Disk decompression & Microdisectomy - 5 weeks post op pain
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Hello Peter & everyone,
I had a disk decompression and microdisectomy at L4/L5 5 weeks ago and up to now I was doing really well with pain management, so much so my GP put me on lower dosage of gabapentin and codeine with a view to dropping slowly off them completely. Over the last couple of days I have experienced mild back and leg pain but today it is worse and I'm worried that this could mean surgery hasn't worked. I am back on painkillers but reduced dosage but pain is still there. Has anyone else experienced this? Because I have been moving around more freely could this be part of healing process? I haven't started to drive yet as was told to wait until 5-6 weeks post op and have just been doing small amounts of walking and light chores around the house - dusting with a long fibre duster for instance.
I would be interested in post op experiences.
0 likes, 8 replies
jessica_78456 doreen18567
Posted
I know of 2 other people who have had this done in the last 6 month and have had further prolapses or bulges since.once they remove or shave discs it put further pressure on what’s left. Since my first op I had Spianal fusion just over a yr ago. And another shaving of the bulge disc. But April this yr I was rushed to hospital with another big bulge disc. I had a steroid injection which for the first time ever gave me some relief. Now I am back to needing another. My consultant believes I need more surgery but that is my last resort I am only 41 and if I have more surgeries my risk of been stuck in a wheel chair or it failing again is a lot higher. I understand that my back at some point will probably give up on me all together but till then I must persevere . Hope u get sorted soon pain is so debilitating
doreen18567 jessica_78456
Posted
Hello Jessica,
Many thanks for your reply and for the very helpful advice. I will get some Arnica Tablets from Holland & Barrett tomorrow. My spine too is knackered (my surgeon's words!) and this will be my 3rd op at L4/L5 over 35 years which I guess is good versus what you are suffering at your young age. I am going to phone the physio at the hospital who gave me some simple post op exercises and make an appointment to see her again with regard to perhaps more exercises that will take me through the whole recovery period which my surgeon said is 3 months. There was no guarantee that this op would work as the MRi scan wasn't clear as to where the pain was coming from and subsequent nerve root block injections gave me no pain relief so together with my neuro consultant we decided that L4/L5 was the most likely place and having the op was worth a try. If I don't get any pain relief from this op then all that's left is taking the strong painkillers again for the rest of my life.
I am so sorry to hear about everything you've gone through and are still going through - it's horrendous. Of course surgery is the last resort so I hope you can keep getting steroid injections for as long as possible. I really hope you get something to sort out your pain quickly as you're so young.
jessica_78456 doreen18567
Posted
CHICO_MARX doreen18567
Posted
Had the same thing done at L4 through S1 when I had a case of sciatica caused by a bone spur at L4. Immediate relief; residual nerve pain gone in 7 days. My latest problem came after an L2/L3 fusion caused by bilateral foraminal stenosis. LLIF; miracle op. Instant relief, no brace, no rehab.
Then I needed my neuro to go in and clean up L2 - L4 10 months later. Seems that the fusion worked TOO well!!! So much bone growth in the fusion area that there was nerve impingement. Painful surgery but pretty much recovered after a few months. Then I started to get some lower back pain this spring...did not go away. Saw the neuro who confirmed that everything was perfect but the problem might be something different.
Sent me to an extremely skilled PT lady. Seems that the combination of a replaced knee plus two spine surgeries in 20 months had left all my core muscles completely shot...dead. This caused me to bend over walking and putting all the pressure on my lower back. I needed to rebuild all those muscles to support the spine. Plus, seems that scar tissue can actually cling to nerves causing more pain when you move.
For six weeks, she stretched the hell out of me plus we did tons or core exercises. She also did some "nerve flossing"...look it up...at first, VERY painful but beneficial. Just got discharged. All my measurements are double from when I started plus my pain level has reduced dramatically. Now it's up to me to continue the muscle rebuild and stretching to get back to 100%.
Sometimes, the surgery is perfect but during recovery, your muscles just atrophy. If that fits your case, then a muscle rebuild will relieve the pain. Think about it...
jessica_78456 CHICO_MARX
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CHICO_MARX jessica_78456
Posted
Mine was fixed in one day with the Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion (LLIF) surgery. Miracle op. Search YouTube for "Globus LLIF" for an animation of the procedure and then "Globus Calibur" to see the device expanded."
jessica_78456 CHICO_MARX
Posted
Seafarer123 doreen18567
Posted
It took me almost 12 months from the time of my L4/L5 and L5/S1 micro-discectomy to be relatively pain-free, and only then with a fair amount of physical therapy. Once the doctor clears you for heightened physical activity try to use that period of time to get back into PT, and with a therapist that is trained in helping people who are in an immediate post-surgical phase.
When you think about it, a good surgeon who has access to accurate MRIs of your spine shouldn't have missed any disc bulges or bone spurs when he was in there. The odds favor that your surgery should eventually be helpful to you. But the post-surgical period can be a strange one, with scar tissue forming, nerves enflaming and your body being just generally cranky that it was invaded. Give it some time to settle down...