L4L5 prolapse

Hi Tango, don't worry about the scans they don't hurt and give the docs a much clearer picture of what is going on. I had the lumbar surgery a couple of years ago, i was also experiencing my leg giving way and pins and needles in my legs, slight loss of control of the bladder too. I have to be honest with you and say that although in the doctors opinion my surgery was successful, in my opinion, they have cured one set of problems and caused another set of problems. I have constant back pain, i also get really bad bouts of sciatica, to the point where today it was so bad i had to go to urgent care and the doc there gave me diazepam and morphine to help control the spasms and keep the pain down for a while. It is entirely up to you to decide what to do if the doctors give you the option of surgery but think long and hard about it as there are risks involved although causing further damage is very rare. I also have a very weak left leg since my surgery and lots of nerve damage, i may just be an unlucky case as i have spoken to people who have gone for it and it's been completely successful. I wish you all the luck in the world and i do hope you get some posts from people who have a positive post on this subject. Let me know how it all goes , the scans are the first step and nothing to worry about at all.

Angie

Hi Tango, I would suggest you go for an MRI. It shows the bone and other tissues and their condition better than an X-Ray would. I did one last week and it showed a prolapsed disc in my lumbar/sacral area. I am going for physiotherapy + hydrotherapy and I am walking straight now after only 3 sessions and feeling much better - pain is gone, although I have to avoid standing or walking for too long. The med guys are now dealing with a specific problem - and the sessions are designed to get back the disc in position.

NB: The physio sessions are kinda tough/rigorous but the benefits are lovely. They last at most 1 hour each.

You try it/the MRI.

Best wishes.

John

Tango,

Avoid backbone surgery at all cost. My (very honest) doc says that when you undergo surgery, you may always be a surgery case, that you may need more and more surgeries.

Avoid it completely.

Regards,

John.

I also have a prolapsed disc and suffer from backpain. The fact that your leg is giving way is worrying and you cannot simply ignore this symptom. Do ask your Neurosurgeon if he or she performs Endoscopic discectomies and, if not, why not. After having researched the issue, I found out that I really did not want either a Microdiscectomy or a plain Discectomy operation at all because these operations are just really not very "micro". They are open surgery that leaves a several inch surgical scar down your back. If you must have an operation, you may want to try an Endoscopic discectomy operation. This is done endoscopically with various cameras and gadgets and only leaves an approx. 1cm scar/insertion point, as opposed to a several inch line down your back.

This isn't just cosmetically nicer, it also means less pain and time spent recuperating. Less surgical scar tissue may also cause less pain in future. Unfortunately, as far as I am aware, you cannot get an Endoscopic discectomy on the NHS. You would need to find one of the few private surgeons in the UK who can do this operation. Not everyone is suitable for it, but if you are, it will set you back c.£8K-£10K. Otherwise, despite paying your taxes, you will have to lump it and have a much more old-fashioned operation.