Post-microdisectomy concerns
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I had an L4/L5 decompression and Microdisectomy 6 weeks ago, in an attempt to improve nerve pain in left leg. After surgery nerve pain symptoms worse. New MRI shown 'persistent pertusion' possibly still on nerve, so surgeon reoperated to remove more disc 2 weeks ago. Left leg pain is settling, but still worse than pre-surgery. But now have same pattern of pain in right leg, plus weird feeling and tingling in vagina and sometimes around anus. I'm hoping this is all due to inflammation and will settle given time. But have others experienced pain moving in this way after a Microdisectomy?
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philsno1 Anin10528
Posted
Hi Anin 10528, I was admitted as an emergency case for my first operation, which was around 11 months ago, when an MRI scan revealed that my disc threatened my ability to walk and even going to the toilet. I also had an L4/L5 decompression and microdisectomy, this definitely improved my back and leg pain. I was also told that if I didn't have the operation, I may be paralysed from my waist down and in addition, could have problems with my bladder etc. which was really scary and fortunately, that's never been a problem, other than the tingling, which has only happened since my operations.
Whilst my back and leg pain did improve greatly, the numbness and tingling in my left foot was definitely worse after the operation, and the middle toes on my right foot were also numb with the numbness and tingling also creeping up my legs to my bottom, similar to the symptoms that you describe.
A further MRI scan proved that some of the offending disc was still pressing on my spinal chord, so I had to have further surgery, this time as well as further removal of some of the offending disc, I also had a Laminectomy, where they remove the back of the vertebrae, I was told this would also help relieve pressure on nerves, but I have to say that, whilst the operation itself seemingly went well, all the symptoms were still there some 6 weeks later, but I too thought that this could be due to inflamation caused by the operation, at my consultation at that time with the surgeon, he advised me that some of the tingling/numbness could be the healing process in the nerves, but also advised me that it could take year or more for this to improve/disappear and worst case scenario, there was a possibility that it would never improve, as there could have been permanent damage to the nerves.
It's now some 12 weeks since my operation and nothing has changed at all, the tingling and numbness in all parts comes and goes. I have a further consultation in the next couple of days with the surgeon, when I will explain that my symptoms haven’t improved, although I'm expecting him to tell me exactly the same thing as on my last visit, that it’s still early days and it could take many more months before it’s resolved.
I’m not sure if any of this helps, but I thought I would share with you, as it does sound as though your situation is similar to mine, although with it being only 2 weeks since your last operation, hopefully your improvement will be much more rapid than mine and I hope that you're feeling much better really soon.
Anin10528 philsno1
Posted
Thanks for that. I've now made a phone appointment to talk to my surgeon tomorrow, so hopefully I'll get some reassurance from him then. I really hope you start to see improvements soon. I had no idea when I started out on this journey quite how unpleasant it would be, in my mind the nerve pain would improve or stay the same after surgery depending on how damaged the nerve was by the disc compression. The possibility of it getting worse and spreading around the body wasn't explained to me.....
philsno1 Anin10528
Posted
Hope your phone appointment went well and your surgeon gave you some reassurances that things are progressing ok? As you say, I would expect things to improve or at the worst, stay the same, but that's also the way I think my operation has gone, some things are the same but then also got problems in places that I didn't have before. I went to see my surgeon yesterday and he's booked me in for a further MRI scan which should reveal if everything is ok or if the disc is still a problem, which is certainly seems to be from the way that I feel.
Anin10528 philsno1
Posted
Gosh, I hope your new MRI proves useful. Nerves seem to be extraordinarily complicated and temperamental beasts don't they?! My surgeon told me to be patient, keep active and hopefully things should right themselves in time. Fingers crossed he is right!