Help!Microdiscectomy advice?

[Robinson14]

I went last week for a 3rd opinion regarding my l5-s1 disc herniation. The Neurosurgeon was very nice and I could tell that he knew what he was talking about. He explained to me that my herniation was large, but he didn't think I would benefit from fusion. He stated that 90% of men didn't need fusion surgery. I am schedule for a microdiscectomy on November 15 and go for pre-op November 10. If anyone could give me advice on what happens during this procedure or during pre-op, please help me! Thanks.

[jss]

Robinson,

You will forgive me, but I am stone cold ignorant regarding a microdiscectomy. Will you surgeon be doing an anterior or posterior approach?

Please update us after surgery at your earliest convenience.

You'll be "on the other side" soon. Good luck!

Jeff

[Robinson14]

Jeff,

Im pretty sure he is going to go posterior. He didn't go into much detail about the procedure, but he did say he would remove some bone and all of the disc material that is pressing on the nerves. He told me something should have already been done. I never thought I would have ruptured a disc at my age. It's been a long, painful, boring experience thus far, for I was very active before my injury. I will definately keep you guys updated after my surgery. If anyone else has any advice I would greatly appreciate it.

[Harrison]

Here are a few related posts that may help:

http://www.adrsupport.org/forums/f50...2008-feb-4891/

Should a Endoscopic Discectomy be tried first?

Open Discectomy Study (Korea)

New here not sure If ADR, Discectomy or fusion will help? Pls give me ur opinion

REVISION MICRODISCECTOMY PLEASE HELP

Microdiscectomy while waiting for ADR?

[Keano16]

Originally Posted by Robinson14

I went last week for a 3rd opinion regarding my l5-s1 disc herniation. The Neurosurgeon was very nice and I could tell that he knew what he was talking about. He explained to me that my herniation was large, but he didn't think I would benefit from fusion. He stated that 90% of men didn't need fusion surgery. I am schedule for a microdiscectomy on November 15 and go for pre-op November 10. If anyone could give me advice on what happens during this procedure or during pre-op, please help me! Thanks.

Why don't you explore possibilities and advantages of minimally-invasive spinal surgery?

[Robinson14]

Just wanted to let everyone know I underwent my Microdiscectomy surgery on November 15 and all went well. I did have an onset of urinary retention for some reason or another, my nurse said it was most likely due to the anesthesia and the catheter. I went in very early that morning, my surgeon came in and told me that the procedure should only take around 40 minutes, but it ended up taking over 2 hours. My blood pressure was high and my heart rate stayed at 137bpm during surgery. After I woke my anesthesiologist told me I had a very large amount of disc pressing on the nerves and that I need to get to a cardiologist ASAP when I returned home. I could feel a huge relief following the surgery, but I did feel some discomfort in my back. I woke at around 10AM with blurred vision and an awful taste in my mouth, but my nurse took great care in wiping my face off with a warm wash cloth and giving me some water to drink. The whole experience was much more comfortable than I had expected, however I do wish I would have elected to stay overnight, due to the retention. I'm still walking slightly bent over and I do get some pain in my leg that comes and goes but nothing like before. I also feel the numbness and tingling, mostly from my ankle to my knee. I see my surgeon next week and am going to ask him about these symptoms. Hopefully its just normal. If anybody has any advice please feel free to chime in. Thank You!

[jss]

Robinson,

Congratulations on the successful surgery! It sounds like you had a couple of BIG surprises, but nonetheless, it went well.

It seems to be not an uncommon complaint, that is, not all neuropathy symptoms resolving immediately after surgery. I am one year post-surgery and my left hand is still as numb as it was before surgery; but at least nothing hurts. From what I've seen, it usually resolves, but sometimes it doesn't.

Again, congratulations; and good luck.

Jeff

[Robinson14]

Originally Posted by jss

Robinson,

Congratulations on the successful surgery! It sounds like you had a couple of BIG surprises, but nonetheless, it went well.

It seems to be not an uncommon complaint, that is, not all neuropathy symptoms resolving immediately after surgery. I am one year post-surgery and my left hand is still as numb as it was before surgery; but at least nothing hurts. From what I've seen, it usually resolves, but sometimes it doesn't.

Again, congratulations; and good luck.

Jeff

Jeff,

All in all it did go very well and I thank you for your help throughout this process. You are most definately correct in that numbness is better than pain. I hope mine resolves. I do have to ask you though, did you have pain in the same areas for a while after your surgery? Im getting pains that come and go. I did see the heart specialist and he tells me that in his opinion my high blood pressure and fast heart rate is due to my injury, because prior to, all my records were normal. Once again, thank you for your advice!

[jss]

Originally Posted by Robinson14

... did you have pain in the same areas for a while after your surgery? Im getting pains that come and go.

When I woke up in recovery, the ONLY pre-surgical symptom that I could recognize was that my left hand was still numb.

Every few months I'll have the old familiar sensation of a dull deep pain down my left arm; which lasts on and off for a day or two. It is nowhere near the intensity that I experienced before surgery. I always wonder if it is the nerves innervating my left hand trying to wake up? Not yet.

[Zymergist]

Jeff and Robinson,

from first hand experience (right hand actually... nerve damage takes time to heal if it does, and the process can be less than comfortable (though not as bad as the damage being caused)

About 10 yrs ago I had my first round of c-spine problems, bulging disc causing my right hand to go numb. After non surgical rehab relieved the impingement, I had nerve symptoms regressing for about a year. Electrical jolts, burning, and tingling as the nerves healed and I got the feeling back in my hand (mostly, still some modified sensation). it is not abnormal to experience symptoms in reverse order progression as things normalize.

Hope this helps!

Also, I am waiting on a custom implant set from Nuvasive for c6-7 and possibly c7-t1 fusion, trying to keep my symptoms in check till surgery.