epidural fibrosis

[Gil Denis]

Hello All

I have a question.
What is epidural fibrosis
I have this at two levels

Thanks
Gil

[Maria]

scar tissue

If there are ways to differentiate if and how the scar tissue contributes to your pain pattern then perhaps that can be done. Perhaps it does and perhaps it doesn't (contribute that is). Perhaps it's part of a complex of pain generators. Perhaps it's just a normal part of the healing process that isn't bothering anything.. ? Good luck with upcoming consultation(s).

[Maria]

Postoperative Epidural Fibrosis : The Clinical Journal of Pain

[mmglobal]

The 'scar tissue' diagnosis is often used when they don't know what's happening.

[Gil Denis]

Hey Mark

I got this from my last MRI report.It has nothing to do with the surgeon she is clueless. She still thought the Charte disc is still the best???

Thanks
Gil

[mmglobal]

what does it say about epidural fibrosis... mild, moderate, severe... causing stenosis???

[Maria]

Gil,
when I had my discectomies I was told scar tissue would form in place of where the disc material had been taken out so there wouldn't be a collapse so to speak. With my first discectomy I think that may have happened but it was odd that my 2nd discectomy nearly 3 years later caused me so much pain afterwards and about at the 6th month mark I think is when the scar tissue on SI nerve root was noted. I cannot remember the description but I believe it said something about "encasing" the S1 nerve root and was it left or right I don't remember.

The thing is that supposedly per my OSS the sacral nerve roots all exit the same place and the scar tissue may have caused clumping and the weird diffuse bilateral symptoms I had which were arachnoiditis like for nearly 5 years post that 2nd surgery.

Back then basically no one would touch me re suggestion of more surgery and I was even told I was "doctor shopping" when just seeking opinions re what's going on however things have changed so much now and I'm sure that there is a better way to determine what role if any this epidural fibrosis may play in your pain presentation or at least I certainly hope so.

Re bulging discs can be a pain enough from my own experience and I was told for the longest time that more surgery causes more scar tissue until the early 2000s thru 2006 when offered ADR and/or hybrid surgery at 2 levels.

Also I was offered RAZC for the scar tissue but that was in 2004 and from what I had read scar tissue responds best to this procedure in the first year of formation.

Currently I have zero idea how scar tissue is treat if thought to be problematic however Mark most likely does and I think some others here have much more recent info with regard to scar tissue and potential treatment.

Are you taking Gabapentin or Lyrica or something of this nature? You may have already replied to this question if I asked it earlier..

[Gil Denis]

Hi Marie and Mark

Thank you for the information.

Mark : Moderate on the left and mild on the right with bilateral foraminal stenosis

Just sent my profile to TBI

Thanks
Gil

[Maria]

Hey Gil,
I was just thinking about scar tissue and wanted to add that I used to be very concerned about the scar tissue on my S1 nerve root and I always made sure to inquire when I saw a doctor what did he or she think re this as a pain generator and would more surgery generate more and was this the likely cause of my pain and for tho.

I suppose it depends where the scar tissue is and what it's near as to whether it might be involved in being part of the pain complex tho just thought you might want to bring it up during your upcoming consultations and see what replies you will get.

Neurontin helped me greatly with symptoms thought to be caused by scar tisue tho a low dose opioid pain medicine seems to have compounded in obliteration of supposed nerve pain that was at least in part attributed to "scar tissue."

Maybe it loosened up after all these years on me where it should have and filled in other places where it should have...