New guy, looking for answers

[Tierney]

My neuro guy wants to do a Discectomy on my herniated L5/S1 and I'm wondering if it would only be a temporary fix. From what I have read, after the procedure is done, you still have a hole in the disc that will not scar or heal over since there is no blood supply to the disc. I am a plasterer, so in my line of work, I really use my body. Opinions please ? Thank you all for looking.

[Tierney]

By the way, I just wanted to thank you Harrison for talking to me the other night, it really lifted my spirits to talk to someone else that has gone thru this. I'm just trying to find out if the discectomy is worth going thru.

[hey_look_its_dave]

Hi,

I had a discotomy on L5-S1 before I even knew ADR was possible. Only a very few surgeons are doing it (ADR) here in Canada, and their experience is relatively limited.

I am now about to go to Germany to Zeegers for ADR. Luckily, the discotomy surgery didn't damage my facets too much, so it didn't rule out ADR for me.

Had I known ADR was possible, I would've gone straight to that instead.

The discotomy I had was done by coming in from the back. This is a somewhat tricky job, as he had to cut away some bone (portions of upper and lower lamina) to gain access, and nerves were scarred in the process. Furthermore, the disc does indeed scar, and I can't comment on whether it has a blood supply, but it certainly does have nerves in it.

The discotomy surgeon told me that only 1 in 20 discotomies fail and need revision (fusion is all he could do in that case). I personally find these numbers to be doubtful.

That's my 2 cents.

Dave

[Harrison]

Tierney,

Thx for your kind words. It is tough to find answers to these complicated questions, that's why this community was started six years ago -- to provide support!

I did a quick search, using "discectomy" in the search bar, title only. Here's a few past topics that may address part of your concern -- just click here to find fourteen of them.

I would also focus on the condition of your spinal disc. E.g., how much disc height have you lost? How bad is the herniation? How long has is been unhealthy? This is just my 2 cents, but if it's very unhealthy, it may not be a long-term fix.

Another concern is that this surgery would possible create scar tissue, which by itself can cause problems down the road. Then the attendant question is, well, what type of procedures and tools within MIS will minimize that risk?

As you can see, there's a lot to learn and it never ends. Maybe that's why some patients find the ADR option more attractive; but ultimately it is a very personal decision. Keep doing your homework and you'll get there.

[Tierney]

Harison and Dave, Thank you for your replies. I am going to try to talk to the surgeon tuesday and get a few answers. A neighbor of mine had a disc replaced at L5-S1 and a discectomy at L4-5 in 3/2000. The surgeon he had did the ADL for the back and the discectomy without cutting thru bone. He is trying to encourge me to have the discectomy, as he told he's had no problems. His surgeon is in the same group as the one I saw last Monday. But his opinion is that there are differences between surgeons and in the case of his, he explained that the man spent two years in Germany training for the procedures.

I'm also trying to see if I can get into a clinical trial as another doctor in the group (Dom Coric- thanks Harrison!) is some way invovled. Getting to talk with all these guys in another matter, all I can do is leave messages with their secrateries and hope it gets thru. Thanks agian, Tierney

[msf]

Hi,

I had a microdiscectomy early 2009. From what I have read, it works pretty well for leg/sciatica symptoms but not all that well for back pain. That is also my experience. I had mostly back pain and very little leg pain. My surgeon told me that he would operate to get rid of my leg pain and he wasn't sure how much it would help my back pain. I did decide to have the surgery and it did take care of all my leg pain but my back pain just got progressively worse. My advice would be to ask your surgeon specifically what your chances are of improving leg versus back pain (not sure which type of pain you have) before spending the money. Another draw back of the microdiscectomy is that it causes scar formation around the nerve root where the operation is done (I have this problem now and it is complicating my decision process of fusion versus ADR). This scar tissue can be a problem later when an ADR or fusion is done (the scarred down nerve gets angry when distracted by placing an artificial disc or a cage for fusion in the interspace between the discs-this can cause life long nerve/leg pain problems).

Good luck with your visit!

[Tierney]

Thank you all for your replies! I tried to talk to the surgeon Tuesday to ask some questions, but no dice. His secretary basically told me that I'll just have to go along with what the doctor proposed . I asked if any bone is cut in the process of the discectomy, to which she replied that I could ask the doctor right before the procedure. So I've decided to get a few more opinions and look a little harder at going out of the country for service. I sent off my MRI cd and report to Healthbase, so I'll see what they have to say in a few days. Take it easy, Tierney

[Tierney]

Harrison, I forgot to mention that they told me that I would not be accepted for the clinical trial Dom Coric is involved with because it is for people that have had a discectomy failure of some sort. That sure did not make me feel any better about getting one. Thanks again, Tierney

[weaveman01]

Hi- just responding as someone else that had a discectomy a year last april, and it felt ok for 2 weeks. I am now in the process of getting a 2 level spinal fusion after returning to work as a construction electrician for 6 months. I have wondered alot if I would have been better off if I hadn't got the discectomy?

[Tierney]

Well in the last two weeks I got another opinion for a Discectomy rather than an ADR. I then applied for the clinical trial that they have going on at Triangle Ortho and sent my MRI cd. Dr Musante ,of Triangle Ortho, called and told me that I had been excluded since the disc is still in pretty good shape. He then suggested a discectomy. I told I had misgivings about that procedure because of some of the data I had looked up. I also told him that I was running out of money fast. He sent me some the lastest data that he had which showed less than a 1% failure rate if the post op instrutions are followed correctly. Then he arranged for everyone involved to take about 40% less and told me they could arrange payments if necessary! He called me back, and spent another 10 minutes talking to me about the procedure. This guy is amazing! Anyhow, I'm set up for surgery on the 18th, I hope it all goes well. Thanks for all your advice.