Delayed Discectomy Discision?

[Chris Brooks]

Hi Guys,

Hmmmm... Just wandering how fast I could say this threads title over and over lol.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I had a discectomy and decompression on L5 | S1 in October 2008 to combat pins and needles, loss of sensation, weakness etc etc and severe pain in my lower back. After the surgery I continued to endure the same pain and sensations to the same level or slightly worse and still do to this day. I continued to see my consultant a few months apart until around March this year.

Ever since just before the surgery I had my suspisions that my consultant where missing something and in March, after questioning a registrar about his diagnosis of my recent MRI, he showed me the scan. Above the last surgery site was a large protrusion of a disk into my spinal canal. I asked him quite promply if that was "significant"... Lets just say he went off to see my consultant and a few mins later I was given a card and told to have a pre op examination. A few weeks later I received a phonecall from the admissions asking me if I would like to bring my operation date forward to 3 days from then.

I am a gardener (hense the bad back) and started my gardening company in June 2009 dispite the back problems. Because the admissions where asking me to come in in the height of spring and a busy time for me, I asked to delay the surgery for as long as possible. She replied "you may delay the surgery for up to 6 months, and after that you have to be re-refered by your GP". So provided I rang them by around the end of August I would be put back on the "active" list and 18 weeks from then would land me around about November for the actual surgery, giving me around 3 months to recover before the beginning of the gardening season in March.

Question is... Do I still go for the surgery (as time is ticking to ring them up), as I have managed up untill now with pain, or do I miss my opertunity completely and possibly go through another 6 months if I am lucky, speaking to different consultants/doctors if it gets severe again as it has so many times in the past.

Im really struggling with this discision and to be truthful I kind of hide my pain discomfort from my family and dont talk about it much, the wife only knows when its bad when I take my Dyhydrocodine, dont really know why i keep it to myself, but maybe as we are somewhat anonymous on here, I'd like hear what you think.

Spare me your thoughts please folks.

Many thanks

 

[lutherRuisy]

Hi 90awk,
there are some other very similar threads on here. Although not exactly the same, this one is very current:
http://www.massageplanet.net/forum/showthread.php?p=648225&posted=1#post648225
Much of what I'd like to put in reply is a repeat, so might be worth a look.
Best wishes
K

 

[The Nameless]

My surgeon said he would do my c5/c6 anterior discectomy, it would relieve the pressing of the spine from the slipped disk but the pain would still be there, and blow me he's right 4 years later I am still experiencing pins and needles and pain ! I have been discharged as there is nothing more they can do, I now take pain killers as and when but glucosamine gets a big thumbs up for me

 

[sweet like salsa]

KDVP, im not sure if you gave me the right link. I can make out references to finding the right therapist etc. Am I reading this right?

 

[?Rachy Neko Chan?]

Here's a question for JoJo?

If he knew that he could not cure you of your pains why did he operate??

That has got to be against the hypocratic oath 'surely' (do no harm!!),
let alone the morality of wasting money and resources!!

Best wishes

SPINELF

 

[hephaestus]

To relieve the pressure of the disk on my spine !

 

[vickiinspain]

Obviously but one has to ask if he actually suceeded if the pain is still there, have you had a new mri since?

 

[slacker]

lol yes, and the spine isn't compressed anymore, I do have Spondylosis

 

[?Kayla-Forever?]

Hm... Having NO COMPRESSION does not mean that all is fine. There are a lot of pain sources in spine, not only nerve roots!

First proper diagnosis, then appropriate treatment (if possible minimally-invasive with minimal tissue and muscle destruction). Find a good surgeon.

 

[Elyse]

Surgery for what Keano ?? The disk has been removed (in 2006) there is a carbon cage in place, and as I said before the symptoms are going as I am taking Glucosamine, much better than painkillers. I have had numerous MRi scans, one with dye, x-rays to make sure that the cage is in it's proper place, I cannot fault the help that I have had. Sadly there is degeneration and from a surgeon, registrar and a Dr telling me so, I think I would believe 3 people, no ? !!

 

[aqupuser]

Hello... dont mean to be rude, but this is my thread lol Any feedback at all guys? Thanks

 

[crln]

My reply was meant for you.

 

[Pompal 09.]

So sorry 90awk

 

[Angeline L]

I am not a medical professional, just an interested back sufferer...From my personal experience surgeons often go for the most obvious problem on the mri, but it may not actually be the source of the pain I was shocked when the nhs wanted to operate on one level and MK said that it would not have helped me at all and may have aggravated the whole lumbar area and then on the mri he showed me another leaking disc and tethered nerve that he thought was the site that needed the operation. MK actually does tests during the operation to see where the pain is coming from, other surgeons use nerve block tests before the operation to block bits at a time to see where the pain source is.
It seems that most NHS ops are just designed to stop a cauda equina situation developing or higher compression of the spinal cord, but a lot of pain may come from the nerve roots being compressed in the foramina and this may get overlooked as there are few open surgery options that work and so they may wait then go for a fusion?

What operation have you actually been offered now? Discectomy where? How recent is the mri? Have they done any x rays? Weight bearing for instance?

I wonder if you could get an appointment and then get it put back again? But I think that a gardenng business with 2 bad discs is really pushing it.

I went through a really hard time coming to terms with the reality of my back condition. I had to give up a lot of things and change my lifestyle totally to protect my back. You need to go see the surgeon asap with a list of questions about the future and so on because you may find that gardening is out unless it is in a modified way as bending, lifting, tugging, hoeing etc are all things that are not recommended after these kind of surgeries

Have you tried a tens machine?