Double Discectomy - Anybody had the op before
Discussion
Well after 5 years of putting up with back pain (last 6 months absolutely unbearable) the wife has finally decided to have surgery.
We are lucky in that the wife has private medical care through her employer and they have covered physio and root block injections but there simply not working any more.
Surgery should be in the next 2-3 weeks. I’m obviously going to be her carer after the op and she’s been told 6 weeks recovery.
Anybody on here had a double discectomy before. How did you find it. What was the pain like afterwards. Was it successful. Wife is as you would expect when they start talking about paralysis / death / worst case quite nervous.
Any advice from anyone that’s cared for someone who’s had the op. I know she is impatient and won’t want to rest. Unfortunately I’m going to have to put the foot down and rein her in.
Disks L4 and L5 if that matters to anyone.
We are lucky in that the wife has private medical care through her employer and they have covered physio and root block injections but there simply not working any more.
Surgery should be in the next 2-3 weeks. I’m obviously going to be her carer after the op and she’s been told 6 weeks recovery.
Anybody on here had a double discectomy before. How did you find it. What was the pain like afterwards. Was it successful. Wife is as you would expect when they start talking about paralysis / death / worst case quite nervous.
Any advice from anyone that’s cared for someone who’s had the op. I know she is impatient and won’t want to rest. Unfortunately I’m going to have to put the foot down and rein her in.
Disks L4 and L5 if that matters to anyone.
I had one disc done a few years ago. I found it odd that they went in through the front, as it were, but the scar is barely noticeable now. The pain when I woke up after the op was pretty rough, but apparently they couldn't dose me up properly until they knew how bad the pain actually was. After that it was ok though. I stayed one night in hospital (private, through work), but had a few issues (low oxygen levels, unable to urinate) after which delayed my return home slightly. The drive home was fun, as my wife does tend to hug the kerb, so I felt every single bump in the road up through my spine. Needless to say, I kept out of the car for a good few weeks afterwards !
Recovery was ok, just basically taking it easy and going back in for check ups. I work from home and have a proper orthopaedic chair, so I was able to get back to normal within a few weeks (four iirc). I was walking the dog they day after I got home, but that was more through boredom than anything, although bending to pick up his poop was fun ! It was definitely worth getting done though, as I didn't realise how bad it had got.
Recovery was ok, just basically taking it easy and going back in for check ups. I work from home and have a proper orthopaedic chair, so I was able to get back to normal within a few weeks (four iirc). I was walking the dog they day after I got home, but that was more through boredom than anything, although bending to pick up his poop was fun ! It was definitely worth getting done though, as I didn't realise how bad it had got.
I had a double microdiscectomy about 19 years ago. I have been completely pain free ever since. I was in Hospital on Saturday morning, operated on in the afternoon and then out and walking on Sunday afternoon. I was discharged as soon as I could walk up and down the stairs (after being instructed on how to do these correctly) in the hospital.
I was pain free at all times and given a very strict to do and not to do list.
Was told not to sit for more than 15 minutes at a time, short, gentle walks for at least 15 minutes of every hour. No taking dogs out. Not to lift anything heavier than a cup of tea for (I think) two weeks.
No twisting or bending to pick anything up. Not bending to rinse when washing face or cleaning teeth.
I followed everything to the letter, the only reason I went back to see my specialist was because of pains in my knees, which he said was because of all the walking I had to do, and he was correct.
I was pain free at all times and given a very strict to do and not to do list.
Was told not to sit for more than 15 minutes at a time, short, gentle walks for at least 15 minutes of every hour. No taking dogs out. Not to lift anything heavier than a cup of tea for (I think) two weeks.
No twisting or bending to pick anything up. Not bending to rinse when washing face or cleaning teeth.
I followed everything to the letter, the only reason I went back to see my specialist was because of pains in my knees, which he said was because of all the walking I had to do, and he was correct.
Single disc L3/L4 done in 2011. Op went in through the back, 2 plates, 4 pedicle screws and a cage with bone fragments were used. Only had real pain for.about an hour 4 hrs after the op. Morphine sorted that. Next day the physio got me up on crutches, 2 days post op I was sent home. I used co-codamol occasionally for discomfort more than pain and was quickly out and about crutches.DO WHAT THE PHYSIO TELLS YOU, BE IT EXERCISE OR REST. I was OK to drive 4 weeks post op, 3 months post op I was riding a quad around the shoot as if I'd never had the op. 12 plus years on, never had another issue, best decision I ever made was to have the op. Good luck to the wife MB!
Massive thank you guys for getting back to me so quick.
I know the chances of anything going really really wrong are minuscule but I must admit to having a bit of a moment and needing to take a deep breath listening to the dr talking about paralysis and death. The sensible side in me says it’s l1:10,000.
Anyway she can’t carry on as she is as she has no quality of life being in agony every day drugged up to her eyeballs on prograblin, oramorph, diclafenic, neproxin, tramadol, diasapan, co-codimol and whatever else she has been taking over the past 6 months.
I know the chances of anything going really really wrong are minuscule but I must admit to having a bit of a moment and needing to take a deep breath listening to the dr talking about paralysis and death. The sensible side in me says it’s l1:10,000.
Anyway she can’t carry on as she is as she has no quality of life being in agony every day drugged up to her eyeballs on prograblin, oramorph, diclafenic, neproxin, tramadol, diasapan, co-codimol and whatever else she has been taking over the past 6 months.
MB140 said:
Massive thank you guys for getting back to me so quick.
I know the chances of anything going really really wrong are minuscule but I must admit to having a bit of a moment and needing to take a deep breath listening to the dr talking about paralysis and death. The sensible side in me says it’s l1:10,000.
Anyway she can’t carry on as she is as she has no quality of life being in agony every day drugged up to her eyeballs on prograblin, oramorph, diclafenic, neproxin, tramadol, diasapan, co-codimol and whatever else she has been taking over the past 6 months.
I was worried and drugged before taking the plunge, but so glad I had it done, it really does change your life. In a short time she will hopefully have forgotten what pain she was in. Good luck.I know the chances of anything going really really wrong are minuscule but I must admit to having a bit of a moment and needing to take a deep breath listening to the dr talking about paralysis and death. The sensible side in me says it’s l1:10,000.
Anyway she can’t carry on as she is as she has no quality of life being in agony every day drugged up to her eyeballs on prograblin, oramorph, diclafenic, neproxin, tramadol, diasapan, co-codimol and whatever else she has been taking over the past 6 months.
Bit late to the party but my best wishes to your wife. I hope she recovers quickly.
In 2018 I had cauda equina and had an emergency L4/L5 (plus some other stuff) discectomy. Obviously quite a scary time for me having been paralysed from the waist down - arguably more so for my wife who faced the prospect of being my carer if things didn’t go well.
Rest assured the medicine and science has come on leaps and bounds. A routine procedure like that on your wife will most likely go as smoothly as possible and the recovery will be similar to posters above who walked home!
My experience was rocky on the path to recovery, requiring further surgical intervention and some serious rehab for 6 months.
Don’t be tempted to make her stay sedentary for very long at all. The occupational health team should assess after she’s out of recovery post op, and will be looking to make sure she can regain mobility and go home asap. Plenty of rest is great, but also the more active she can be, the faster she’ll recover. You really have to WANT to recover. That’s the hard part because the pain makes it much easier to sit still. However the pain post surgery if things go well is very different and much easier to manage, requiring very few painkillers. I was swimming within 2 weeks and running within 6. Pilates and yoga for the rest of my life too, which aren’t exactly bad habits to have.
Ultimately I’m now 99% pain and symptom free.
As this is pistonheads I’ll give the tip that you should use something very comfy like an S class for the journey home as she will feel EVERY bump in the tarmac acutely. I got driven home in one and was making the driver do 1mph over the speed bumps and it was still hurting!!! I wouldn’t have been able to contort myself into any of the cars we had at the time so a limo made sense.
Good luck!
In 2018 I had cauda equina and had an emergency L4/L5 (plus some other stuff) discectomy. Obviously quite a scary time for me having been paralysed from the waist down - arguably more so for my wife who faced the prospect of being my carer if things didn’t go well.
Rest assured the medicine and science has come on leaps and bounds. A routine procedure like that on your wife will most likely go as smoothly as possible and the recovery will be similar to posters above who walked home!
My experience was rocky on the path to recovery, requiring further surgical intervention and some serious rehab for 6 months.
Don’t be tempted to make her stay sedentary for very long at all. The occupational health team should assess after she’s out of recovery post op, and will be looking to make sure she can regain mobility and go home asap. Plenty of rest is great, but also the more active she can be, the faster she’ll recover. You really have to WANT to recover. That’s the hard part because the pain makes it much easier to sit still. However the pain post surgery if things go well is very different and much easier to manage, requiring very few painkillers. I was swimming within 2 weeks and running within 6. Pilates and yoga for the rest of my life too, which aren’t exactly bad habits to have.
Ultimately I’m now 99% pain and symptom free.
As this is pistonheads I’ll give the tip that you should use something very comfy like an S class for the journey home as she will feel EVERY bump in the tarmac acutely. I got driven home in one and was making the driver do 1mph over the speed bumps and it was still hurting!!! I wouldn’t have been able to contort myself into any of the cars we had at the time so a limo made sense.
Good luck!
I had a double discectomy in 2013 and for 10 years it was the best thing I’d ever had done. After 20 years of pain, since my early 20s, I was largely pain free - certainly for 90% of the time.
Now, though, I’m starting to suffer a bit again and it turns out it’s the scar tissue from the op encroaching on my sciatic nerve. The risk/reward from a procedure to attempt to solve it has swung way towards risk from reward so it looks like this is going to be with me for the foreseeable future.
Now, though, I’m starting to suffer a bit again and it turns out it’s the scar tissue from the op encroaching on my sciatic nerve. The risk/reward from a procedure to attempt to solve it has swung way towards risk from reward so it looks like this is going to be with me for the foreseeable future.
bonerp said:
Have you asked about prosthetic discs? I had a disc out in 2001 and occasionally it hurts especially after lifting heavy stuff or jumping or running.
A mate had a disc replaced and is fine. No issues, can run etc.
I'd avoid spinal fusion. Another friend has lots of issues.
Good luck.
The wife saw the consultant last week, she’s booked in to have the Op on the 13th of the month. I think we’re both quite nervous about it. He’s confirmed yet again that there is to be no fuse of the discs just the trimming of two and then adjustment of a ligament, to help free it up.A mate had a disc replaced and is fine. No issues, can run etc.
I'd avoid spinal fusion. Another friend has lots of issues.
Good luck.
Just awaiting game now.
Thanks for the advice, we have an XC 60 that is really quite soft on air suspension so that will be the mode of getting her home. Don’t think a 911 is a good option really for the journey home.
Fingers crossed now it’s all goes well, and she’s paying free afterwards. thanks for all the advice.
Single disc for me in Nov... L4-5. It was an emergency op.
Certainly helped with the long term back pain I was suffering, which I was told it might not actually do. The op was to save my legs.
Do the physio to the letter, and avoid long haul flights for a while... I was feeling back at 100%, or so i thought, and took a long haul in economy after 3 months following the op, and had a flare up. 2 months later, I'm stuck at 85%, which is frustrating.
Still better than being paralysed, of course!
bonerp said:
Have you asked about prosthetic discs? I had a disc out in 2001 and occasionally it hurts especially after lifting heavy stuff or jumping or running.
A mate had a disc replaced and is fine. No issues, can run etc.
I'd avoid spinal fusion. Another friend has lots of issues.
Good luck.
I have a prosthetic disc, which still sounds a bit odd to me, as I associate prosthetics with arms and legs ! It did make a difference pretty quickly, with no major physio or exercise required, just my usual gentle exercise walking the dog etc. A mate had a disc replaced and is fine. No issues, can run etc.
I'd avoid spinal fusion. Another friend has lots of issues.
Good luck.
Well wife did the pre-op yesterday, just had a phone call, op cancelled, they have discovered something wrong on the ecg and won’t operate until a cardiologist gives the ok.
To say she is gutted is beyond words, Inothing I can do or say to console her. She now has potentially months and months of excruciating pain whilst waiting for a cardiologist to take a look.
I’m a bit pissed off, why not do an ecg once it was decided she needed surgery, why wait until 3 days before the op. This could have been picked up ages ago and the wait reduced.
FFS
To say she is gutted is beyond words, Inothing I can do or say to console her. She now has potentially months and months of excruciating pain whilst waiting for a cardiologist to take a look.
I’m a bit pissed off, why not do an ecg once it was decided she needed surgery, why wait until 3 days before the op. This could have been picked up ages ago and the wait reduced.
FFS
MB140 said:
Well wife did the pre-op yesterday, just had a phone call, op cancelled, they have discovered something wrong on the ecg and won’t operate until a cardiologist gives the ok.
To say she is gutted is beyond words, Inothing I can do or say to console her. She now has potentially months and months of excruciating pain whilst waiting for a cardiologist to take a look.
I’m a bit pissed off, why not do an ecg once it was decided she needed surgery, why wait until 3 days before the op. This could have been picked up ages ago and the wait reduced.
FFS
Speak to the hospital PALS they may well be able to help here.To say she is gutted is beyond words, Inothing I can do or say to console her. She now has potentially months and months of excruciating pain whilst waiting for a cardiologist to take a look.
I’m a bit pissed off, why not do an ecg once it was decided she needed surgery, why wait until 3 days before the op. This could have been picked up ages ago and the wait reduced.
FFS
MB140 said:
Well wife did the pre-op yesterday, just had a phone call, op cancelled, they have discovered something wrong on the ecg and won’t operate until a cardiologist gives the ok.
To say she is gutted is beyond words, Inothing I can do or say to console her. She now has potentially months and months of excruciating pain whilst waiting for a cardiologist to take a look.
I’m a bit pissed off, why not do an ecg once it was decided she needed surgery, why wait until 3 days before the op. This could have been picked up ages ago and the wait reduced.
FFS
It might not have been there months ago.To say she is gutted is beyond words, Inothing I can do or say to console her. She now has potentially months and months of excruciating pain whilst waiting for a cardiologist to take a look.
I’m a bit pissed off, why not do an ecg once it was decided she needed surgery, why wait until 3 days before the op. This could have been picked up ages ago and the wait reduced.
FFS
It sucks for your wife but better all round to wait until you have the answers.
GeneralBanter said:
MB140 said:
Well wife did the pre-op yesterday, just had a phone call, op cancelled, they have discovered something wrong on the ecg and won’t operate until a cardiologist gives the ok.
To say she is gutted is beyond words, Inothing I can do or say to console her. She now has potentially months and months of excruciating pain whilst waiting for a cardiologist to take a look.
I’m a bit pissed off, why not do an ecg once it was decided she needed surgery, why wait until 3 days before the op. This could have been picked up ages ago and the wait reduced.
FFS
Speak to the hospital PALS they may well be able to help here.To say she is gutted is beyond words, Inothing I can do or say to console her. She now has potentially months and months of excruciating pain whilst waiting for a cardiologist to take a look.
I’m a bit pissed off, why not do an ecg once it was decided she needed surgery, why wait until 3 days before the op. This could have been picked up ages ago and the wait reduced.
FFS
I’m assuming the cardiologist can be done private but that has to be done via the insurance company, not open this late on a Friday.
I realise having private health cover we have no right to complain,we are very lucky, we are being seen much faster than NHS patients. But when you see the person you love the most sobbing in pain most days it’s souls destroying for her and difficult for me and our family. Her step dad is waiting for the same op and has been told it could be 12-18 months. He’s practically bed bound.
Sorry this comes over as a bit of a rant. It could be much worse.
Sorry to hear of the situation op and about your wife's distress. I was going to post to say that anyway as I wanted to wish her well.
With the cardiologist even if you have to foot the bill to avoid a delay that might be possible. Maybe they won't insist on one from insurance if that had a long lead time. Never know...
With the cardiologist even if you have to foot the bill to avoid a delay that might be possible. Maybe they won't insist on one from insurance if that had a long lead time. Never know...
JerseyRoyal said:
It might not have been there months ago.
It sucks for your wife but better all round to wait until you have the answers.
Weirdly she had her Garmin watch replaced by Garmin after it started plying up. (Impossible heart rates whilst doing no activity)In feb, the new one also said the same. She just put it down to software. Clearly not after today’s revelations. It sucks for your wife but better all round to wait until you have the answers.
We both acknowledge that it’s better that they found it now before surgery and cancelling the op was the right thing to do.
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