What is Back Pain
Back pain is one of the most common reasons people seek medical care. In fact, about 3 in 4 adults will experience back pain during their lifetime! The term back pain...
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post herniated disc surgery
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I had L4/L5 herniated disc surgery 1 year 1 month ago. Before the surgery, the pain in one calf was so bad that I couldn’t walk for longer than a few minutes. Now it’s a lot better, but after I walk or sit for a long time it gets worse. The surgeon told me that 90% of people are pain-free after the surgery and I don’t know if that’s a lie. He told me that for some people the pain goes away as late as 1.5 years after the surgery, but my guess is that’s rare. For some reason it was worse than usual today and I started to get scared it will get to the point when I can’t walk again. The post surgery MRI looked like he hadn’t shaved of any of the herniated disc – just widened the canal to make more room for the nerves so I’m thinking had he done it right I might be pain-free, then again maybe the nerves were already too damaged, but then why would I not have pain when I lie on my back? I am wondering what other peoples’ experiences have been/ what other people have been told by their doctors. I am really scared of having more surgery. I heard of a few people who had a second surgery and ended up pain-free, but I don’t know if it’s worth the risk?
Posted on 01/04/09, 09:01 pm |
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Hi Jennifer - sorry to hear that you are still in pain this long after surgery. I am scheduled for this surgery tomorrow at L5-S1. Mine will be a laminectomy (opening of the canal) and discetomy (removal of the herniated portion). I'm no expert at MRI's but if you can't clearly see the difference then I first thought of two things....
1.) He only did the laminectomy as you said to open up the canal - and he did not do a discetomy to remove the herniated disc. It's my understanding that they take away that part of the disc so I would think the MRI would show a clear difference and that the disc would not be protuding. I would ask him if this is the case why did he not do the disectomy and opted only for the laminectomy? If the disc is still impinging on the nerves it's quite possible they will recommend another surgery if you choose to do it. 2.) In the past year (or from the time of surgery until the time of the newest MRI) is is possible that they disc has herniated again? I have heard that after surgery you can have additional problems above and below as well as the same disc herniating again. Again, I'm not the expert but I totally feel for you and your pain. I hope you are able to discuss what exactly was done the first time and what is still causing the pain now. Best of luck! 
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Hi Jennifer - yes I agree with Jenn. If your disc is still in tact you could have further bulging which would put pressure on your spinal nerves causing the leg pain.
I had a spinal fusion 1yr 1month ago too. I described to the Dr that it almost felt like I had a broken ankle, it hurt so much (along with a heap of other symptoms). But now I have none of that pain, thank goodness. I would suggest asking your Dr if a laminectomy is required as basically the first round of surgery has not been succesful. If he mumbles - seek a second opinion. It is scary the thought of spinal surgery but the techniques are getting better by the day, and there are good news stories out there, like me, of people who've come out the other end pain free. All the best HennNinOH for your surgery, look forward to seeing you back on-line soon.
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