You can develop a seroma (a collection of fluid post-operatively) that temporarily will partially compress the nerve after surgery. The diagnostic process including imaging, nerve conduction studies, musculoskeletal examination coupled with provocation maneuvers, palpation, and the musculoskeletal differential diagnosis of buttock pain is illustrated . Sit with your back straight, not slouched or bent over. This surgery can help relieve pain from a pinched nerve in the spine or a degenerative disc issue. 1.2 Inflammation of the membranes that surround the nerves of the spinal cord. Intense pain is common in the days following a laminectomy. It results from the inflammation of the sciatic nerve in your lower back. Dr. Cross notes that SI joints normally move less than 1 millimeter. I had a discectomy done in 2000..I had a severe herniation in lower level (L4/L5)..the discectomy helped, but I went back to work too soon, over did it, and ended up having to get it fusedIt ended up, bone on bone, so they fused itI had the same symptoms as you, with the pain in my butt after surgery..it was so bad, I could hardly take it..my doc put me on a 5 day dose pack of steroids, and boy o boy did it workit sounds to me like you definitely have the foot drop thing going onfoot drop develops from the nerve being pinched in your back, cutting off the mobility in the lower leg and footI had it so bad, that I was tripping, and falling alotthe classic test to do to see if you have foot drop is to stand up against a wall, feet, legs, butt, back, shoulders touching the wallonce flush against the wall raise the front of your feet, keeping your heels on the groundtry to get the front of your feet as high as you can, keeping your heels on the groundMy doc did this test with me, and my right foot went up, but the left stayed on the floor..he told me that my case of foot drop was the worst he had ever seenfortunately, after the fusion, it came back, and now It's back 100%some people aren't so fortunateit does however take time to come back..some cases up to a yearyou have to be patientI really think you have the symptoms of foot drop..has your doc mentioned this to you/and or explained it?the tingling is from nerve pinchingthat nerve is super pissed off, hence the pain and tinglingmake sure you mention to your doc the oral steroids..if I were a betting woman, I bet that would relieve your pain, and reduce the swelling of the nerveplease keep me posted, and good luck with itif you don't have one already, I suggest using a cane to walk around with..I used one, and it helped me so much..especially with the foot dropkeep me posted.. Pain from a spinal stenosis may be resolved with decompression surgery. The most common is inflammation. But you can also learn some hygiene tips like avoiding using electronic devices with blue light before sleep, drinking caffeinated drinks after noon, etc. Any activity (like walking) can stretch the root. The Affected Nerve Root May Need Some Time to HealOne reason your leg may still hurt after microdiscectomy surgery is because of the way compression can affect nerve roots. This surgery uses smaller cuts (incisions) than an open lumbar discectomy. Microdiscectomy is an advanced surgical technique that is much less invasive. outpatient procedure thats performed underanesthesia. The disc may press on the spinal nerves and cause pain and numbness in the buttock and leg. However, there can be limitations to L4-L5 surgery as it is one of the lowest weight-bearing discs of the body. For example, in addition to the herniated disc that was treated with a microdiscectomy, you might also have nerve irritation related to inflammation near the sciatic nerve. I highly recommend Dr. Corenman and the Steadman Clinic. In fact, in many situations, it's often possible to treat or manage lingering leg pain following a microdiscectomy with nonsurgical techniques. Unfortunately, even with a well-done surgery, the patient may develop similar symptoms due to inherent problems with his or her spine. With it being the weekend, I am in limbo!!!! As a patient, knowing the telltale signs ofreherniationafter microdiscectomy surgery will help ensurethat you get the care you deserve. Finding the actual source of your discomfort following an initial microdiscectomy may involve: Specialized nerve tests Diagnostic injections to see if numbing other nerves in the same area relieves your leg pain Discussing your symptoms in greater detail Image diagnostics or procedures such as using a special dye to track nerve pathwaysThere May Be a Secondary Pain SourceLeg pain stemming from a spine-adjacent nerve may still continue after surgery if a secondary source is causing discomfort. The cause of it depends on your original back problem and what type of back surgery you had. Viewing 6 posts - 1 through 6 (of 74 total). I am still having burning pins and needles in my ankle and lower leg even though the nerve is no compressed. I have been careful with avoiding sitting. Is there a way to increase my physical fitness before work, so that the chance of having pain during the workday stays minimal? Did I understand that correctly? 1.3 Postoperative inflammation of the nerve root. my doctor recommended surgery. A microdiscectomy is aminimally invasiveversion of the surgerythatcan be performed on various parts of the spine. Heavy physical activity within the first few weeks, As you can see, patient compliance plays a major role in ensuring ahealthier, more complete. By 6 weeks post-surgery, most patients discontinue pain medication, however, it is still possible to have painful flare-ups or stiffness that requires medication. I, for sure, do not want to have a fusion-I have heard from others what a night-mare that procedure is. Return to light work duties when you are able. If youstill have apprehensions, theycansharespecificmicrodiscectomy recovery stories with you. Thank you for input on this. I was always treated with respect and explained everything throughly, that made it easy for everyone to understand. Though I had no pain in this right buttock area post surgery, I did have numbness and tingling. Did your little test and can just barely get my toes off the floor on my left foot. There are other possible reasons for pain after a laminectomy, discectomy or a microdiscectomy. Now considered the gold standard treatment forremovingherniated lumbar disc tissue, a microdiscectomy procedure is an ultra-precise method that requires only atinyincisioncausing minimal disruption to surrounding healthy tissue. IV pain medication is stronger than oral but you obviously can not be on an IV drip outside of the hospital without some prearranged licensed care. This . I had been on physical therapy>physical therapy from day 10 and in weeks 4 and 5 I started feeling more like myself. One possibility is the surgeon could have accidentally missed a piece of bone, or a particle of the herniated disk. Obviously, I need to do a fresh MRI with gadolinum to discover whats truly happening. They prevent vertebrae from rubbing together and help maintain spine flexibility. Typically, there will be an activity or motion that causes an immediate pain that does not improve with time. Using small surgical tools, your surgeon will create a tiny incision and move aside the muscles and nerve root. The doctor willthenonlyremovethe damaged portion of the disc. I know it would be best to still be on sick leave, but this is not possible. When discectomy is performed, improvement in LRP is observed due to spinal nerve irritation. any advise? If the drainage fluid is thin, watery, and pinkish red, there is likely nothing to be . When lifting heavy objects, keep yourback straight and use your knees to lift rather than your back. We have asolidcommitment to excellence in diagnosing and treating spinal injuries and conditions spanning all age groups. The management of a re-herniated disc is much like the primary disc prolapse. Kinda feels like my foot isn't connected to my body. I do daily stretches, one of them being lifting legs straight while lying down. I have nerve issues in the lumbar and my spine doc is in denial - advice? Thats going to be almost 12 hours on my feet a day. Lumbar Decompression Back Surgery. I would say be patient and gently perform hamstring stretches (which is the main exercise that stretches the sciatic nerve) GENTLY to try and cautiously squeeze the edema out of the nerve root. Work hardening is a specialty in physical therapy so you might contact a specialist to see if they can help you. I had to have at least 2 courses of them to quell nerve irritation post micro-D. The movements you notice that increase symptoms all stretch the nerve root so this would be expected for 4-12 weeks. Most patients are gradually weaned off opioids over a period of 1 to 2 weeks. Just to mention, even before surgery, I never had much leg pain. The good news is that many patients have significant pain relief from a microdiscectomy and can quickly return to their normal lives, generally in 4-6 weeks. MedHelp is not a medical or healthcare provider and your use of this Site does not create a doctor / patient relationship. Contacted the answering service for my Dr. this a.m. and still no response. If those dont do the trick, an epidural steroid injection may also begivento manage the symptoms. "Because the procedure is minimally invasive, it results in less tissue destruction and leaves fewer reasons to restrict a patient's activities following surgery and a quicker discectomy recovery.". Its been 4 months post surgery, but my pain status varies and fluctuates day to day. Endoscopic microdiscectomy is usually performed in the lumbar (lower) region of the back after the failure of more conservative therapeutic measures, such as light exercise, medications, hot or cold compresses, physical therapy, spinal manipulation, and epidural injections, to relieve the nerve pain of a herniated disc, according to Dr. Liu. Give us a call today at (919)-787-7246. Disc degeneration and herniation are common back problems leading to surgery. Although weakness has improved, pain and burning sensation has also reduced, I cannot stil lift my foot from the ankle or make a single twist or movement of my toes.. No dorsiflexion or plantar flexion, MRI results revealed thickened edematuos(10mm) sciatic nerve plexus on the left side with grade 1 muscle edema within the gluteus maximus, sub acute denervation muscle changes in the form of combination of athropy /fatty replacement along the territory of the injured sciatic nerve, During therapy, when The (EMS) machine pads are placed on myL5region using interrupted currents, my muscles contract and my foot is lifted up but when faradic current is set It doesnt contract, what could this mean? Adjacent segment syndrome (also known as . A lumbar microdiscectomy may become necessary when a herniated lumber disc affects one side of the body. Surgery went well. Since you are only four weeks out and better than prior to surgery, the nerve is probably still swollen. Most patients are gradually weaned off opioids over a period of 1 to 2 weeks. Stronger painkillers, such as opioids, are typically used in combination with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Diskectomy is surgery to remove the damaged part of a disk in the spine that has its soft center pushing out through the tough outer lining. If your doctor prescribesmedicationfor you to help with pain or inflammation,take it asprescribed. This website is the stand out source for me. If you or a loved one suffer from backor neckpain,call The Spine Center today at, once per month - call 847-628-8147 to confirm, Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF), Total Disc Arthroplasty & Total Disc Replacement, Non-operative Treatment of Idiopathic Scoliosis, Treatment of Degenerative Spondylolisthesis. The goal of this surgery is to improve leg pain, restore function, and enable a return to normal daily activities. For example, your surgeon may perform a lumbar microdiscectomy to remove the herniated portionof a lumbar discin your lower back. My sciatic nerve was crushed and I have been unable to walk and have been in constant agonizing pain for six months. Ifback and leg pain from disc problemsreturnafter surgery, your surgeon will need to determine where the pain is coming from and take the necessary steps totreat the problem. Similarly, a thinned-out and stretched- out annulus place the patient at higher risk for reherniation, along with a wide incision of the annulus during surgery. While doing so, be sureto avoid anymajordiscomfort that could interfere with the recovery process. Can;t wait until Monday a.m. to call his office again. As fellowship-trained physicians with over 50 years of experiencetreating spinal conditions, we offer patient recommendations for treatment,including conservative care, non-operative treatment, and sophisticated, customized surgical solutions. In severe cases, patients may also have less control of bladder or bowel function control. This could signal another, more serious issue. To get the full experience of this website, You don't want a FUSION!! !he read all of my issue and details and his replies really helped me in decidingi am now confident about my decision and i now totally understand the procedure thanks to the in-depth information providedthank you ever so much ! While conservative, nonsurgical therapies may provide relief for some, other individuals dont have substantial improvement from physical therapy or activity modification. I sincerely thank you for your helpful advice. ITs sitting that brings it on. As an aside, lingering pain is one of the classic signs of re-herniation after a microdiscectomysurgicalprocedure. In many minimally invasive spine surgeries, the spinal nerves are agitated. While most people who experience sciatica will not require surgery, if all other treatments . As fellowship-trained physicians with over50 years of experiencetreating spinal conditions, we offer patient recommendations for treatment, including conservative care, non-operativetreatment, and sophisticated, customized surgical solutions. Here are some of the mistakes that you will want to avoid whileconvalescing after amicrodiscectomyprocedure: Youre going to be a little sore while initially recovering from surgery, and that is perfectly normal. The most common is inflammation. Doc agrees it is probably permanent nerve damage. NSAIDs, acetaminophen, or other medications may be used to continue managing pain after opioids are discontinued. It is not intended to be and should not be interpreted as medical advice or a diagnosis of any health or fitness problem, condition or disease; or a recommendation for a specific test, doctor, care provider, procedure, treatment plan, product, or course of action. Spinal discectomy surgery is a minimally invasive keyhole procedure in which a surgeon removes all or part of a disc in the patients spine. I have not spoken with him since right before my surgery that a.m. in the operating room. Thankfully, escalation of symptoms is rather uncommon and does not need to be addressed with most patients. Here are somereherniation-prevention tips for microdiscectomy patients: At The Spine Center, were dedicated to providing you with high-quality, personalized back and neck care. Oh and also, before surgery, I did have right side thigh pain, but not for long, as I decided surgery was my best option pretty soon, so I guess it didnt have time to develop. Asa patient,thereare five classicsymptomsto watch for: When experiencingrecurrent discreherniation, a patient might also report pain in a different location, intensity, orrelated tophysical activity. During the physical exam,your surgeonmay look for pain during specific movementsand performa power/sensory examination of your lower extremities. It depends upon the caliber, velocity, distance from the muzzle and the path of the bullet. For example, your surgeon may perform a lumbar microdiscectomy to remove the herniated portionof a lumbar discin your lower back.