Advice: 4 Months Extreme Sciatic Nerve Pain

Hello, my mother who is 51 years of age started to experience extreme pain down her sciatic nerve. It was unbearable for her, she was unable to reach the bathroom without my fathers helping hand. As a result, we took her to the emergency room, where the MRI showed a herniation in her l-5/s-1 disk, and was recommended a microdiscectomy. She did the surgery based off the fact that it has a 91% success rate. However, in a few weeks, the pain returned and recently she has returned to her pre-surgery, bed-ridden state. She can barely stand for a few minutes till she returns to her bead defeated.

She has gotten another MRI recently and it has shown a full re-herniation in the same disk the surgery was performed in, and are now waiting for the approval for an epidural steroid injection. She does go to physical therapy when she can, but it only gives her momentary relief. She is currently taking gabapentin, All Day Pain Relief, and is using heat packs. She took a narcotic for a while but stopped it once she realized it had no effect.

Has anyone ever experienced a similar situation? I've been reading other discussions and most people heal after no surgery, or their surgeries are successful. I'm quite lost on how to help, her mental state has been declining rapidly after 4 months in bed. Does anyone recommend the spinal fusion surgery? Or no surgery at all? Could a chiropractor help in such case?

Thank you.

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