Discectomy - After the Operation

[confusion]

Hi Carly 22,

I am too trying to get referred to Mr Knight, let me know how you get on with yours xxx

 

[uueqzqdp]

Hi all, hope you well.

Over the last 2ks I have improved alot. Been to the physio for the last 2wks. And now im going to the spinal clinic for 10ks on the trot.
However I do have sleep problems, still pain in my calf, but they say its swelling.

 

[MarnaEntita]

Can anyone offer any advice regarding pain I am feeling following an L5 S1 discectomy on April 29th 2009.
From the second week following the op, I started feeling a slight left leg sciatic pain normally after 4 hours sleeping at night.
I have also started feeling a slight pain in my left calf muscle on ocassion.
My history of back pain is as follows:

1995 Pulled a muscle in my lower back which a chiropractor resolved.
2007 Suffered right leg sciatica following falling down the stairs, the sciatica went after 3 months.
2008 Suffered left leg sciatica following a bad tackle playing football.
The sciatica never went and I required an operation.
I also have a L4 slight central disc bulge but was told this should be ok.
Any helpful advice would be much appreciated.

Many thanks

dalep115

 

[SSSSS]

I can't thank you enough for your detailed reply, it's really helped both me and my hubby to read it. I'm home today - the operation was Wednesday afternoon and all seems to have gone well. Sciatic pain gone, as has the "poking" feeling I had at the tip of coccyx. However, I am in immense pain around the surgery site, bruised, tight and my hips hurt. Am finding it hard to relax - I feel like a plank of wood if I lie on my back, so I'm lying on my side.

Exhausted after a 8-10 min walk round house, legs shaking alot and one nearly went from beneath me. Thankfully hubby is being allowed to work from home for as long as it needs, and surgeon signed me off work for an initial period of 45 days.

I can't type much more right now, too much pain/tired and pretty drugged up

Thanks again, raised my spirits.

Helen

 

[Reergederrask]

Hi dalep115

Thanks for your upbuilding comment on ealier posts, after my bad trip to the doctors.

I am no expert, but i think its your nerve stettling down. I remember that other people on here in the past have said about a bit of sciatica in their leg on and off for awhile afteter the opp. I had not so much sciatic pain but odd sensations in my legs after the opp, very very achie and shackey legs and I did get very bad muscel carlf ache like very thing was overly tight..

Still mention it to the consultant, but I think it normal it will go in time. Just keep up the excersises and keep active.

You might find putting a pillow inbetween your knees helps. it stop the strain on the lower back when you are lying on your side at night.

By the way have you ordered that book called "The Back Suffers Bible" I got it of Amazon and its brilliant!!!! Everyone should have a copy

Take care
Cas08

 

[almiraqw]

Hi Chris12

Thank you for your upbuilding words in your earlier post to me, it was much appriaciated.

I am now the proud onwner of the book you sugested to get "The Back Suffers Bible". I got it off Amazon and its quite simply BRILLIANT . Everybody should have one. Thanks again.

Hope you are doing Ok.

Best Wishes
Cas08

 

[Trickzta]

Hi Subi

Hope you are Ok. Thank you for your post I found it very helpful. I am so sorry that you have all those problems.

How are you on a day to day basis? Do you get pain every day or not? How do you get on with the desk job, do you still have to have regular breaks get up and move about?

I just cant belive how well you are doing condidering all that you have been through, and that you said lots of poeple were negative about how much you would return to doing. You have done so well. You are an insperation.

sorry to ask so many questions.
best wishes
Cas08

 

[Chickwith Adick]

Evening Cas08,

I had a bit of a mare when typing and pressed enter before finishing my reply to you.
Please see above.

dalep115

 

[Abcdef Ghijklm]

Evening Cas08,

I do hope you are right and it is the nerve settling down.
I think psychology has a big bearing on how we all feel, it certainly does for me.
When we are occupying our minds, the pain is not so noticeable.
Thats certainly how it feels to me having experienced no or very little pain when with friends and family and experiencing some pain and wondering if it will stay or go when on my own.
I am doing exercises recommended by the NHS hospital physio I have seen 3 times since my op.
Normally I put a cushion between my knees and always sleep on right side as the last pain before the op was left leg sciatica.
Sometimes I forget though. Well I am a man, what can you expect!
I have ordered the book with Waterstones and expect to receive it at some stage next week.
Looking forward to reading it.
I presume you went back to work OK?
Hope it all went ok if you did.

Best wishes

dalep115

 

[Malik $Ahab]

Hi Moorfnz/Helen -

Great to hear that your op and recovery are going well so far. Keep us posted with how you are getting on. My experience so far is that a lot of patience is needed to avoid overdoing it!!

To all -

I have the Back Sufferer's Bible too and also Sarah Kay's book on joint care. I think they are both good although I imagine some of the ideas in there are controversial amongst the medical mainstream. Can also recommend Back Care BAsics, a book focusing on yoga exercises for back care by someone called Mary Pullig Schatz, which includes a chapter on post-surgery issues.

Going for my 6-week check next week, starting to make a LONG list of all my questions for the not-very-communicative ortho doctors at the hospital...

 

[Belie]

As other posters have advised you, PLEASE, only accept 'spinal fusion' as a very, very last resort and only after every other option has been excluded and you are convinced that you are totally happy with it on that basis.

The 'spinal fusion' procedure was not originally introduced to British surgery as a spinal treatment, it was first used around 1905 to correct the curviture of the spine caused by severe muscle spasms, which were in turn caused by 'TB'. The only reason it was used for spinal conditions was that as side effect of stiffening the spine, it appeared that a lot of patients also gained an indetermined amount of pain relief.

It has been used as the standard NHS treatment ever since, even though I have failed to find any results of trials regarding this most destructive of
spinal treatments which would in my mind justify its use. Neither could I find any records regarding the safety or efficacy rates of fusion.

The Consultant Orthopeadic and Neurosurgical Surgeons who largely carve up the Spinal Surgery lists between them, are aware of how destructive 'fusion' is. One Orthopeadic Surgeon who I was refered to, threatened me with 'fusion'!! because the conservative treatments she gave me failed to work, and in her mind, this made it my fault!!

So please Carly, don't be pushed or bullied in to accepting this very destructive treatment. Do your research, there is '21st Century' treatments out there, you just need to look!

Good luck & best wishes

SPINELF

 

[yseqtuthipqibienu]

A quick count shows 650 reports on the Trip database;

http://www.tripdatabase.com/SearchResults.html?ssid=&s=1&categoryid=&criteria=spinal+fusion&sort=t

I appreciate the you've probably had a bad experience with the NHS, but I don't think you can lump all NHS consultants together, since most do private as well as NHS work.

Perhaps I'm as biased as you are because I wouldn't be here without the excellent work carried out by the NHS. Therefore, the truth probably lays somewhere between your view and mine.

Namaste,
Myarka.

 

[otterly evil]

I would agree with you 100%.

I also would say that all medical employees should not be tarred with the same brush, in fact, I would say that the vast marjority of are doing a great job in difficult curcumstanses, that includes my spouce.
However! there is a small 'but very powerful body' of personnel within the NHS establishment who are 'holding back' the introduction of cutting edge spine surgery treatments for reasons that only they can explain.

One thing I do Know though, whatever that reason is, it is not in the interests of the patients suffering with long term chronic back pain who are, possibly at this very moment, rolling around the floor in excruciating pain whilst not knowing who to believe or where to turn to relieve themselves of this hell!

I am glad your condition did improve and 'no' I don't think your not biased, we should all applaud excelence in the NHS whenever we see it, not enough thanks are given to NHS staff who do good things every day.

Best wishes

SPINELF

 

[Alazzi Alghalisi]

I have had 2 MD's and now have scar tissue wrapped around and stuck to my sciatic nerve, and has left me disabled.
I firmly believe that I should have been fused in the first op, as 8 weeks post op first time round, my disc prolapsed again, resulting in me needing a 2nd op, thus rendering me with these adhesions. The NHS cannot rid me of them as they do not perform the procedure anymore, and so am having to rely on my PCT to fund treatment from the spinal foundation, for minimally invasive spinal surgery from Martin Knight.
I do not know if the PCT will grant me said funding, but if they dont, i will be left a 30 year old disabled single mother of an 8 year old.

What do you guys think? Do you think i would still be in this position if i had been fused from the off?

 

[John de Witt]

I have to go out now, but I will come back on your questions later this afternoon!

Keep your chin up!

Best wishes.

SPINELF

 

[Allie Jane ~]

Sadly ALiH, I personally think that you would have been just as worse off.

Maybe you would have been better off in the sense that you may have had less scar tissue due to the fact that you only had 1 operation instead of 2, but as I have stated below, the fusion procedure is every bit as destructive as open back decompression, because the Consultant Surgeons would still cut through the same amount of tissue, nerves, muscle and sometimes bone in order to gain access to the working area,
and all those areas would have to heal in order for you to recover fully. In my experience, this rarely happens

For the good news, I totally agree that your decision and direction to go for funding, If you need further help, please post again.

Best of luck and speak to you soon!!

SPINELF

 

[Nicky Alien]

Hi SPINELF

Thank you very much for taking your time with your detailed reply. I very much agree with you that a fusion must be the last resort.I have been researching allday into the minimal invasive laser option and your recovery and over all outcome does sound amazing.

My worry with another disectomy style op is that there will still be collapsed disk in there. I would hate to have another prolapse later in my life when I decide to have a family etc..do you think that would be a concern with the laser surgery?
I am very confused but am most definately doing nothing until i am 100% comfortable with the decision.

Many Thanks, I am very happy to hear you are doing so well its very inspirational!!

 

[ovvvomlo]

Thanks for your reply SPINELF

I am seriously frustrated now, the orthopaedic team want me to see the pain specialist before referring me because they are concerned about me having more surgery, even though the spinal foundation have an 80% success rate removing adhesions.....i go to the pain clinic next week.

I thought the referral had already been sent off, but no......its gonna be a long drawn out annoying frustrating process whatever happens.

 

[Verbal]

Hi Carly, your welcome!

Given your previous failed procedures you have every right to be worried. The risk of further failier is a very real risk after 'any' future procedure. However, If you keep reading the web sites you will see that this minimally invasive root will minimise any such event. When you compare that to standard further open back options I am sure you will agree, that the evidence will leave you with only one sensible option.

Best wishes

SPINELF

 

[kasey. ?]

The problem I have with your Consultant's decision, is that this 'Pain management specialist treatment' is classed as a 'conservative treatment' and as such is a 'pre-surgical' option amongst other 'pre-surgical conservative treatments' that should have been exhausted prior to any of your operations.
Q: did you have pain management treatment before you operations?

I fully understand and sympathise with your frustrations! I've been there!!

I wish you the very best of luck with regards to your PCT.

From experience, I know that wether or not your PCT 'procures and funds' this 'cutting edge' minimally invasive spinal surgery will largely depend on the interlect, integrity and determination of the your GP, Consultant and PCT panel members.

I know this to be true, because in my case, even after my GP, Spine Consultant, MP, Local Councilor, Assembly Member, Local health Board's Decisions Panel Members and the Welsh Assembly Health Minister all accepted 'AS FACT' that this surgery was:

CHEAPER
SAFER
FASTER
QUICKER
LESS DESTRUCTIVE
AND
OFFERED A SUPIRIOR LONG TERM CLINICAL OUTCOME THAN THE GOLD STANDARD NHS EQUIVELENT.

and they also accepted that the only NHS Hospital that I was allowed to recieve open back laminecomy at:

LACKED ANY EVIDENCE THAT THIS TREATMENT HAD BEEN TRIALED OR TESTED.

LACKED ANY EVIDENCE THAT THIS TREATMENT WAS PROVIBLY SAFE.

AND LACKED ANY EVIDENCE THAT THIS TREATMENT WAS PROVIBLY EFFECTIVE.

Inspite of all the above, I was still refused funding!!


I would suggest that you approach as many of your local bodies as you can manage and try to get them to support your cause.

Some English 'enlightened PCT's' have aready and do regularly refere people to your proposed clinic, your 'local trust' or 'PCT' area board may be one of them, check it out first!

Best wishes

SPINELF