Atlast, a microdisectomy!

Posted , 7 users are following.

Had the letter arrive this morning I've been waiting 2 1/2 years for.

Mr Lawson at the Walton centre has agreed I am a candidate for a microdisectomy as a result of the failed nerve route block.

I will be writing down some questions so when I ring on Monday I can discuss it with him.

Out of curiosity, does anyone on here know the length of stay in hospital after one? What about recovery time?

So happy I could cry!!

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  • Posted

    Hi James I am happy for you that Mr Lawson is going to give you a Microdisectomy. I looked this word up as someone else mentioned it on the site.  Microdisectomy is another word for decompression, i.e. they shave a bit of bone or take it away because it is touching a nerve.  How they know which bit of bone is touching a nerve I don't know.  When I was coming to Spain I had Mr Shackleford operate on me. It was money down the drain.  Unfortunately I paid £7,000 for this and it never worked when I went back 6 months later, he said the pain would go but 6 years down the line I am still in a lot of pain.  my op was a big opening in my back so I wouldn't call mine micro.  I think however, that with spinal stinosis which I don't think you have, you get more spurs growing off the bone (although I am not sure)   So lets hope that it works and I hear Mr Lawson is a very good surgeon, I have seen his name mentioned quite a bit.    Ask him the difference between a decompression and microdisectomy and the size of incisions, not that it matters so long as you get the opportunity to have the op.

    I too went to the Pain Clinic in Walton its supposed to be THE BEST.   I had to almost go on bended knee to my dr in Kendal to ask to go, She was very reluctant to send me because the Cumbria PCT was going bankrupt.  I ask you.....  this is going back 9 years.   I saw a man who dribbled into his hankie with a cold and was at least 20 stone - he never looked at my MRI/X Rays and said to my partner, "you will need this", which was a leaflet telling us that Peter would be the carer and would need more help not me.  Horrible man, I can't remember his name. So I never got the opportunity to go back.   I was so fed up with my op with Shackleford and now I understand that I can't have any operation because of scar tissue. 

    I just wish there were surgeons that we could rely on, our bodies are not the same - unfortunately - so we have to take things as they come.  For my operation I was in for a week, but I was snowed in lol.   But I think I would have been in 3 days as I was ready to go and walking up and down the corridor without pain - it was only when I came off the meds that my pain came back. Pamela is correct - so maybe I was in longer because of the larger incision,

    Anyway you got the appointment, good luck   Why is it that some people here got into the Walton and I didn't.

    Natlie is correct, i think I would ask for fusion too, but if you have a fusion this can carry problems.  Have this op and hopefully you will be OK.  Good luck and don't forget your questions

    • Posted

      Hello enna it was very interesting reading about your experience at the Walton centre I to had a horrific time two micro sugeries and have a clinical negligence case pending I am now worse now than I've ever been I have been to another six neurosurgeons and none will touch me because of complications
    • Posted

      Hi Enna thanks for that.

      As far as I am aware, microdisectomy is a keyhole procedure. I was told I will be up and walking the same afternoon. I also believed it was trimming of the disc to remove it from the nerve. Should be a 1-2 day hospital stay.

      My GP referred me to the Walton centre directly. No 'getting in or not' if you know what I mean. I cannot fault the Walton centre in ANY way. They have bent over backwards to help me, and that's not just the doctors but the other staff too!

    • Posted

      Hi James - I can only tell of my experience, my partner was flabbergasted at the Walton dr. I hope his cold made him ill, like it made me.

      Yes, gathering this off Spine Health that microdisceptomy is the same as decompression except micro is just what it says.   And you put nicely about the trimming of the disc I call it shaving. Same.... Equal.  I perhaps would have been home in 3 days but it had snowed and even my partner couldn't get down to see me till it had cleared.

      I think going back that I think my doctors thought that I was pulling the lead (sorry not sure how you say it) I had 3 drs in the practice in Kendal and all were the same - unhelpful. My original dr left to go to Blackpool I think and he looked after me with cortisone injections till then. The new bloke wouldn't even look at me although I could hardly walk. It was a shambles.

      Now its all too late I'm afraid, I think the the spinal stenosis has set in and nothing will help.  At the time the dr from Preston told me I would eventually be in a wheelchair - I think and laugh now, well, I will be able to hired one in Benidorm when we go over!!!  Perhaps its a hopeless case, whatever I have had done, it won't help.  My mother was the same and my daughter is the same

      All we had, each of us, an accident, My mother fell, Jane fell off her mountain bike and I fell down the stairs and this sets off the bone to grow to protect itself and eventually the spur gets in the way of a nerve. So now I don't know which disc is impeding the nerve.

      Oh well, at least you will be in fine fettle, and let us know how you get on.

       

    • Posted

      Ay well, sounds like you and me are the same.  interested which drs.  I can't remember the one at Walton but he must have been 20 stone - maybe not there now as I have had my problems since before 2004.  Is it worth complaining for me?  I know there are 2 years to complain about a hoover/or anything going wrong - whats the point of being in the EU if you can't complain. I would like to hear more please....
    • Posted

      Hi enna not to sure if it's to late for you you to complain there my be a time limit on it maybe someone on this site can give you some advice on it.i was totally discussed with my treatment I sought legal advise straight away .
    • Posted

      I can honestly say peter that I have had terrible treatment from day 1 - I did think of suing and got my medical notes for which I paid dearly for.  However, i looked at my doctors comments and they were not what was said to me.

      At one stage, my woman dr said, "Oh you can't go there, our PCT is almost bankrupt".  That wasn't in my notes.   Like the dr that came in and refused point blank to give me cortisone injections. so had to live in terrible pain for about 3 years until I got onto the health system here in Spain. Just the same here though.

      However...... I did go to a surgeon privately and he said he did these ops almost every day - he said he would fusion with rods and screws and put a cage of bone in.  He quoted me 15,000 but when I came back from Benidorm with new MRIS I had 3 prolapsed discs and the price went up to 20,000€.   So I don't know.....  There are a lot of surgeons here disguested with the health system and have broken away (like the one i mention) to do private work.

      At my age, you didn't pay for private insurance you trusted the NHS - that goes for my daughter too, she is 43 and too late to join private health care.  What a country.   Here in spain, grandmas pay for their grandkids private medical insurance including dental.  This is what we are going to have to do in the UK

      Howe,ver Dr March did say that if I had any comments or want more assistance I could go back.

      I caught him on the hop when i went for my appointment really as I think they were a bit scared of a young lad who arrived at the hospital who was shouting and kicking (I think some medical reason) 

      So now i go AGAIN to the pain clinic.  Been to Walton, Preston, Kendal (going downhill here) Warrington and now twice in Gandia.  The first time I went here I think you will read what a debackle it was - obviously they are not trusting me what I tell them so have to go through the whole b**** thing again by the time all this is completed I will be dead.   

      What meds are you on?   You shound as though you are very much in pain.  I take Pazital 2 x 3 a day and Lyrica - 2 at night and 1 morning and mid-afternoon.  Don't do much good though - and can walk 30 minutes. If I want to go to a fiesta I just have to grit my teeth and stand the pain. I love walking and there is so much to see here in Gandia/Valencia.

      Have you tried the ADRSupportUK forum? its not only for ADR because I have been a member since 2004 (or so)

      Must go, perhaps you will let me know the drs involved... maybe we have had the same lol (I have to laugh or...)

    • Posted

      The only thing that work for me is naproxen 3 a day

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