeons telling me that I need a bi-level spinal fusion surgery to repair the damage, but after the botched first surgery, the thought of another surgery scares me to death. Plus, since surgery is what spine surgeons do, the recommendation seems obvious.
I also started seeing a new pain management doctor (we moved to a new state) and he is suggesting that I consider a spinal cord stimulator trial, with surgical implantation if we find that it helps the pain.
So...I'm left confused. I see the positives and negatives of each, but I'm just not sure if one makes more sense over the other. I think that my spondylolisthesis will worsen over time and could pose a threat of nerve damage, while the spinal cord stimulator is designed to mask pain and does nothing to address the instability.
I'd love to know if anyone else has faced a similar decision...or has thoughts, ideas, comments, suggestions for considering one over the other.
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I've been suffering with pains in my hips, causing problems with walking and standing. On a bad day the stairs are difficult to climb. This has been going on for about a year now. In the last 6 months or so I have developed a sciatic like pain, only happening when standing up and walking to far. The last few days it's been getting worse and I now have pins and needles in my legs and feet. Sometimes both legs but mostly my left. The sciatic pain is only ever in the left side of my buttock. When I try to stand, I am simply unable to put any weight onto my left leg for a while. I'm 31 years old and a mother to 4 plus work. The doctors keep brushing me off because of my age but I'm sure what I am experiencing isn't right.
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I have urinary incontinence which presented itself following surgery on lumbar spine back in 1992 and now I also have extremely swollen legs and feet due to the fluid retention. My doctor prescribed Lasix and so now I am having to deal with pants-wetting "accidents" which are so frustrating, but because of my physical disabilities these "accidents" are unfortunately unavoidable. I've thought about stopping the Lasix but have been advised against it by several healthcare professionals. They have all told me that if I don't take the Lasix, the fluid will not only be in my feet/legs but will also get to my heart and cause fatal consequences
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I'm 5 months post op from MIS fusion of l4/l5 and in pain.
Had microdiscectomy at the same level november 2013 without any relief. The back pain only got worse. The disc was completely dehydrated and I was offered the fusion 6 months later. Not that much pain after the operation but it has increased a lot. Severe back pain in the lower back and all the way up to the shoulders.
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I am seven weeks post surgery for an Achilles' tendon rupture and still have intense pain from the blood pooling when I stand for even a minute to brush my teeth. After one minute I immediately have to lie down and elevate my leg otherwise it feels like it will explode. Has anyone else felt this 7 weeks post surgery?
I also can only bear minimum weight on the leg at this stage. At seven weeks does that sound normal? I had my tear at the connection to the heel and had haglund's deformity where part of my heel broke off. Anyone else have that and is minimal weight bearing at seven weeks normal for this type of tear.
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I had TLIF spinal surgery in 2010. Went as well as could be expected, but I have a very weak back and live with constant pain. I body won't accept strong painkillers, so was prescribed Amitriptyline. Came off them due to nose bleeds and feeling like a complete zombie. Although it was good to get a good night sleep!!! Doc then put me on Gabapentin 300 mg 3 times a day. Had no pain relief and so doc has now upped me to 600 mg 3 times a day, plus zapain in between.
I worry about taking so much, but I need something to take the edge off my pain. I've read a lot of negative reviews about Gabapentin. Will have to see how I get on.
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I am 40 and have grade 1 l5 s1 spondylolisthesis. When I read forums, all I see is people having to be on painkillers, fusion surgeries that don't work, people who can not work, have children (pregnancy) and so on because of this condition. I am so terrified I will end up in a wheelchair or without a social life. There is so little information about the condition online. Please, please, can someone give me some hope that you can live with this condition, perhaps by doing exercises, yoga, pilates etc? Please tell me I can avoid surgery, have a pregnancy to term without complications from spondy. I feel so alone. I hope all of you are having a good day.
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I had two RFA procedures done in 2014. This was after 3 sets of epidural spinal injections done over a year's time throughout 2013. The first RFA worked so well I was nearly pain free for 9 months. I was overjoyed to feel normal again. I have bulging discs at L4-L5 and L5-S1, causing radiculopathy and sciatica. Having had such amazing relief from the 1st RFA, when the pain started to return, I had the 2nd RFA. During the procedure, the doc had a problem at the bottom two burning sites and the pain was so bad I screamed for him to stop. He did... briefly.. but asked me to "hang on" for the 90 seconds and it would be done.
I never got relief from this second procedure...not even for one day. Fast forward to Dec 2015 and the pain is worse than ever. And I just read today that a complication of RFA is "permanent nerve pain", I was never told about this complication! I'm permanently disabled now, on SSDI and walk with a cane. Even after researching for 2 yrs. online, I just found out about this complication TODAY. Very upset. Anyone else have complications from RFA? I feel very alone in this.
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8 months after my L1 compression fracture, another doctor (fired the first one) found out that one of the T12 facet joints is fractured (broken off in 2 pieces). I should have been operated on after the fall, but it's too late now.
Could someone tell me what this could cause (what kind of pain)? I have local pain, and severe pain in the iliac area, after being active for a while, or after sitting for a while.
I can sleep at night, but after 5-6hrs, I wake up because of the pain, can't continue to lay down. Very painful.
also, I still can't lay down on my back on a hard surface.
I'm scheduled for a nerve ablation T12-L1, both sides this Friday and Monday. I'm scared because of all what I read...
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After a L5-S1 in October, I am left with residual left foot and partial leg nerve pain. In addition to numbness, my leg aches. My MRI looks clean, but neurosurgeon referred me to neurologist for possible nerve root injections. He also suspects the it may be radial sympathetic nerve issue. If nothing else, he's willing to take hardware out to see if that helps. I keep falling with my left foot so "numb," so I am frustrated. Is the device that scrambles pain. (can't think of it now) good for nerve pain? (Pain extends to my left lower back.) Has anyone had nerve blocks for nerve pain? I wouldn't have had surgery if I had known my mobility would have been compromised so much.
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Lisa here...Before my S1-L5 fusion, I had some foot pain caused by waiting two weeks to have a laminectomy/discectomy in my L 4 and 5 discs after a herniation (5 years ago). After my fusion - about 7 weeks ago - I have had terrible burning pain, sensations that feel like I am being bitten on a toe or have tape in between my toes. At night the pain is worse. Walking intensifies the pain and weakens my ankle and leg. I can't wear any of my shoes. Does anyone have any experience with this? I've called my neurosurgeon and he wants an x-ray. Suggestions? Comments?
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In 2009, I was diagnosed with Thoracic Osteoarthritis, Degenerative Disc Disease, and Fibromyalgia - and in November 2015 diagnosed with Cervical Radiculopathy. As you see, I have dealt with chronic pain for a long time, and I am tired of it – it’s exhausting and limits my day to day activities.
Anyway based on my MRI results and my physical symptoms - the surgeon diagnosed me with Cervical Radiculopathy and *suggested* a Posterior Cervical Decompression (PCDF) as well as an Anterior Cervical Discectomy with Fusion, ( ACDF). No pressure … he told me to just think it over and referred me to Physical Therapy.
Since the diagnosis, I am doing a ton of research and educating myself about my condition and the surgery.
Last week I asked my physical therapist what she thought of the surgery and she said, “I had time to have the surgery later”. (I’m 63 and not clear about what “later” even means This week my primary care doctor said outright, that I do not want this surgery because it may not relieve the numbness and pain, and does nothing for the arthritis in my neck, and there will be issues with scar tissue and that my condition is not that bad – yet. He suggested I get a second opinion. I agreed to get a second opinion.
Cervical Radiculopathy Timeline
January 2015 I developed a pinch nerve in the left side of my neck along with the slow progression of excruciating numbness and/or pain in my arm, fingers and thigh. In June 2015, my primary care doctor diagnosed me with pinch nerve and referred me to PT along with the suggestion that I get a back massage. I had tried PT before for my osteoarthritis and hated it. So, I decided to try yoga instead.
Through yoga, I relieved most of the thigh and neck pain and increased my range of motion. However, the numbness and pain in my fingers and in my arm became worse - along with the loss of grip strength. I informed my primary care Dr. in Oct of 2015, he referred me to an orthopedic surgeon, who of course ordered an MRI.
As I said, based on the test results, the surgeon suggested surgery but wanted me to first try physical therapy, this time I went. I started twice weekly therapy sessions in November 2015 and so far it’s effective. After 6 weeks of passive exercises, my arm pain had diminished significantly and the numbness decreased to a ‘low buzz’.
Because I was progressing so well - the week of Christmas 2015 the therapist changed to more aggressive exercises (10 mins on the treadmill, resistance bands, etc) I felt ok while there. However, by the time I returned home after the session the pain in my neck and back was out of control. I had learned many PT pain intervention techniques and I tried them all but the pain escalated. Numbness increased significantly in my thumb. In addition to that I now not only have pain on the left side of my neck but also the right - along with a considerable decrease in my range of motion on both sides of my neck. My grip strength decreased almost immediately and I am dropping things again. Thought it best to cancel my next appointment, ha-ha! Although I feel better, today I am still in pain - most movements makes it worse. At this point, I’m confused and not sure what to do next. My next PT appointment is on Jan 5th and I see the surgeon on Jan 19 to inform him of my decision.
My questions.
1. Without ongoing physical therapy –(i.e. the rest of my life) will the symptoms of Cervical Radiculopathy return? (Anyone have experience with this?)
2. With degenerative disc disease, overtime, will my disc continue to lose height and stack on top of one another causing even more pain? (So far because of this I’ve lost 2” in height.)
3. From the point of being diagnosed with Cervical Radiculopathy what is the longest time anyone has waited in deciding to have the surgery or not to have surgery?
4. Why would waiting for the symptoms to get worse be beneficial to obtaining a positive outcome or to justify the surgery?
5. Finally, why are some medical professionals against having this surgery? Has anyone experienced being discouraged from having the procedure and how did it influence your decision to have or not have the surgery?
I thoroughly understand this is a major surgery with a very rough and long recovery period. To be honest at age 63 – I am more worried about recovering from the anesthesia and if my body can withstand the actual length of the surgery, and those factors are certainly not going to get better as I age.
I also understand that I need to rely on the medical professionals’ opinions however, I have been ‘burnt’ in the past with so-called medical opinions. That is why I am seeking experiences related to this from ‘normal’ folks ---I need a different perspective from people who have dealt with this process.
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can anyone help me understand the medical terminology used in my spine MRI report?
there is mild reversal of the cervical lordosis. at c 3-4 there is small right paracentral disc bulge mildly indenting the thecal sac. the cervical cord appears normal in caliber with no evidence of compression. normal caliber thoracic cord. conus medullaris terminates at the mid L1 level. there are single small T2 hyperintense foci within T1 and T12 vertebral bodies, which are inconspicuous on T1 weighted imaging, isointense to vertebral marrow, consistent with small hemangioma.
at SI joints, there is minor subchondral sclerosis evident on the sacral side, with low grade subchondral bone marrow edema evident anteriorly.
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I would like to hear from someone who has had one solid rod from top of spine and pelvis where it is attached to pelvic bone...I would like to know how it affects them and what their quality of life is like...I'm not sure if I should have this second surgery or just stay on my crutches for rest of my life...
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I had dynesys done from S1 to L4 back in 2011. A year or so later a screw removal was done to the right side. The original problem was because L5 disc had collapsed. New MRI has shown the L5 and L4 both degenerated and L5 disc is bulging to the right side which is causing alot of pain around to the right hip. In the last 4 weeks u have had a couple of scares and immense pain I am due to see consultant on 23Rd May I think I am gonna possibly just gonna be fobbed off with a nerve root injection I am worried it's not gonna work any advice please does anyone think that this would be the right course of action for me to take??
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I had this unit put in in Dem. 2013 but because of the lead trying to push through the back of my neck it had to be revised in August 2014. Was doing great until January 19, 2016 when the lead again pushed entirely through the skin on back of my neck. Now my insurance company will not approve for me to have another unit put back in. I was free 90% of the time with my unit in and now I am back to having so much pain in this area. It makes it very hard to have any quality of life except to wait around for another horrible burning pain that takes 3 mores days to overcome each time. Has anyone else had their insurance refuse this especially when it worked great?
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Has anyone had the Neuro 10 implanted ?. It's really difficult to try and figure out because there are so many different types of stimulators. I had fusions that were not successful and the Neurosurgeon at Mayo thought this might be the answer. It is fairly new on the market (2015) so it's difficult finding any reviews.
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