Has anyone had back surgery - laminotomy or discectomy?

[Bubbr]

I am a 40 year-old, otherwise healthy guy with a herniated L5-S1 disc and the bulging disc is pressing on the nerves that go down the back and front of my leg. This has led to loss in the strength of my calf and hamstring. Those muscles are something on the order of 30% weaker on my left than my right. I also have significant numbness in my left leg.

PT, and time, has helped with the pain I was having—restricting me from standing for more than 10 minutes or so (it is worse for me when I am standing or walking)—but I was told that the impingement of my nerve by the bulging disc could make the weakness permanent. Nobody can say when the damage will become permanent, but if left unchecked long enough apparently it will. And in the five months since the herniation, I have already developed noticeable atrophy of my calf. Not horrible, but noticeable.

My doctor has suggested a laminotomy which includes a discectomy or microdiscectomy (I might be using the wrong terminology). The surgery is fairly minor, will probably leave the hospital the same day, but it is still surgery. If I did not want to ride my bike until I graduate to a walker, I would simply continue with PT. Anyone had surgery to relieve the pressure from a buldging disc on a nerve? Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences.

[67-59]

Not me personally, but a friend at work who plays hockey had a microdiscectomy a few years back. He was where you seem to be now - tried PT and exercises, but wasn't getting relief and was losing strength.

After the surgery, he had immediate relief from the pain and was able to walk without a problem. It took him a while for the muscles they cut through to heal and regain their strength - he says it was nearly a year before he could pick up his kids without pain. Finally, he got back to hockey, and is still playing in adult leagues several years later.

My understanding is that the surgery, while not without its risks, can be quite helpful for the right candidates. Good luck.

[Elefantino]

If you find a surgeon you trust, have the surgery. It beats living with pain and worry.

Bona fides: I've had seven on my back, three of them major. I recommend the minor kind, though. (I'll likely have another one next month.)

[leooooo]

If you are in NYC, I can recommend you a great neurosurgeon who performed mine. 2 month recovery time, herniated disc btwn L4-L5. PM me if interested.

Changed my life.

[Norm Swift]

This topic hits a little too close to home. About one month ago I injured my back and was diagnosed with minor lateral herniation of L3 L4. I, too, am going through physical therapy and meds.

This is what I know:

In the past 1.5 years three friends have had the surgery. Their level of pain and diminished lifestyle helped with their decision. All three had immediate relief from pain after the surgery. They have also been able to regain the active lifestyle that they had pre-injury.

You should get a second opinion but based on your level of discomfort and loss of strength it may be time.

[froze]

I had car accident back in July, a drunk ran a stop sign within 15 feet of my company vehicle, T-boned him at 55, the outcome for the other guy was a lot worse, dead on the scene. All I got out of it was stiffness and a lower lumbar pain docs are looking at. So far PT has done nothing, I go tomorrow to a specialist to see what the next step is. I'm not sure what the problem is completely yet but it's between the S1 and L5 maybe the L4. The specialist will look at the MRI to determine next step or steps. It could be discogenic pain and or disk displacement-not sure if it's ruptured or just moved.

Been able to continue to ride a bike, actually riding seems to give it some minor relief, when I tried stopping for a week the pain got steadily worse.

Just in case I need surgery, does anyone have any recommendations for the Indiana area? I live in Fort Wayne but travel to Indy would be fine or Chicago or Toledo or? I'm may be prematurely preparing but I rather have the info ready to go just in case.

Thanks.

[2LeftCleats]

About 10 yr ago I had the same thing. No pain but sudden loss of power in the leg. Surgery within a wk, home the same day, able to walk the treadmill the next day and back to work in a week. Took awhile to regain the lost strength and it's not back 100%. I tend to cramp a little more on that side and when really fatigued, get a little foot drop. Overall, I'd rate it a success. My son had the same deal a yr ago but he had the pain. He failed PT and 2 epidural injections before a successful surgery. He's back racing and so far, pain free.

[Bubbr]

First off, I want to thank everybody who responded. The intelligent and thoughtful responses really says something about the forumites. And thanks for the offers for doctor referrals. I am in the San Francisco area and my oldest friend is a local orthopedic surgeon. I am lucky to have two great surgeons to choose from, one at Stanford and one at UCSF. So if anybody needs a referral in Northern California, feel free to contact me.

The interesting thing about my situation is that my current condition is pretty manageable. My pain has improved significantly in the last two months.

For the first two-and-a-half or three months after my back blew up, I hit the pool three or four times a week. Swimming reversed very similar but more mild symptoms I had had three years earlier, which were largely caused by sitting at a desk seven days a week. At that time, PT didn’t really help, so I went with what I knew. This time, I got no relief whatsoever from swimming. Shortly after starting PT in earnest (I really threw everything I had at it), my pain really improved. I can now walk probably a half mile or a mile, haven’t been falling (numbness sometimes making walking down stairs without shoes difficult), and generally am able to function on a day-to-day basis. The weakness and numbness are still there, but if I were not a cyclist, I would probably not have the surgery. At least not yet.

Both of the surgeons who I have seen initially suggested surgery when I had no relief after my self-prescribed swimming therapy, but have since said I could go either way. If I can keep this weakness from becoming permanent, I feel like I have to in order to stay on the bike. I know I could keep riding with a deficit on one side—heck, there are some courageous and amazing folks out there riding with one leg—but I have an opportunity to address my issue and continue doing something I love without as many limitations as I may have without the surgery, I feel strangely compelled to go under the knife.

Is this an irrational dedication to the sport? I should note that I do not race, am not that fast, and doubt I ever will be. I just really, really like it.

Thanks again!

[67-59]

Is this an irrational dedication to the sport? I should note that I do not race, am not that fast, and doubt I ever will be. I just really, really like it.

Thanks again!

I think it depends on how happy you are with your current level of functioning. Your description ("walk probably a half mile or a mile", with numbness sometimes) sounds like something I would want to change if I could. That's because I have always been very active, and significant limits on my activity drive me crazy.

I'll give you an analogy from my life. I used to run a lot, and developed my herniated disc due to the years of pounding. My docs said that they might be able to get me back to running with surgery (no guarantees, of course), or that I could just look for other activities that I could tolerate. Turns out that cycling has worked very well for my back, with only one recurrence in several years. Even though I miss running, I am now happy enough with my new sport that the risks of surgery aren't worth it. If I hadn't found cycling (or other activities that I could do pain-free), I would probably have gone for the surgery.

The part that makes it even harder is balancing the good and the bad. The good, of course, is that there's a high likelihood that you'd get back on the bike. The bad is that there are risks, which your docs can explain far better than I can.

Don't know if that helps, but good luck whichever way you go....

[Louis]

A few years ago my father had a laminectomy. Before it he had lots and lots of really bad pain.

Recovery was a real PITA (I wasn't home, but my mother had to deal with it) but in the long run it was a good decision. He's still old and overweight, but the killer pain is gone.

[Norm Swift]

I am in the San Francisco area and my oldest friend is a local orthopedic surgeon. I am lucky to have two great surgeons to choose from, one at Stanford and one at UCSF.

Is this an irrational dedication to the sport? I should note that I do not race, am not that fast, and doubt I ever will be. I just really, really like it.



I don't think you have an irrational dedication. You gain something intangible when riding. If you can't find a replacement for the mental awareness and Joie de vivre you acquire from riding, you should have the surgery.

Your most difficult decision may be which surgeon to choose.

Norm