Nervous - Back op
Discussion
I have just been back to the rheumatologist following cortisone and steroid injections into my spine for lower back and sciatica pain, which were required after 3 months of chronic severe pain. They had not worked and now he has passed me on to the next stage
I have been referred to the neurosurgeon for a back op to shave / cut out the disc which is trapping the nerve. General anaesthetic and full op; with about 2 weeks to a month at home after the event and about 3 months recovery time.
Nervous about the op, post op pain and the amount of time away from work.
However I have just picked up on DMNs thread for the first time in a few months and his strength for his loss and his continuing journey; with tears streaming down my face I am feeling pathetic in my self pity and nervousness....
Anyway, to be practical - has anyone had any experience of going through the op and its recovery stages and most importantly outcome?
Thanks for any input (including the inevitable MTFU, which is truest of all)
Cheers
Stuart
I have been referred to the neurosurgeon for a back op to shave / cut out the disc which is trapping the nerve. General anaesthetic and full op; with about 2 weeks to a month at home after the event and about 3 months recovery time.
Nervous about the op, post op pain and the amount of time away from work.
However I have just picked up on DMNs thread for the first time in a few months and his strength for his loss and his continuing journey; with tears streaming down my face I am feeling pathetic in my self pity and nervousness....
Anyway, to be practical - has anyone had any experience of going through the op and its recovery stages and most importantly outcome?
Thanks for any input (including the inevitable MTFU, which is truest of all)
Cheers
Stuart
Stuart70 said:
I have just been back to the rheumatologist following cortisone and steroid injections into my spine for lower back and sciatica pain, which were required after 3 months of chronic severe pain. They had not worked and now he has passed me on to the next stage
I have been referred to the neurosurgeon for a back op to shave / cut out the disc which is trapping the nerve. General anaesthetic and full op; with about 2 weeks to a month at home after the event and about 3 months recovery time.
Nervous about the op, post op pain and the amount of time away from work.
However I have just picked up on DMNs thread for the first time in a few months and his strength for his loss and his continuing journey; with tears streaming down my face I am feeling pathetic in my self pity and nervousness....
Anyway, to be practical - has anyone had any experience of going through the op and its recovery stages and most importantly outcome?
Thanks for any input (including the inevitable MTFU, which is truest of all)
Cheers
Stuart
Hi Stuart,I have been referred to the neurosurgeon for a back op to shave / cut out the disc which is trapping the nerve. General anaesthetic and full op; with about 2 weeks to a month at home after the event and about 3 months recovery time.
Nervous about the op, post op pain and the amount of time away from work.
However I have just picked up on DMNs thread for the first time in a few months and his strength for his loss and his continuing journey; with tears streaming down my face I am feeling pathetic in my self pity and nervousness....
Anyway, to be practical - has anyone had any experience of going through the op and its recovery stages and most importantly outcome?
Thanks for any input (including the inevitable MTFU, which is truest of all)
Cheers
Stuart
I had a discectomy in 2006 and one of the best things I ever did. I lived with lower back pain and sciatica (and depression that goes with it) for a number of years that I managed until one day something just went in my back and the pain intensified 10x fold. Within a couple of week I had the discetomy and to wake up after the op without any pain, to get up off the bed and walk up and down the corridor within an hour was just amazing. I wont lie I do still have some numbness under my right foot which was the side that I had sciatica down but you forget about it unless you touch you feet and one part is slightly numb. They did say the feeling might come back within a year but it never has and not a big deal at all. I cant remember any "pain" after the operation just a lot of aching like tough flu for a week or so. I was told to get up, out and about walk as much as possible. I did miles every day which I was just glad to be able to do. I returned to swimming, playing football and sports fully within three months. I was told to go easy with lifting etc but I have lifted heavy weights in the gym since with no problems at all. Make sure you listen to their after-care advice and follow any physio they give you, it is the one mistake I made that I was so keen to get back playing sports as soon as I could jog I gave up the exercises which meant I did get a little backache after standing for an hour or so. Once I went back to the physio for a couple of sessions this all disappeared again and been fine since. My memory is a little fuzzy around it all now but any other questions feel free to ask.
Hi Stuart - to put your mind at rest I also had a discectomy but more recently - July 2010 - at the same time I had a Wallis ligament fitted as the damaged disc was pretty knackered. I too was up walking only a few hours after the op and home within 3 days.
I'm off skiing soon, which will be my second trip since the op, and I won't lie either - I do struggle with standing for long periods (over an hour) so watching my son's rugby training tends to be from a collapsible chair, but pretty much everything else is OK - like all these things you just have to be careful, well, maybe more thoughtful really, watch what you're doing if it involves twisting or bending.
HTH
I'm off skiing soon, which will be my second trip since the op, and I won't lie either - I do struggle with standing for long periods (over an hour) so watching my son's rugby training tends to be from a collapsible chair, but pretty much everything else is OK - like all these things you just have to be careful, well, maybe more thoughtful really, watch what you're doing if it involves twisting or bending.
HTH
Ruptured the disc between L4-L5 in 2000, loss of feeling down right leg, foot dropped when walking, lopped sided upright position etc etc had it operated on in May 2001, initially fine, started to get severe pain across right lumber area.
Nothing showed on MRI scan, surgeon said it was just settling down and would eventually pass. Cleared to fly to states for holiday, pain got much worse, Unable to move or walk, without immense levels of pain
Airlifted back to UK, emergency admittance to hospital, fortunately the original surgeon was on holiday, therefore was seen by an extremely helpful chap, who immediately suggested a couple of possible causes.
Referred to specialist pain management consultant, transpires that the pain was being caused by scar tissue pressing on nerve, and facet joint problem.
Solution was a root nerve block (basically sever the nerve carrying the pain signal), dummy run using a long lasting anesthetic, to establish they have the correct nerve. Then same procedure again, this time the nerve is severed (non intrusive surgery, day case) very sore for a few weeks.
Eventually back to normal for a few years, however rare case of nerve rejoining, same process again, once more back to normal, skiing, tennis, lifting, no further problems
Only thing I won’t consider is playing rugby in the same team as my son, real shame as this would make me incredibly happy, however no point in chancing fete
Overall, a reasonably happy ending, and I guess just unlucky, however definitely couldn’t have carried on with the original problem.
As with all surgery this is always a risk, your task is to decide if the minimal risk outweighs the improvements to your general well being, simples !!!!
Nothing showed on MRI scan, surgeon said it was just settling down and would eventually pass. Cleared to fly to states for holiday, pain got much worse, Unable to move or walk, without immense levels of pain
Airlifted back to UK, emergency admittance to hospital, fortunately the original surgeon was on holiday, therefore was seen by an extremely helpful chap, who immediately suggested a couple of possible causes.
Referred to specialist pain management consultant, transpires that the pain was being caused by scar tissue pressing on nerve, and facet joint problem.
Solution was a root nerve block (basically sever the nerve carrying the pain signal), dummy run using a long lasting anesthetic, to establish they have the correct nerve. Then same procedure again, this time the nerve is severed (non intrusive surgery, day case) very sore for a few weeks.
Eventually back to normal for a few years, however rare case of nerve rejoining, same process again, once more back to normal, skiing, tennis, lifting, no further problems
Only thing I won’t consider is playing rugby in the same team as my son, real shame as this would make me incredibly happy, however no point in chancing fete
Overall, a reasonably happy ending, and I guess just unlucky, however definitely couldn’t have carried on with the original problem.
As with all surgery this is always a risk, your task is to decide if the minimal risk outweighs the improvements to your general well being, simples !!!!
Thanks Chaps
Simon it sounds like a complete monstrous experience, but glad it has come right in the end.
Aero93 and Ranger6 appreciate the positive, really helps hearing others' positive experiences post op.
I recognise the numbness part, as I have "lost" most of my left foot as well as getting random pins and needles up and down my leg, to go along with the screaming cramp and stabbing pains. The edge of depression has been around for a while, I am quite a positive person, but 4 months of pain and/or strong painkillers has a really debilitating effect. Find myself struggling to get motivated to go out the house other than for work, ducking social events and so on.
Sounds like the recovery stage will be a great reason to get out walking and use it as a spring board to get back to fitness which I have lost since the first round of back pain. There is always a positive, just have to find it!!
Cheers
Simon it sounds like a complete monstrous experience, but glad it has come right in the end.
Aero93 and Ranger6 appreciate the positive, really helps hearing others' positive experiences post op.
I recognise the numbness part, as I have "lost" most of my left foot as well as getting random pins and needles up and down my leg, to go along with the screaming cramp and stabbing pains. The edge of depression has been around for a while, I am quite a positive person, but 4 months of pain and/or strong painkillers has a really debilitating effect. Find myself struggling to get motivated to go out the house other than for work, ducking social events and so on.
Sounds like the recovery stage will be a great reason to get out walking and use it as a spring board to get back to fitness which I have lost since the first round of back pain. There is always a positive, just have to find it!!
Cheers
The positive is that you WILL be better off than you are now
Try to step outside of the personal emotion and look at the options objectively, think about how you would evaluate the situation if someone was telling about another person.
Personally I can’t imagine not opting to have the work done, regardless of the “hiccups” enroute
Worst part for me was getting stiffed by employers lawyers/insurance company (I ruptured the disc whilst moving some PC’s at work, under a desk), BarStewards found one note on my doctors file from years ago when I had pulled a muscle gardening, said there must have been an underlying problem, had never had any problems at all, always been very active. Typical weasel insurers
Hey what goes around comes around….lets hope so !!!!
Try to step outside of the personal emotion and look at the options objectively, think about how you would evaluate the situation if someone was telling about another person.
Personally I can’t imagine not opting to have the work done, regardless of the “hiccups” enroute
Worst part for me was getting stiffed by employers lawyers/insurance company (I ruptured the disc whilst moving some PC’s at work, under a desk), BarStewards found one note on my doctors file from years ago when I had pulled a muscle gardening, said there must have been an underlying problem, had never had any problems at all, always been very active. Typical weasel insurers
Hey what goes around comes around….lets hope so !!!!
Stuart my wife has gone through this and she posts on here - dreamer_75 or some such.
I won't comment on her behalf but what I can say is there does seem to be a huge support network out there for these kind of things from patients themselves.
I shall let Jo explain further...
...she's currently recovering from an L4-L5 fusion 12 months post a micro-discectomy (spelling ?!?)
I won't comment on her behalf but what I can say is there does seem to be a huge support network out there for these kind of things from patients themselves.
I shall let Jo explain further...
...she's currently recovering from an L4-L5 fusion 12 months post a micro-discectomy (spelling ?!?)
:hello: that's me
I had a micro discectomy in April 2010 (sounds like what you're having) to shave off the bit of disc that was putting pressure on the spinal cord. That was at L4/5. Similar symptoms to you - paralysing muscle spasms, numbness in my leg, loss of control of my foot, stuff like that.
The op was about 45 minutes, in hospital Friday home on Monday (could've come home Sunday but there wasn't anybody at home to look after me til the Monday). On my feet the same night (with a bit of help), and bored senseless by the next day ;-)
Pain levels were pretty much fine - I think I was off the Tramadol within a week. Realistically I could have gone back to work (office/home based) after about 4 weeks, but I had 6 weeks off, to make sure I was well recovered.
Recovery was great - pain free for a while, which allowed me to get married and have a honeymoon and do a season's Caterham racing. Unfortunately for me the pain started to come back and has resulted in me having a fusion. Nothing to do with the op failing, just my rubbish back (from day 1 the surgeon believed I would need a disc replacement or fusion in time, the discectomy was a temporary fix).
The fusion has been somewhat different, but if you're not having that, there's not much point telling you about it
I had a micro discectomy in April 2010 (sounds like what you're having) to shave off the bit of disc that was putting pressure on the spinal cord. That was at L4/5. Similar symptoms to you - paralysing muscle spasms, numbness in my leg, loss of control of my foot, stuff like that.
The op was about 45 minutes, in hospital Friday home on Monday (could've come home Sunday but there wasn't anybody at home to look after me til the Monday). On my feet the same night (with a bit of help), and bored senseless by the next day ;-)
Pain levels were pretty much fine - I think I was off the Tramadol within a week. Realistically I could have gone back to work (office/home based) after about 4 weeks, but I had 6 weeks off, to make sure I was well recovered.
Recovery was great - pain free for a while, which allowed me to get married and have a honeymoon and do a season's Caterham racing. Unfortunately for me the pain started to come back and has resulted in me having a fusion. Nothing to do with the op failing, just my rubbish back (from day 1 the surgeon believed I would need a disc replacement or fusion in time, the discectomy was a temporary fix).
The fusion has been somewhat different, but if you're not having that, there's not much point telling you about it
Apologies for the brevity of my response. However, I had a microdiscectomy (L4/5) in July 2011 and am about to go skiing this March.
In terms of recovery, I knew the sciatic pain had gone as soon as I woke from the operation; it was like the pain switch had been turned to off! I did have some residual numbness/loss of sensation (and to be honest my foot still doesn't have normal sensation now) but it has steadily improved and in no way affects daily life. The recovery was pretty uneventful and I made sure I followed the post op advice to the letter. It felt really weird to be able to stand up straight having spent a few months twisted over! I went from taking large doses of morphine and gabapentin prior to the op to being med free shortly after (obviously reducing the Gabapentin as advised).
I think the point to note is that the microdiscectomy will relieve the sciatic pain. However, as my surgeon pointed out I would still have the same lower back issues (which may require further surgery down the pipeline). I reached a point about 5 months after the op and felt my recovery had 'plateaued'- yes the sciatic pain was gone but back pain was still preventing me from participating in my interests (activities of daily living were no real issue). I then started having one-to-one sessions with a Pilates instructor and can't recommend it enough. My back feels better than it has done in a long time and hopefully the Pilates will help prevent further injury.
Anyway, good luck with the Op. Frankly I don't know what I would have done without it!
In terms of recovery, I knew the sciatic pain had gone as soon as I woke from the operation; it was like the pain switch had been turned to off! I did have some residual numbness/loss of sensation (and to be honest my foot still doesn't have normal sensation now) but it has steadily improved and in no way affects daily life. The recovery was pretty uneventful and I made sure I followed the post op advice to the letter. It felt really weird to be able to stand up straight having spent a few months twisted over! I went from taking large doses of morphine and gabapentin prior to the op to being med free shortly after (obviously reducing the Gabapentin as advised).
I think the point to note is that the microdiscectomy will relieve the sciatic pain. However, as my surgeon pointed out I would still have the same lower back issues (which may require further surgery down the pipeline). I reached a point about 5 months after the op and felt my recovery had 'plateaued'- yes the sciatic pain was gone but back pain was still preventing me from participating in my interests (activities of daily living were no real issue). I then started having one-to-one sessions with a Pilates instructor and can't recommend it enough. My back feels better than it has done in a long time and hopefully the Pilates will help prevent further injury.
Anyway, good luck with the Op. Frankly I don't know what I would have done without it!
Hi Stuart,
There's no need to be nervous, trust me!
I've had four spine ops.
One Microdiscectomy and Laminotomy (bone removal) at L5/S1, after a disc slipped.
One dissection (scar tissue)/laminotomy
One implant of spinal cord stimulator
Implant of another electrode for this - the first was in the wrong place.
Like Simon, I have that scar tissue thing - not as badly as him and with no facet joint issues. The stimulator helps but pain remains a major issue. But that's me - most such ops have a much better outcome.
I can put your mind at rest about the op itself. Here's my experience...
Pre-op - electrocardiogram, blood tests, chat, no problem.
Admission - blood test, chat with anaesthetist and surgeon, no problem.
Morning of op - Showered. Given op socks (sexy), X mark drawn on me to indicate the target. No pre-med sedative offered or necessary. Worst part was waking so early in the morning.
To theatre - That trip on a trolley, counting the lights overhead.
Theatre prep - Electrocardiogram leads on (beep, beep) tourniquet and cannula, anaesthetic in, nighty night.
Recovery room - Started focussing on a circular thing - the clock. It's a bit odd waking up from a general but didn't feel scary. Back to the ward after about two hours.
In the ward - Wired up to Vital Signs Monitor (electric nurse), which takes blood pressure regularly, and pulse and saturation levels constantly. Also had morphine on tap (hit the green button for more, it won't let you overdose). Oxygen tube (nasal kind) and vacuum surgical drain. All this is tolerable but I felt pretty dopey. But no pain was nice (morphine). Had to concentrate hard to be able to start weeing again but that was easier when I could stand up - gravity helped!
Discharged - Being a smoker, my remaining in hospital too long presented a problem. However, I was out the second evening after surgery in each case, and the implants were 5-hour jobs.
Post-op, at home - Not as bad as I expected. The stitches/staples can pull a bit, but the post op pain was easily controlled with pills (Paracetamol. You're likely to get the more powerful painkillers that I just can't handle). I obviously had to pace myself but being sensible and not trying to get going too fast will see you through.
Now then. Maybe Stuart70 refers to your birth year? I had these ops starting in 2008, at the age of 53, as a 20-a-day man, and not what you might call slim. My main approach was to remember I was being treated by professionals. And the nursing staff were, without exception, lovely to me and at no point did I feel either burdensome or significantly worried.
So, best of. I hope this helps and hope it goes well.
There's no need to be nervous, trust me!
I've had four spine ops.
One Microdiscectomy and Laminotomy (bone removal) at L5/S1, after a disc slipped.
One dissection (scar tissue)/laminotomy
One implant of spinal cord stimulator
Implant of another electrode for this - the first was in the wrong place.
Like Simon, I have that scar tissue thing - not as badly as him and with no facet joint issues. The stimulator helps but pain remains a major issue. But that's me - most such ops have a much better outcome.
I can put your mind at rest about the op itself. Here's my experience...
Pre-op - electrocardiogram, blood tests, chat, no problem.
Admission - blood test, chat with anaesthetist and surgeon, no problem.
Morning of op - Showered. Given op socks (sexy), X mark drawn on me to indicate the target. No pre-med sedative offered or necessary. Worst part was waking so early in the morning.
To theatre - That trip on a trolley, counting the lights overhead.
Theatre prep - Electrocardiogram leads on (beep, beep) tourniquet and cannula, anaesthetic in, nighty night.
Recovery room - Started focussing on a circular thing - the clock. It's a bit odd waking up from a general but didn't feel scary. Back to the ward after about two hours.
In the ward - Wired up to Vital Signs Monitor (electric nurse), which takes blood pressure regularly, and pulse and saturation levels constantly. Also had morphine on tap (hit the green button for more, it won't let you overdose). Oxygen tube (nasal kind) and vacuum surgical drain. All this is tolerable but I felt pretty dopey. But no pain was nice (morphine). Had to concentrate hard to be able to start weeing again but that was easier when I could stand up - gravity helped!
Discharged - Being a smoker, my remaining in hospital too long presented a problem. However, I was out the second evening after surgery in each case, and the implants were 5-hour jobs.
Post-op, at home - Not as bad as I expected. The stitches/staples can pull a bit, but the post op pain was easily controlled with pills (Paracetamol. You're likely to get the more powerful painkillers that I just can't handle). I obviously had to pace myself but being sensible and not trying to get going too fast will see you through.
Now then. Maybe Stuart70 refers to your birth year? I had these ops starting in 2008, at the age of 53, as a 20-a-day man, and not what you might call slim. My main approach was to remember I was being treated by professionals. And the nursing staff were, without exception, lovely to me and at no point did I feel either burdensome or significantly worried.
So, best of. I hope this helps and hope it goes well.
Thanks everyone
I am now eager to get to the appointment to get the job done and get on to the next stage.
Some scary experiences on here (Simon, dreamer75, davhill) but the op sounds positive, even if I have to recognise that other issues may still be there underlying.
WBC, I have heard lots of rave reviews on pilates for back pain, as a sturdily built chap of 1970 vintage, I am slightly out of my depth at the thought of a class of slim, bendy young things in a hot room all working out.....
On second thoughts I can think of some positives, mmmmmm...
More seriously, I am going to use this to get the extra pounds off and get back to fitness, so pilates may be a smart idea as part of that, to Wainy's point to try to stop further issues in the future
Thanks again, really helped me - Pistonheads - Surgery matters!
Cheers
I am now eager to get to the appointment to get the job done and get on to the next stage.
Some scary experiences on here (Simon, dreamer75, davhill) but the op sounds positive, even if I have to recognise that other issues may still be there underlying.
WBC, I have heard lots of rave reviews on pilates for back pain, as a sturdily built chap of 1970 vintage, I am slightly out of my depth at the thought of a class of slim, bendy young things in a hot room all working out.....
On second thoughts I can think of some positives, mmmmmm...
More seriously, I am going to use this to get the extra pounds off and get back to fitness, so pilates may be a smart idea as part of that, to Wainy's point to try to stop further issues in the future
Thanks again, really helped me - Pistonheads - Surgery matters!
Cheers
FWIW my Pilates class is mostly middle aged women, bout 3-4 blokes, and a few younger and older women - not at all scary ;-)
Dont let our stories put you off - most people who get complications (as far as I can tell) have other underlying issues with their back.
I am only 5 years younger than you Good luck !
Dont let our stories put you off - most people who get complications (as far as I can tell) have other underlying issues with their back.
I am only 5 years younger than you
Good luck !Hi Stuart,
I have a thread here, you can read my recent updates.
I had surgery at the end of October, after it I never felt 100% better, about a month ago the pain appeared again but more intense. I was advised that this could happen.
Be sure that your condition can not be improved with other methods before having the op.
Best of wishes, take care.
I have a thread here, you can read my recent updates.
I had surgery at the end of October, after it I never felt 100% better, about a month ago the pain appeared again but more intense. I was advised that this could happen.
Be sure that your condition can not be improved with other methods before having the op.
Best of wishes, take care.
Mrs Muttleysnoop said:
OH in November had major spinal op ie spinal cage, loads of titatiun and PEEK plastic and finally went back to work Monday. He is soooo much better. Yes it was difficult after the op but he is so much better.
Nice to hear Thats what I had 4 weeks ago, so nice to hear that its worked Gassing Station | Health Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff