Back Surgery

[prime]

Anybody here have a micro discectomy to the L5-S1? I have been told it will help me but I am more curious about how "normal" one is/feels after this surgery. Any limitations, etc. Thanks.

 

[Tom]

Don't

My ex wife had that exact surgery same area L-5 ...S-1. Since then 2 more surgeries, hardware in her back, lives on oxycontin, has major depression etc. Try to avoid surgery at all costs. Within 1 year of her original surgery the discs above collapsed. She is worse off now than before the surgery....just my 2 cents.

 

[Michaelthomasj]

Anybody here have a micro discectomy to the L5-S1? I have been told it will help me but I am more curious about how "normal" one is/feels after this surgery. Any limitations, etc. Thanks.

Oh lord I am looking at the same surguery..they are goin to try injections first!

 

[Emery]

When I worked in the hospital I saw some very scary cases. It does seem that things are never the same after and some of the folks did have to undergo multiple surgeries and live on narcotics to treat the pain.

I too would avoid this at all costs unless absolutely needed!!!

 

[scrapper13]

you will never be 100 percent after this surgery and i would recommend you find a good pain management specialist in your area. when i was 19 and an athlete in college i had a severe herniated disk in my L4/L5. i went to two doctors and both wanted to schedule me for surgery. my trainer hooked me up with this pain management specialist and when i told him these two other docs were ready to cut me open(both well respected surgeons in nyc) he laughed and said ill have u back to normal in no time. anyways i had a series of 3 cortizone shots combined with physical therapy and the pain was completely gone and haven't had any the past 8 years. an MRI after the shots showed that the disc had actually gone back into place. i would highly advise you to seek out all options, this surgery is no joke. good luck bro

 

[donkeydon]

l3.4.5 . s1 an facets are shot.ny nuero was a personal freind.he said dont cut live with the pain. or you will be on your third surgery an a morphine pump in 5 years. i use blocks an a small amount of pain pillas. i have never regretted passing on surgery. gl bro

 

[Scrawny1]

The injections may help reduce the inflammation. The problem there is that you start to feel better abd become more active. Then you re-injuse/aggravate the disk again.

The fusion of a single disk is not a bad surgery to recover from, and be "normal". When you become more active after that, there is increased pressure on the disk above and below the fusion. Many times BOTH of those become injured. THAT is when you have multiple surgeries, pain meds for years...etc.

The goal is to try everything before surgery. After surgery...treat that lower back like a baby. You can live like a "normap" person, but probably not like an athelete.

Good luck.

 

[jetset]

I had surgery on L4/L5 and it was the best thing i ever did. I had an amazing surgon. He told he job was to get me back to 100% and he did! I had the surgery in 2002. No on going pain meds and once in a great while I'll get stiff, but thats all. I know a few people that have had problems after their back surgery but in my opinion alot of their probelms were due to the extent of the injury and not following the rehab protocal. Trying to do to much to soon.

 

[wardog50]

I severely injured my back when I was 19 and put it off and put it off until I was 20.
I couldn't walk anymore it hurt so bad. I was self medicating and finally couldn't move.
I was taken back in by my parents which I HATED.

I ended up having a surgery performed on my L5 to remove a herniation and remove a couple small bone fragments that were floating against the rupture.{ I was hit by a logging chain and the impact caused the bone fragments}.
I lost some feeling in my right leg on its right side and my right foot on its right side.
I couldn't get it to come back for quite a while but now it is normal for the most part.( I can stub my right pinky toe pretty damn hard and not feel it, blood flowin and all.) That makes about 16 years give or take. I would say the past 4 years I have had most all of my feeling back.(still a few minor numb are less than normal areas) My back still hurts when overloaded but hey what can you expect. (hurts real bad 2, lol) But the pain is manageable and After the first 5 or 6 years I was able to ween myself off pain meds. It sucked because they grab you and make you want them and the Drs are more than happy to give them to you. I had some real foggy periods in my life do to the Dr.s and pain meds they gave me.
I am VERY happy I did the surgery. Make sure you are ready for the recovery and PACE yourself. Don't think you will heal super fast. Take your time and do it right.
Also tell the Dr's to stuff the pain meds as soon as possible even sooner than you want too.


Wardog

 

[mature muscle]

Anybody here have a micro discectomy to the L5-S1? I have been told it will help me but I am more curious about how "normal" one is/feels after this surgery. Any limitations, etc. Thanks.

Beware or surgery a lot of guys end up worse off do to scare tissue doctors like to make money on surgery. myself s-1 2 3 and they healed over time all on their own.

 

[TheZeus]

Shit.

I have debated having this exact same surgery. I have a slipped disc which I am sure has turned into a hernation now as the pain is so much worse.

I have asked so many people this question to see what their opinion is on the surgery. I get 2 very different and passionate answers. I look at it this way. I can live and function (though it is very painful) now. I do not want to risk losing any more mobility or having a bunch of surgeries and the fun that follows them.

I will have to try some cort shots.

 

[wardog50]

I don't think I would ever take Cort shots.
If you really think its herniated get an MRI. If it is get a Dr to look at it it might be something you want to take care of.
Cort is just putting off the inevitable and masking the real problem.

My 2 cents.

Wardog

 

[gettnlarge01]

I have several collasped disks along with some nerve issues because of that but I'm not getting surgery until its a must. I go to pain management now to help relieve some of the pain and see no reason to try any thing else

 

[pustooth]

Fusion Here

I had a multi level fusion L4-L5-S1 about a year and a half ago. It sucked but I am happy I had it done. It took about a year before I could start really training again.

Mine was bad, I had nerve impingements and could not feel my legs etc....

End result for me is 10 pieces of titanium in my back, but now I can feel my legs, lift and play with my kids. Granted my back muscle fatigue quickly and they cramp up, but not being able to pick up your newborn daughter prior to surgery made it well worth it.

I would suggest you consult with a neurosurgeon.

It can be a long road to recovery but it can be done.

side note, it was not caused by a lifting. Lucky me got hit by a bus.

 

[prime]

Thanks for all the replies. I was hoping since the micro discetomy seemed like the least invasive of all of them that it might be worth it but I can see now that it's not always sunny after the surgery.

I've lived with this injury since I was 18 from manual labor and now that I am in my forties, it seems I'm flaring up more than I'm not. I'm not in that much pain when I do nothing, it's when I do something like bend or sit or any work that involves bending that I'll be in the acute stage for weeks or months if I over do it.

I've been on 1gram of Naproxin for last 45 day or so and my back feels decent as long as I don't push myself. I have nerve impingement which translates to some numbness and pain in my left shin foot area. If i arch wrong I'll have the whole leg in pain. Doctor said my disc was substantially herniated and I think slightly surprised I wasn't in pain 24/7. But then again, I've lived with this injury for 30 years so maybe I'm filtering a lot out. I just know that when I over do it, it's bad. Last flare up lasted 6 months. I don't like having to take 6 month+ layoffs from lifting obviously so surgery was an option and I wanted to ask lifters on their results.

 

[mffdvr]

I don't know if you have considered this done but vertebra/disc decompression. I've talked to people having this type of therapy and everytime they're finnished, they feel 5 inches taller with their pain alleviated (after their total therapy was completed). It might be worth investigating.

 

[chevy1234]

Had lower back on L4 and L5.Was in major pain,but after i have been fine.Just have to be careful.Glad i had it done.

 

[prime]

I don't know if you have considered this done but vertebra/disc decompression. I've talked to people having this type of therapy and everytime they're finnished, they feel 5 inches taller with their pain alleviated (after their total therapy was completed). It might be worth investigating.

Is this like traction?

 

[tobefitt]

I had a fusion of the L4-L5 in Aug 2007. It took about 2 years to really get to a better place. I was one of those that did too much too early and I didn't have a good rehab plan to follow. I also have issues with pain medicine (makes me sick) so I came off pain meds very quickly after my surgery. I used a ton of Advil and it caused issues to my liver but I was able to function. My surgery was done by John's Hopkins in Baltimore by one of the best neurosurgeons on staff. I would not let an orthopedic surgeon touch you, go to a neurosurgeon!! I have lost some range in motion and still get sore and stiff but all in all I am able to live a much better life now then I was before the surgery! I do have some hardware and I will need further surgeries down the road. Once they do this type of fusion, the other disc will eventually fail, depending on how you take care of yourself will determine that time frame. Just my 2 cents!! The best of luck with whatever you decide. Get more than one opinion!!

 

[mffdvr]

Is this like traction?

Somewhat, but you're on a machine wearing a harness. It's a graduated process used by both physical therapist and chiropractors. The first time I heard of this was 10 years ago.