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Angie
Oct 2, 2006 - 5:38PM
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Micro-disecomy
Hi all....have been reading on this site for almost the last 3 hours. My husband has suffered w/ back pain (and now sciatica) for years now. 2 months ago, he litterally woke up one morning and could'nt walk very well. It went down hill from there. After many vistits to the ER then finnaly to a spine specialist, they are now giving him the choice of cortizone shots or a Microdisectomy as the disc is slipped and bulging (not sure by how much). The surgery for those not familiar is an In in the morning (they do it microscopically) then you get to go home later that afternoon (at least that is what was told to us). I see pro's and con's on this forum for everything. Some things work for others while somethings don't, so I understand that perspective. I would like to hear if anybody is familiar w/ this procedure. The disc is @ L-5. He has "horrible" sciatica pain from this that just started 2 months ago. He is on EXTREAMLY strong pain meds right now and cannot work (Our family based Electrical business is no-more). I am afraid to have him do excersises as one of the Doc's @ the ER told him to go home and do this streatching excersise (Lay on your back, knees to chest, try and lift your pelvis)and at midnight that night he litteraly woke up screaming in pain!
So-anybody familiar w/ this procedure?
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news4u
Oct 6, 2006 - 7:22PM
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Re: Micro-disecomy
Hi Angie,
I'm not familiar with a Micro-disecomy. I'm sure if you plugged that name into an internet search engine that you'd get a lot of detailed information. You might want to try that if you haven't already. Personally, I'd rather give an honest try to an exercise program (check any out with a doctor before your hubby possibly starts one) that has the RIGHT exercises to counter-balance the underlying causes of the pain and get the body in sync in a natural way than go through an operation.
Mainstream medicine has mainstream medicinal approaches...sometimes the effects are irreversible. The easy way out isn't always the best long-term solution. There are alternatives. The choice is a personal one.
There are also e-books online, Angie, at a reasonable cost, about back pain and back pain relief. Before undergoing what is, in my opinion, the last resort (surgery), I'd do some more researching and asking questions and getting answers (which you're obviously doing). Hubby will need to feel comfortable with any elected route.
Best regards,
news4u
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travis clark
Oct 14, 2006 - 12:39AM
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Re: Micro-disecomy
hey angie.... just saw your post and thought that i may be able to shed a little light on the subject.. i am not a doctor.. i would describe myself as a victim.. kind of.. but i have suffered some of the most severe pain in the entire world and although not a doctor.. am extremely knowledgable on this subject. i am 28 years old and suffered a grueling 2 years of sciatic nerve pain mostly in the leg and butt.. one day i lifted something heavy and my herniation in my back got bigger and pushed all the nerves even further. i was in so much pain. i had no choice but to have the microdiscectomy just like your thoughts for your husband.. i cant even begin to describe how much better it made my pain. as soon as i got out of the hospital bed three hours after surgery i was standing straight again and there was no nerve pain... i was in shock and awe.. i literally jumped for joy.. i spent a few weeks in bed on and off. then about two months after surgery started physical therapy. as i was a professional golfer i wanted to get right back out there...i stretched and strengthened and about three months after the surgery i was playing golf again... every day.. with no pain.. it was unbelievable...well i played for the next eight months pain free.. then all of a sudden something happened to my back .. and it has regressed slowly for the last month almost back to where it was a year ago.. i am completely disheartened.. i thought.. just like your husband.. surgery will take the pain away for ever.. well... maybe not forever.. but it sure did for a while... well i just had a cortisone shot a couple weeks ago and it surely helped.. i am standing quite a bit taller.. and the pain is a little less.. atleast i can sleep at night.. but like your husband.. definately not on my back.. so...surgery again?.. i am not sure.. i just got the lose the back pain system and hope that this does the trick. but i know that the day i got out of the hospital a year ago after the microdiscetomy.. i was completely out of pain.. it was absolutely fantastic and i am still sure i did the right thing.. they say that my disc is slightly reherniated and possibly due to the surgeon that did the surgery, there was still a little disc debree left in the spinal canal that has lodged up against the nerves which is giving me ridiculous pain .. also a bit of scar tissue too. not sure if that has anything to do with it..i think that the surgery was fantastic... just make sure you get it done at a highly qualified place.... especially neurosurgeons... very important.. they are the best.. sorry so long.. alot to tell... hope this helped a bit.. let me know how things are going.. travis
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Randal Smith
Jan 15, 2007 - 6:30PM
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Re: Micro-disecomy
Try the epidurals first!
Then, if that does not take care of it, consider the surgery. You should consider a 2nd opinion as well.
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carol
Feb 15, 2008 - 11:42PM
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Re: Micro-disecomy
Hi
I just had a microdisectomy 3 weeks ago, after being in pain since april last year. I was offered the op last year but the pain stopped for two months so my surgeon said he would not recommend it now. Then 4 weeks ago I was getting lower back pain then 3 weeks ago I had an awful back one morning , vomited 4 times on the night felt really delirious my tongue was hanging out of my mouth ! Woke up in the night with extremely bad pain in the back sweating all over and the pain was coming in spasms every 15 seconds , I was screaming out in agony it felt like my back was breaking. I tried to pee and nothing would come out. Called 999 as the agony was too much to bear. After an MRI it showed the disk had bulged right out and as I oouldn't pee the nerves were being damaged and the doctor said I was at risk of having to wear a catheter for life and losing loss of feelings in my legs for life so they said they had to give me an emergency operation THAT night yes I was shell shocked as I had just ordered the losetheback pain system and it has just arrived I had just worked out the excercises and my conditions when woah it was too late.
Now I am post op 3 weeks and have been pain free for 2 weeks and 5 days until yesterday and today when lower back pain started yesterday and sciatic pain and buttock pain in the left leg has started.. So WATCH THIS SPACE as I will keep you updated.
MY QUESTIONS ARE ... now that I've had surgery and it was emergency and nerves could be permantly damaged as I had the herniated disk for 8 months prior to surgery and now that I've had surgery what can losethebackpain and inversion do for me ?
If so when would I be able to start on both of them ?
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Randal Smith
Feb 16, 2008 - 1:16AM
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Re: Micro-disecomy
Carol, first, at around 1 month from surgery, your body is still in a significant healing phase, and you need to be sure you don't do more than you should.
Second, you will have some flare ups, and when that happens back off your activities some. Study your body, and understand that you may do something today, and not feel the pain until the next day.
Follow your doctor's and physical therapist's instructions.
Myself, I've had neck fusions of two disc, and it took my body about a year to heal. I went a year of being a bit fragile, but being able to keep the pain down, then had a good year, followed by a lot of flare ups. I had to get epidurals to break the pain cycle. Then finally I had 4 prolotheraphy treatments, and since then, I've had no need for epidurals. My surgery was October 1999.
But I do have a problem with a tear in my L5/S1 disc, that I'm working on how to best manage.
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Randal Smith
Feb 16, 2008 - 1:18AM
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Re: Micro-disecomy
My email is ransmith@alltel.net
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Kartik
Feb 16, 2008 - 6:37AM
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Re: Micro-disecomy
I am a 15 year old with herniated disc at L5/S1. I was sufferly form severe lower back pain, shooting pain down the hamstrings and numbness in the legs.
I had badly wanted the surgery. I could hardly sit down or sleep. I too was on a high dosage of painkillers.
Then I found the Lose The Back Pain System. I went to great lengths to get it as it was not shipped to my country. At first, I was in so much pain I could not do the excerises. But Steve helped me out with a Sciatica Quick Start Guide. After 15 weeks in pain, I started to get relief but still on painkillers.
4 weeks into doing the excerises, I slowly phased out the painkillers and cancelled my Micro-disecomy.
That was the BEST decision I made. In the LTBP audio, Steve cautioned resulting to surgery early. I am glad I heeded his advice.
The condition only gets worst by not moving around. Try walking backwards in the pool.
I would strongly recommend you try out the LTBP system before resorting to Micro-disecomy. Keep in mind that by opting for the surgery, relief from pain is only temporary and might return soon after. Work towards treating the cause and not just the symptoms.
Good Luck!!
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Kevin
Feb 16, 2008 - 8:27PM
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Re: Micro-disecomy
Prolotherapy is a prime consideration for people suffering from arthritis and various types of back pain. My family physician is a leading authority on prolotherapy and his success rate approaches 85%. My wife is currently undergoing this form of therapy. It is excruciatingly painfull (Cindy is receiving 45 injections per knee per treatment) but works quickly and is relatively inexpensive compared to surgery. However, it is not covered by insurance companies despite having an excellent 50-60 year track record.
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Randal Smith
Feb 17, 2008 - 11:30AM
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Re: Micro-disecomy
No question prolotheraphy hurts, I've received 200 injections per visit, but it is nothing compared to spinal nerve pain.
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