Stenum - My story

[New-disc]

CP,

The nerve going down my leg was compressed for 6-7 years before having surgery.

It took me over six months to feel the surgery was worth it.

(95% of my nerve pain is gone now)

I do still have flear ups from time to time.

Best of luck with your recovery!!

Todd

[fuzzy]

I am now 2 years post op lumbar surgery and it took this long for my leg pain to continually improve. This spring I had another strong relapse bout but I ramped my activity level way up this summer even at the risk of more problems with my neck and my nerve pain in my legs improved over last year. If the images show an improvement post surgery I would not rush to another surgery but give it time time time exercise activity give it time don't rush back to another surgery. Nerves take time to heal, years it seems. At least many months.

The only reason I myself now have another surgery is that I have waited years and my neck is getting steadily worse I have to take the risk. I do agree all the best surgeons have a risk. Even having read bad outcomes from Ritter Lang I would still consider to have him do a surgery as there is a reason they are still there. I do know for a fact that they have been trying to learn from past cases rather then simply go on no matter what the outcomes but to make improvements based on experience. I feel it is safe to go there unless you do have a difficult case then maybe worth to consider some one like Bertagnoli, Zeegers or even staying with a US doctor for easier or better follow up.

[Maria]

cp,
after my percutaneous discectomy that failed in '92 I had horrendous burning pain in my low back, glutes/piraformis area, quads, and calves and some burning in soles of feet tho the most intense pain was buttocks and legs and this was bilateral.

The pain was BRUTAL. It lasted nearly 5 years and started to fade. In '98 I started taking Neurontin (Gabapentin) 1800mg daily and have been on that dose since which helped greatly.

Right around '98 my low back started really caving on me and giving me horrible pain for which I had to stop working in 2000 as I was missing more work than attending and had long periods of bed ridden low back pain (4-8 weeks at a time).

Was offered a 3 level global fusion in 2001 and then various surgeries later on but it seems that sometime after starting pain medication and ESIs my pain became less pronounced and esp. the tailbone type of pain I would have seems to have pretty much vanished except with prolonged sitting.

It appears my L5S1 finally fused on it's own and I think that helped with much of my pain. Still have probs with L4 tho so all isn't completely good but I do feel the difference for the better most definately.

So it took a long time for nerve pain to calm down for me but back in the early '90's there wasn't much out there in terms of *working with it* or even investigating the pain generators/causes.

I wish you the best and not a prolonged course of pain like my own. I did however make my choices re not having several surgeries offered since 2001 including 2 level ADR and later ADR at L4 and fusion at L5S1.

Then again~ never say never re more spine surgery even tho one might wish that to be so.

[JKDE302]

Originally Posted by cp7959

My suggestion would be is to get the best surgeon possible and don't worry so much about the disk type. However if it's multi level and it's the Pro Disk with center keels, I would probably not go with that one.

I would also question getting more than 2 disks.

Good luck and pick your surgeon wiseley.

cp7959 you left this on Spinehealth.com what does that mean about keels?