Learn More and Watch Our Video on Microdiscectomy for Herniated Discs. Thank you for choosing Dr. Corenman as your healthcare provider. A mild amount of drainage from the incision is normal. Still, Dr. Liu cautions that, during the first couple weeks following surgery, patients should avoid repeatedly bending or twisting, lifting anything heavier than five or six pounds, driving, or performing tasks like lawn mowing, sweeping, shoveling snow or dirt, doing the laundry, running, jogging or other activities that can overly tax back muscles. Resume driving when you can turn your head and look over your shoulder without pain. I am going back to work in roughly 10 days. Hold the press-up position for 2 seconds, and then slowly lower back down to the starting position. However, there can be limitations to L4-L5 surgery as it is one of the lowest weight-bearing discs of the body. For example, the incomplete removal of herniated disc material or inadequate closure of a significant gap in the annulus may lead to reherniation. We strive tooffer services to our patientsthat are efficient and professional, deliveredwith integrity and honesty in a cohesive, family-like environment. I had to have at least 2 courses of them to quell nerve irritation post micro-D. PLEASE REMEMBER, THIS FORUM IS MEANT TO PROVIDE GENERAL INFORMATION ON SPINE ANATOMY, CONDITIONS AND TREATMENTS. Before a new MRI is ordered, I will give the patient an oral steroid to reduce inflammation. thank you, I truly appreciate your answer. I think swimming is just fine. Your spinal cord runs through the spinal column. Most disc herniation occurs in the lumbar spine, causing debilitating pain in your buttocks, thigh, and calf areas and is referred to as sciatica. As was mentioned earlier, the type of surgical technique used during the initial procedure and type of herniation strongly influence whether or not there will be a recurrence. What is a lumbar discectomy? We have a strong commitment to excellence in diagnosis and treatment of spinal injuries and conditions spanning all age groups. 1999-2023 Veritas Health, LLC. 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. 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. Regarding your situation, I think pain is normal after a microdiscectomy. For instance, if a herniated disc was irritating a nerve for a while before your surgery, it could take a few weeks or more for the affected part of the nerve to fully heal and recover. Numbness and tingling in the leg, however, may take up to a year to resolve. please update to most recent version. version of the surgerythatcan be performed on various parts of the spine. so i received the microdiscectomy on march 12 of last year. What should I do now. Sometimes this is a temporary condition as the nerve root or roots take time to heal. Mild to severe pain in the lower back or buttock area, Feelings of numbness or tingling in the leg or foot, (nerve pain often radiating down the leg), When you are experiencing any of these warning signs onan ongoingbasis,its best to. This is called recurrent disk herniation. Also, I have little to no feeling in my big toe and a tingling feeling from my knee down through my foot. Dr. Bergin has a special interest in medical research and maintains membership in the Scoliosis Research Society. Is there a way to increase my physical fitness before work, so that the chance of having pain during the workday stays minimal? If you have any questions about the Barricaid treatment or how to get access to Barricaid, ask your doctor or contact us at 844-288-7474. For the average patient, there are no permanent restrictions after a microdiscectomy. More than one nerve of mine is "pissed off"HA!!!! I so appreciate your time and info. Lumbar Microdiscectomy Surgery Video. In this case, the source of the pain will continue since the direct cause of the issue was not pinpointed properly. You can develop a seroma (a collection of fluid post-operatively) that temporarily will partially compress the nerve after surgery. Ive been reading through many of these questions and respons 38 year old male, 5'8 165 pounds. It results from the inflammation of the sciatic nerve in your lower back. In this article, we are going to walk through the potential causes of buttock pain after spinal discectomy surgery. Back pain can grow progressively worse and more disabling, depending on the cause. A lumbarmicrodiscectomymay become necessarywhen a herniated lumber disc affects one side of the body. Note:Reherniationdoes not occur with total discectomy because the entire disc has already been removed. The most common is inflammation. Incision Drainage Issues. Contacted the answering service for my Dr. this a.m. and still no response. During the initial 2 weeks after a microdiscectomy surgery, the pain is most intense. Did your little test and can just barely get my toes off the floor on my left foot. Symptoms are generally more severe than inflammation above but dont necessarily have to be. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to have an answer to my question from you. During a microdiscectomy procedure, the surgeonuses a microscope and laser toremovepart of the nucleus pulposus through a small incision (less than 2 inches). There are other possible reasons for pain after a laminectomy, discectomy or a microdiscectomy. You should report any numbness to your surgeon immediately after surgery. Fit and muscular. Can't wait to try the steroid pack. Although taking multiple short walks daily is encouraged,walking too muchimmediatelyafteramicrodiscectomyprocedurecan cause a setback to your recovery. "But with force transfer after spinal fusion, the SI joints can move a couple of millimeters," he says. ITs sitting that brings it on. After 6 months of phyiscal therapy and epidural steroid injections I opted for surgery which was done 4 weeks ago. Only the low back, buttock and groin pain, with occasional shootings to my both legs. With it being the weekend, I am in limbo!!!! I received 2 spinal injections to try to calm the inflamation and nothing worked. Most postoperative patients with herniated lumbar disc complained of lower leg radiating pain (LRP), referred buttock pain (RBP), and low back pain (LBP). If the pain is still there after 3 months, it is unlikely to improve on its own. 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. to our patients, deliveredwith integrity and honesty in a cohesive, family-like environment. For full benefit/risk information, please visit. Thank you for input on this. Once this happens, you might have some discomfort affecting at least one leg because of post-surgery tissue inflammation. Sciatica is a pain condition caused by compression of the spinal nerve. To alleviate any concerns you might have, your surgeonwillcover any potential complicationsbeforethe procedure. Objective: To compare the speed of recovery of different sensory symptoms, pain, numbness, and paresthesia, after lumbar nerve root decompression. The best posture for someone with back pain is lying on their side in the fetal position. Copyright 2020 Intrinsic Therapeutics. The first 3 weeks were rough in terms of inability to walk longer than 20 minutes without tiring, night hip pain and constant incision stiffness. During this surgery, your surgeon removes your damaged disk to relieve pressure on your nerves. It's not always easy to precisely diagnose the symptoms related to nerve irritation around the spine. I know it would be best to still be on sick leave, but this is not possible. So I can move my chin to my chest further, for example. It's not always easy to precisely diagnose the symptoms related to nerve irritation around the spine. 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. Contact: Orthopedic and Spine Institute. The management of a re-herniated disc is much like the primary disc prolapse. The doctor took out pieces of bone that were squeezing the spinal cord and nerves. Anyways, this newly developed, post-surgical buttock pain hasnt resolved even after 2 weeks. Started neurontin this week. Donald Corenman, MD, DC is a highly-regarded spine surgeon, considered an expert in the area of neck and back pain. When the root swells, some return of symptoms can be expected. 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. I want to write about my lifestyle, pain levels, routine, and how things are generally going two years after my microdiscectomy. The disc may press on the spinal nerves and cause pain and numbness in the buttock and leg. I had been on physical therapy>physical therapy from day 10 and in weeks 4 and 5 I started feeling more like myself. Your doctor made a 2.5- to 5-centimetre (1- to 2-inch) cut (incision) in the skin over the spine. Living with a pinched nerve causing both leg and buttock pain can be agonizing. The lumbar laminectomy may be one option. Galvanic current has long duration impulses selections that can be used to stimulate dennervated muscles. The bones help protect the cord . It is one of the most common spinal surgeries performed to alleviate back and leg pain, offering 90 to 95% of patients who undergo the procedure of significant pain relief. I do daily stretches, one of them being lifting legs straight while lying down. By ignoring the pain, you mayalso be neglectinga serious issue that could cause long-term damage. by your doctor. How long ago did you have your surgery? Our physicians serve as innovators in technology,actively participate in national and international research studies,and are on the forefront of medical knowledge. I had my TLIF surgery on 6/24/2020 by Dr. Corenman, I can not say enough good things about the Dr or his staff. Some pain in the back or buttock region post-op is completely normal. These patients may benefit from a minimally invasive surgery called microdiscectomy, which is considered the gold standard surgical treatment for disc herniation. Thankfully, escalation of symptoms is rather uncommon and does not need to be addressed with most patients. So, says Kaixuan Liu, MD, PhD, medical director of the Atlantic Spine Center and a world-renowned endoscopic spine surgeon, who performs a minimally invasive procedure called an endoscopic microdiscectomy and advises his patients to stay mobile, get out and walk, to expedite microdiscectomy recovery and minimize the formation of scar tissue. Hi guys, Exactly 1 week ago I had a microdiscectomy on l4/l5 to remove s herniated disc crushing my spinal cord. Marc J. Levine, MD 1 Hamilton Health Place, Suite 101 Hamilton, NJ 08690 Phone: 609-917-7720 Otarbo Home Search Home Search buttock pain after microdiscectomy (2022) June 9, 2022 . According to a study in the Journal of Neurosurgery, outpatient microdiscectomy is 75 to 80 percent effective at eliminating sciatica pain caused by disc herniation. Study design: A single-center retrospective study. It depends upon the caliber, velocity, distance from the muzzle and the path of the bullet. Also known as spinal decompression surgery, laminectomy enlarges your spinal canal to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves and is typically performed on patients with severe symptoms or those with symptoms that are worsening dramatically. However, two days after the long walk, I developed buttock nerve pain in my right side, the very side that was compromised before surgery. Peekawho is right..you probably need a dose pack of steroids..I had the same problem after my discectomy..they put me on a dose pack, and after the first pill, the pain in my butt and down my leg went away..hang in there..my surgeon explained it this way."the reason you are experiencing that pain, is because the nerve that has been pressed on The pain was constant burning at the left pelvic region, with sharp shooting pain in the left leg. While pain medications may not be needed by 4 to 6 weeks after lumbar microdiscectomy surgery, some patients may need to continue with pain medications for much longer. Was up walking shortly after surgery. Just to mention, even before surgery, I never had much leg pain. The nerve root when decompressed, can swell. Called my surgeons office, spoke with nurse, seemed to care less-pain getting worse-follow-up appointment not until four more days!!! Doc agrees it is probably permanent nerve damage. If youstill have apprehensions, theycansharespecificmicrodiscectomy recovery stories with you. Research has established that the SI joint is the source of pain in nearly half of patients who experience new or continued low back pain after fusion surgery. Sometimes after a discectomy, scar tissue forms near the nerve root and can cause extreme burning or nerve pain even if the surgery was successful in relieving the initial pain. MedHelp is not a medical or healthcare provider and your use of this Site does not create a doctor / patient relationship. 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. Microdiscectomy, also called microdecompression, is a minimally invasive spinal surgery where your surgeon removes a part of the herniated disc to relieve pressure on the spinal nerves. Exercise about a half-dozen times daily for six weeks or more after surgery. While it is hoped that any accompanying back pain . Is this straight leg testof any relevance for determining whether its a reherniation or not? If it's similar or slightly improved to your pre-op pain, then I wouldn't panic. Microdiscectomy is aminimally invasiveoutpatient procedure thats performed underanesthesia. Before using any new medications or going back to old medications, it is important to check with the doctor or pharmacist to reduce the risk of adverse drug interactions or serious side effects. When lifting heavy objects, keep yourback straight and use your knees to lift rather than your back. Usually, the restrictions after lumbar discectomy involve avoiding twisting the spine, especially while lifting heavy things. Prescription non-compliance can cause side effects and other consequences that place your health and wellbeing at risk. All rights reserved. For patients experiencing nerve pain from a herniated or bulging vertebral disc, significant weakness and numbness can result in the legs and buttock areas that correspond with the pinched nerve. If the nerve is still irritated or swollen, there can still be pain present, greater on the side of the prior herniation. Even though the nerve is injured at the spine, it feels like the pain is coming from the . Other times the sciatica may be . Some days, i have quite persistent soreness in lower back and bum no matter sitting, standing or lying down. Even after reading through all the answers you gave to others with similar problems, I am not sure this is normal. Longer-term problems can occur after spine surgery. is surgery that creates space by removing the lamina, the back part of the vertebrae that covers your spinal cord. Vic1979. Lifting heavy objects while recovering, especiallythoseoff the floor, can worsen you pain. 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. During this time, the incision will likely become inflamed and there may be some drainage. A thin towel or t-shirt may be used as a barrier between the heat/ice source and the skin to avoid direct skin injury. Diskectomy works best for treating pain that travels down the arms or legs from a compressed nerve. I have also started swimming two days ago. FAQs About Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgery, The Benefits of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery. But what if you start experiencing long-lasting pain that persists for weeks and months after your surgery? This seroma should resolve in 2-3 months. Its not extreme. You can expect your back to feel stiff or sore after surgery. Finding the actual source of your discomfort following an initial microdiscectomy may involve: It Could Be Due to Scar Tissue or Other Possibilities. my doctor recommended surgery. All I feel is the tightness in my hamstrings, no stabbing pain like before. Disc degeneration and herniation are common back problems leading to surgery. Patients with a large hole in the outer ring of the disc are more than twice as likely to reherniate after surgery. During the initial 2 weeks after a microdiscectomy surgery, the pain is most intense. Never disregard the medical advice of your physician or health professional, or delay in seeking such advice, because of something you read on this Site. Also known as spinal decompression surgery, laminectomy enlarges your spinal canal to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves and is typically performed on patients with severe symptoms or those with symptoms that are worsening dramatically. Leg pain is definitely secondary to problems in back because there is a spinal cord from brain to the tail tip which gives branches to the legs and arms at d. A burning sensation after spine surgery can be the direct result of these muscles and ligaments repairing themselves during the healing process. I was always treated with respect and explained everything throughly, that made it easy for everyone to understand. This should improve in the weeks after surgery. 1.2 Inflammation of the membranes that surround the nerves of the spinal cord. "Research has shown that microdiscectomy has a success rate as high as 90 percent in alleviating nerve pressure and eliminating pain," Dr. Liu says. In some cases, areherniationmightpresent in the form of back pain up to two years after a microdiscectomy. 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. Iron Neck for chronic pain caused by foraminal stenosis? We strive to. Surgery went well. You may not have a high pain tolerance but you do have a high pain medication relief level. Maintaining spinal mobility is key to the healing process. Thanks for the response. These can include: blood loss. Aspineinjury mayalsolead torecurrent disc herniation, such asthosecaused byrigorous sports activities or motor vehicle accidents. Herniation can occur due to back injuries, undue spinal stress from heavy lifting or participation in sports, and even the normal aging process as the spinal discs dry out and become more brittle, forcing a disc's outer membrane to crack and its inner core material to ooze out. Ideally, after an L4-L5 matrix microdiscectomy, you should get pain relief. Peekawho is right..you probably need a dose pack of steroids..I had the same problem after my discectomy..they put me on a dose pack, and after the first pill, the pain in my butt and down my leg went away..hang in there..my surgeon explained it this way"the reason you are experiencing that pain, is because the nerve that has been pressed on by the disc for so long, is extremely "pissed off" and needs time to cool down.."it did finally cool down, with the help of the steroidsYes, be firm with the officegood luck..did you have foot drop?..if so, how severe?..and has it improved? Dr. Cross notes that SI joints normally move less than 1 millimeter. 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. Using small surgical tools, your surgeon will create a tiny incision and move aside the muscles and nerve root. These symptoms might be annoying but dont pay too much attention to them as these paresthesias tend to go away over time. For patients with strenuous or physically demanding jobs,waiting three months or longer before resuming physical work activities is the norm. Went ahead with microdiscectomy and surgery was successful.