Laminectomy. Has anyone had one? I have been told I should have it done and the sooner the better. Any info on what to expect after the procedure would be appreciated. Results, pain, recovery time or anything I should know. Thanks

 

Looks like it is serious stuff.

 

I have had two. One in my neck that was pinching a nerve in my back. Just like a hot poker being stuck in the middle of my back. Relieved the pain immediately. One week of in house rehab. The second was from a crushed disk. Did the laminectomy and also fused two vertebrae. Four screws, bone from a cadaver, and two weeks in hospital rehab. Relieved the pain then too.

 

i had one back in 92.where is the issue?as ed said instant relief.but you will be altering your lifestyle.

 

L34 L45 and I think L5 s1. Low back area. How will this change my life style? At the present I have trouble standing straight, walking any distance and leg goes dead. I do some heavy lifting at work and I like to golf. I better talk to the doc again. When he showed me what he wanted to do, I guess I went into a bit of shock and lost my focus of what was being said.

 

I have two herniated disks in my lower back one between s1 and L5 and one between L5 and L4 accompanied by spinal stenosis and plenty of arthritis .needless to say the pain it causes at times is horrendous .My doctor says im not ready for surgery yet!This laminectomy seems like a big deal to me i would exhaust all other options first .sooner or later this may be a choice i have to make .Good luck with whatever you chose

 

My step mother had nerves in her lower back ablated to relieve pain. It was moderately successful, better than being doped up on pain killers and unable to drive or function. She might have to get the surgery eventually but it's one of those things you want to put off as long as possible. Good luck.

 

Have you used a TENS unit to relieve or deal with the pain? I have frequent L4-L5 pain and sciatica all the way to my ankle. Ice and the TENS unit have kept me going for years without surgery. If you get a TENS unit get one that also has NEMS. Many times I get out from under the car and use ice and the TENS.

Good luck, I know your pain!

 

I have a tens and did phys therapy for 6 months with little results other than very temporary, like minutes to a couple hours.Its just getting worse. If I don't use a cart in the grocery store or a place like home depot I risk being stuck in the back until my leg starts responding again. When the doc was looking at myx-rays and scan pics he asked if I lost controll of my bowels or bladder yet. I wonder if I could stuill play golf and lift heavy object after surgery if it is a success

 

My lower back fusion was L5 S1. It alters your lifestyle because it limits your bending over and amount of weight you can (or should) lift. Makes you use your legs and knees to bend and lift versus stooping over, which you shouldn't do anyway.

 

The bowel and bladder question is generally asked. Results vary a great deal among patients. I have seen professional hockey and football players go back to playing after recovery from a laminectomy surgery. I have also seen patients with a nerve impingement that was allowed to remain too long that did result in permanent nerve damage causing loss of foot control ("foot drop").

A herniated disc is different from a ruptured disc. A herniation is basically a bulge in the annulus which is the covering around the disc itself. A herniated disc may even be congenital and often is non-symptomatic. When you have ruptured lumbar disc, the gelatinous material squirts through the annulus and may impinge upon a nerve running to the hip or a lower extremity.

There is more than one procedure available to correct a ruptured disc. Some procedures are less invasive than others. Some surgeons are better than others. Since you have tried conservative therapy, I would try to identify the best in the field in your area and get a second opinion. But, I would not delay.

 

i'm with tri-carb the sooner it gets corrected the better.i had an L5 my main issue was i couldn't sit on the toilet to take a well you know,pain was ungodly.my surgeon was awesome,i have a scar about 3/4 of an inch long.also as ed mentioned,phy therapy after will work on your other muscles to take strain off your lower back,my dr told me no more than 50 lbs for the rest of my life,but i have lifted stuff up to and just over 100 lbs,say from the back of a pickup to the work bench.i figure as long as i'm not bending over i should be good.as for golf,i golf just loosen up real good before you head out.

 

https://www.webmd.com/back-pain/guid...ring-and-after

 

I had one of these and it solved my back problem but it did create a whole new problem because I later found out the doctor cut a nerve root in my back and covered it up. So if you do go through with surgery make sure you do your homework on the doctor you use.

 

I can't speak to the Laminectomy but my wife was fused from T4 to L4 do to severe scoliosis. It was life changing in many ways but nearly all for the better. My only advice is that there are good and bad back surgeons and don't hesitate to get a second opinion. Second opinions cost more money but with something like this I would pay it. We were lucky to have one of the best surgeons in the country do my wifes surgery. We follow others from around the world that come to the USA to have this surgery done and some of them get really poor work done and have to go through 2 or 3 more surgeries to correct the errors made the first time. I don't say this to scare you, and ours situation is much different than yours, even requires a different specialist, just feel you should not hesitate to get a second opinion if you have any question you feel is not answered.