Anyone have a sucessful Back Surgery

[dragonfire101]

Back has been bothering me for about 16 yrs off and on. Had a herniated disk 16yrs ago. Was very limited for fisrt 3 yrs , then for about 10 yrs was pretty good, only acted up couple weeks a year. Now last couple years its just getting worst. The disc herniation has became worst and I have tried everything accept surgery. Its getting to the point the pain I can tolerate, but not the leg going numb and lossing function in it.

Most reserach and people I know after several years the surgery was sucessful , but hitting the 3-5 yr mark no longer was sucessful and reverted back to how they felt prior.

 

[bmcjames]

I did

I had L4/L5 Surgery for severe herniation back in February of 2009.

I feel 100% like nothing had ever happened.

I say go for it!

 

[MrDeflation]

microdiscectomy + laminectomy L4-L5

dont know why I waited so long... best thing I ever did. I believe the reason for my great success and recovery was the fact that I used a neurosurgeon instead of a plain orthepedic

 

[dragonfire101]

microdiscectomy + laminectomy L4-L5

dont know why I waited so long... best thing I ever did. I believe the reason for my great success and recovery was the fact that I used a neurosurgeon instead of a plain orthepedic

How long ago.

If I choose the surgery the doctor i going to is a neurosurgeon that does a non invasive procedure were they dont really cut you open at all but use a large sharp tube device and keep sliding large and larger ones over the next so then they have a tube inch around and send the tools done it to perform the surgery and when done pull the tube out and site closes up.

 

[thebrick]

How long ago.

If I choose the surgery the doctor i going to is a neurosurgeon that does a non invasive procedure were they dont really cut you open at all but use a large sharp tube device and keep sliding large and larger ones over the next so then they have a tube inch around and send the tools done it to perform the surgery and when done pull the tube out and site closes up.

That technique sounds incredible. Amazing really. I'm pretty sure that regardless of who does the surgery, you will be wired from head to toe and another neuro team will be monitoring your brain and spinal cord activity while they do the surgery… just to make sure all is OK while they are working near those nerve roots. They did that with my neck surgery.

 

[Michael2]

I had a hemi-laminectomy of L4-5 in 2001-
Had no choice- ruptured disc when doing dead lifts--heard a pop but stupid shit didnt FIRST feel the pain--then 5 days later i couldnt piss- i had foot drop with the most intense shooting pain down my left leg---

Post op- went through rehab- besides bed rest-......
Powerlifting days were over BUT bodybuilding days began--did my first bodybuilding show 2002

Certain exercise i avoid due to the injury--ie) heavy squats- deadlifts however there are so many different machines around that you learn to re train those muscles safely

Hope that helps---my experience

 

[dragonfire101]

I had a hemi-laminectomy of L4-5 in 2001-
Had no choice- ruptured disc when doing dead lifts--heard a pop but stupid shit didnt FIRST feel the pain--then 5 days later i couldnt piss- i had foot drop with the most intense shooting pain down my left leg---

Post op- went through rehab- besides bed rest-......
Powerlifting days were over BUT bodybuilding days began--did my first bodybuilding show 2002

Certain exercise i avoid due to the injury--ie) heavy squats- deadlifts however there are so many different machines around that you learn to re train those muscles safely

Hope that helps---my experience

Ya I'm at the point the nucleus pulposus is starting to leak out so I think I will need the surgery eventually. What type of lower back and leg exercise are you doing. Any issues since surgery.

 

[gotgame]

microdiscectomy + laminectomy L4-L5

dont know why I waited so long... best thing I ever did. I believe the reason for my great success and recovery was the fact that I used a neurosurgeon instead of a plain orthepedic

Haha, sorry I just had to laugh at that. I do not know any orthopods who did not do a fellowship who do spine. In fact almost everyone in the NYC area does a fellowship these days. Your talking about 5 years dedicated ortho plus a spine fellowship. We cross cover spine with neuro. Microdisc lami two level is a very easy surgery and it has very good results.

To the OP. If you are losing function you need to go get it looked at. Get a proper eval, get an MRI and take care of it. Depending on how many levels and the extent of what is going on you may or may not need hardware. Some surgeons market MIS as a way to attract people to it. You need to know when MIS is appropriate. Doing MIS just to do it has added complications from a technical standpoint. if it is 1-2 levels your scar is 3-4inches with a nice lil monocril and steris...hardly an invasive procedure, well if you dont count the rongeur lol

 

[dragonfire101]

Haha, sorry I just had to laugh at that. I do not know any orthopods who did not do a fellowship who do spine. In fact almost everyone in the NYC area does a fellowship these days. Your talking about 5 years dedicated ortho plus a spine fellowship. We cross cover spine with neuro. Microdisc lami two level is a very easy surgery and it has very good results.

To the OP. If you are losing function you need to go get it looked at. Get a proper eval, get an MRI and take care of it. Depending on how many levels and the extent of what is going on you may or may not need hardware. Some surgeons market MIS as a way to attract people to it. You need to know when MIS is appropriate. Doing MIS just to do it has added complications from a technical standpoint. if it is 1-2 levels your scar is 3-4inches with a nice lil monocril and steris...hardly an invasive procedure, well if you dont count the rongeur lol

What are you talking about hardware? If you mean implanting any screws, or anything like that I would not plan on getting any surgery done. I had several MRIs evals, and testing done by several different doctors. I would not have posted the question if I didn't.

 

[Moen]

I'd go to several surgeons since opinions do vary a lot. Better to have several obviously. Going by your symptoms and the length of time you've had it, I doubt they'd opt for just a discectomy but who knows.

Don't know if it's the other way around in the US but over here orthopaedic surgeons are the more specialized ones for disc problems.

 

[gotgame]

What are you talking about hardware? If you mean implanting any screws, or anything like that I would not plan on getting any surgery done. I had several MRIs evals, and testing done by several different doctors. I would not have posted the question if I didn't.

Yes hardware is things like screws. Depending on the extent of your injury some would do a fusion which may or may not have those things. When was your MRI done? You had said that you had these issues for a long time with no indication of when you last had it looked at I was recommending getting an MRI done if one had not been done recently. If you had one done recently when and what does it say under "impression"

 

[MrDeflation]

How long ago.

If I choose the surgery the doctor i going to is a neurosurgeon that does a non invasive procedure were they dont really cut you open at all but use a large sharp tube device and keep sliding large and larger ones over the next so then they have a tube inch around and send the tools done it to perform the surgery and when done pull the tube out and site closes up.

about 6 years ago now...

 

[dragonfire101]

Yes hardware is things like screws. Depending on the extent of your injury some would do a fusion which may or may not have those things. When was your MRI done? You had said that you had these issues for a long time with no indication of when you last had it looked at I was recommending getting an MRI done if one had not been done recently. If you had one done recently when and what does it say under "impression"

Had a MRI few months back. Impressions are broad based central disc protrusion l4-l5 with associated short pedicles and thickening of the ligamentum flavum resulting moderate degree of central narrowing.

 

[kscowboy]

Have you tried spinal injections? I did and it was the best thing i have ever done. Basically it will post pone you surgery

 

[dragonfire101]

Have you tried spinal injections? I did and it was the best thing i have ever done. Basically it will post pone you surgery

Yes I have had 4 done. One as recent as 6 weeks ago, which did not do anything It seems it made it worst to me.

 

[dragonfire101]

Anyone have thoughts on or had Endoscopic Spinal Surgery done.

 

[kscowboy]

Sounds like its time for the knife. I know 4 people who have had back surgery (None are body builders or even lifters) but all of them say they wish would have done it a long time ago.

 

[LEX]

Dragon here are some observations:

neuro or ortho it doesn't matter I work with both and I can unfortunately say the ones I personally would go to are the ones NOT motivated by money. that being said the ones I would go to are conservative. I have watched both neuros and orthos and its based on how they practice and if they are just about the money. its an outsiders view to think that a neuro will get your better results.
C-spine cases both neuros and orthos both typically with have neuro-monitoring there...some don't...but now that they are involved in the business model I am seeing them almost all the time. Some will do it during a post. lumbar case as well , most don't but again its part of the $ model so they are more common.

the minimally invasive procedure you described is ok, however as someone stated above that it there are more complications unless the doc is doing them all the time.

I would ask if a micro disc- laminectomy was in your doc's opinion something that would be successful in reducing your symptoms. if you have a lot of senosis it may be past that point. if you do have to have a fusion/ instrumentation just know that you are changing the physics of your back and the discs above and below the fused level will more than likely degenerate in 5-7 years you may make it longer but the odds are it will be in that time range. then you will have to have those levels fused and start the clock again.
get more then one opinion and maybe three or four. it sounds like you are at the point where you have to have something done and I wish you the best.
if you have any questions feel free to pm me.

 

[dragonfire101]

PM Lex Thanks