My husband is is so much pain and incapacitated from doing any more than he abolutely has to and so now we have com to surgery being all that’s left. Does anyone have any experience with either or both these procedures? I’m very, very nervous about it. We still have another consultation with the surgeon beforehand.
I think this is the kind of surgery my mom had several years ago. One surgeon said that if my mom were his mom, he’d tell her to not have the operation. He suggested she lose weight. This was a very valid suggestion but she didn’t do so. A few years later, she had the operation (done by another surgeon, also very accomplished). After the surgery, he pronounced it a technical success but she still had pain. I think the pain was reduced from what it had been before but it didn’t go away entirely.
This is not a weight problem. Wish it were so simple.
Thank you for your replies.
Yes. My mother had this procedure 8 weeks ago. Age 84, not overweight. Her procedure took 2 hours, one overnight in hospital. Prior to the surgery, the pain had become so severe that even the stronger narcotics (which you really don’t want to take because they are addictive) would only dull it. Also, extreme numbness and barely able to walk. She tried a cortisone type shot but it didn’t work. This left no choice but the surgery. The numbness and pain are gone at this point. Range of motion is much improved. But, I believe, due to her age, she still is extremely weak from the entire ordeal. I will say that her fusion was pretty minor-we were glad her insurance company required a preauthorization because we felt they would not have O’kd it had it not been medically necessary. As with anything, outcomes vary and surgery is always a risk. Age and your general health also, make a difference to the healing in terms of overall timeline. All the best-there are no guarantees and it definitely is not easy.
I hope your husband finds a good solution, @VaBluebird. Chronic pain is a devastating problem, and I have great sympathy for anyone who must endure it. I assume that surgery does help some people; unfortunately, in my mom’s case, it wasn’t a complete solution. I don’t know if that was because of her weight or something else.
I wish I could help. Living with pain and living with someone in pain are both unpleasant experiences. Hugs to both of you.
I had a hemi laminectomy 4 years ago (C5/6). I was desperate for relief so when my neurologist recommended a surgeon who said I def needed the surgery I went with it. Should I have had it done…I have no idea, but I do know that I should have followed my gut and changed up my physical therapists until I found one I connected with.
Not sure my comment helps, but I do feel for your husband and wish him all the best.
When I was experiencing right sided numbness from arm to my foot (turned out to be a herniated disk and bone spur pressing on the spinal cord in my neck), a couple of different docs spoke to me about neck surgery. They both indicated that neck surgery tends to have much better outcomes than lower back surgery. Not sure why. I’ve had low back issues for decades, but will not have surgery until there is absolutely no choice.
It sounds like your DH is at that point. Sometimes, even if your outcome is not going to be “good as new,” just getting SOME relief would justify it.
I feel for your DH and hope all goes well. Is he working with an ortho surgeon or a neurosurgeon?
My 74 year old day had lumbar fusion the surgery 3 years ago. There were some complications caused by the catheter being inflated before it was seated in the bladder, and some additional complications caused by some nursing issues.
He was in the hospital a full week and in a rehab facility 3 weeks. The surgeon had merely told him he “might” have to go to a rehab place. I don’t see how anyone could’ve had this particular surgery and not gone to rehab. Thus, he was not mentally prepared for this.
The dr. told him it would take a full year for healing and it did. It has made a huge improvement in his pain level and mobility. He has really gotten into bike riding this summer on converted Rails to Trails. He can ride about 30 miles a day. He would tell people to do the surgery, but be prepared it’s a journey of healing, not a fast fix.
Wow! Awesome.
I had a lumbar micro discectomy 8 years ago on L4-L5 that had a 12mm herniation. My L5-S1 had a 13 mm herniation but wasn’t compressing a nerve so they left it alone. At the time, I had a “dropped foot” and the main reason I elected to have the surgery in the first place. My pain was at a level 7 plus about 8 weeks before having the surgery but, within a month or so before having surgery, my pain level was much more manageable. I had the surgery to hopefully resolve my dropped foot issue. For those not familiar with what that is, it causes you to walk with a limp because of the disc compressing a nerve which results in weakness and diminished ability to keep your toes from hitting the surface at the same your heal touches down. The surgery successfully got rid of my dropped foot but I developed burning symptoms in legs and feet post-surgery. Also, my foot numbness before surgery never went away after my surgery.
In time, pain will usually get better on its own. I found water walking and swimming to be the most beneficial. I ran the gamut of other procedures-- spinal injections, acupuncture, physical therapy, etc. During my worst pain levels, 2 months out from surgery, I was taking Nucynta 100mg tabs (morphine) after getting virtually no relief with a list of other pain meds, including OxyContin. I have been pain med free for almost 8 years now, mostly due to the discovery of regular, caffeinated COFFEE. This is my miracle drug during my “daytime” hours. 3 cups daily. At night I take 2 500mg Methocarbamol muscle relaxers. Gets me through til about 3:30 AM and then take just 1 more.
If I hadn’t had a dropped foot, I would not have had the surgery. I would only elect to have surgery of any kind as a last resort. Good luck. If I can be of any help please let me know.
ortho surgeon or a neurosurgeon?>>>>>>
neuro
Definitely a neurosurgeon! Also, if your medical plan hasn’t approved an MRI, put some pressure on them to do so. My neuro friend said it doesn’t have to be with contrast, which saves them money. You are entitled to know what’s going on in there. And I would also stay away from a chiropractor. What made my problem worse was when I had done “adjustments”.
I felt better about going to a neurosurgeon. Broken bones, hip replacement…ortho all the way, but those nerves are the life blood to everything south the lumbar.
I had a bilateral laminectomy L5-S1 … result of a car accident. I had a wonderful neurosurgeon who saw surgery as a last resort. we tried everything else and basically I was unable to walk for months due to the pain. I was afraid of the surgery, too. My surgeon was the best… He put me in touch with another patient around my age who had a similar injury and identical surgery. TAlking with her made me feel much reassured. I had perfect results and have not had any issues since. I will say, though, that the recovery took awhile, and I did PT post-surgery 3 times a week for several months.