Hello,
On 2/16 I will be 2 months post-op an L5/S1 TLIF fusion and I have found that as the weeks wear on since the surgery I find more and more nerve issues cropping up. Prior to the surgery I was having a lot of weakness in my right leg and some left foot numbness issues all of which are still a problem today. I find it difficult to walk much and I can walk without a cane but not for long before my right leg just can't function normally. My NS said that my disc was entirely gone but that he did not see any nerve compression while performing the fusion so I am not sure what the culprit was/is. On top of the nerve issues prior to surgery now I am having a lot of burning and numbness down the back of my legs and feet which I did not have prior to surgery. Has anyone experienced this 2 months after fusion surgery? I guess I would have expected some nerve pain/issues right after surgery but not 2 months afterward. I have an appointment with the NS tomorrow and will go over this with him but I am wondering if this is "normal" and will resolve itself-- I don't feel hopeful at this point.
One other question I have is what kind of imaging will show nerve compression? I hope the answer is something other than a CT Myelogram. I am factor XI deficient and most ansthesiologists would never "poke" my spinal cord. Anyway I sure hope that there is some way to find out where the nerve problems are coming from.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
BTW - L5/S1 was the only level where I had any DDD or bulging disc.