To have surgery or not to have surgery!!

[Back2lyfe]

I herniated disc at L-5 S-1 level. I have radicupathy and my legs and toes are numb. I never was educated on the spinal nerves on the body that if your nerves are impinged after 6 months you should have surgery. It has been 2 years after my herniated disc. I have been in pain for 2 years i cannot go through the day without pain pills. 2 years ago i had 4 cars and i was 1 semester away from transfering to UC school i also had great credit. 2 years later i still am a semester away from going to uc school i had to sell 3 of my cars, my credit is ruined and Im near homeless. My question is since its been 2 years will surgery help me get the numbness off of my feet and will i ever be able to move like i was befoRE. since i have waited long to have surgery will it be a waste to have surgery?

[longroadahead]

Have you seen a doctor about surgery? That would be the first step. Since you seem to know what level and it is a herniation would think you have seen a doctor.

Don't think it would be too late and that you have waited 2 years it would appear the disc still has not healed itself. The hardest part IMHO is finding the right doctor and procedure that is best for you.

Did your symptoms develop all at once 2 years ago or have you had gradual onset of symptoms?

[Maria]

That is a question I cannot answer however can you walk on your toes, heels, squat, stand on one foot, and all that jazz (neuro exam). Still can't answer your surgical question. Do you have good muscle tone still and function of your extremities, no drop foot? Chances are you're still a surgical candidate. Can it fix your numbness? Good question for the surgeons.

I had numbness w/my rt. foot first few toes (great toe,one next to it) and creeping up my leg. Not severe numbness but when I would drive it was scary because I couldn't feel my foot on the pedal pushing down so would hold my pants leg and move leg up and down. Practically stopped driving for a year or two. Dr. said I had "compression" related numbness from my L5S1 narrowing/bulge but not impinging on nerve or anything on MRI. At that time when I asked.. will surgery help this.. he said "It might and it might not" so I waited. I got more surgical opinions. I was considering ADR at 2 levels then hybrid surgery (ADR at L4 and fusion at L5S1). I did neither.

Now it's about 7 -10 years later and I no longer have the numbness nor the degree of back pain as before (L5S1 autofused but my original injury was nearly 30 years ago).

Why don't you get a few more opinions/consultations. If you're still able to use your extremity and function is the same hopefully things are still Ok. That's not to say "wait longer" or "have surgery" it's just to say get qualifed opinions that matter.

[dshobbies]

Hi Back2lyfe and welcome to the forum,

I'm sorry you need to be here - spinal problems are quite intricate and confusing to maneuver around.

Nerve questions are difficult to answer because very little is known about them. Will they heal? Can they heal, etc. A nerve conductivity test should answer whether your nerves are still functioning but that won't answer if they'll come back or how much they might improve, only the possibility.

After nerve damage during surgery, my nerves tested positive but after 5 years, normal feeling has only partially returned. At this point, it's unlikely there will be any further improvement.

However, I must ask what you have done to try to fix your two year old problem? What have doctors advised you. What kind of doctors have you seen and how many? Suffering as you have for two years is too long, especially if a herniation is compressing your spinal cord. When was your last MRI and what were the results.

Please tell us where you live and perhaps someone can recommend a doctor(s) for another opinion. This has been going on for too long.

Dale

[Back2lyfe]

I was hurt by lifting a heavy box and manuevering it the wrong way. I am in california state in the USA. I do not have foot drop, i can still walk on toes barely and ankles. I can also bend and squat. I cannot sit or stand longer than an hour without having to lay down. My whole left leg will go numb when i sit i also get a shocking sensation in my anus wheni sit. Leg pain is always noticable i need to sit with my foot on the chair and angle it when i sleep as well. Pain is constantly on my mind. I depend on taking 10/325 norco about 6 a day. If i do not take any medication before i go to bed i will wake up at night until i get medication in my body inorder to finish an average day of sleep. Disc prostustion with radicupathy i am willing to try anything so i wish i can one day be able to run. I am very athletic before the injury i have gained weight now and am depressed. i want my life back.. anymore input would be awesome thanks guys

[Maria]

You may still be a surgical candidate. I had some similar symptoms in the more delicate part of the anatomy you mentioned that supposedly had to do w/my L4 disc bulge. You might also benefit from a longer acting pain medication. I'd recommend getting some surgical consults and talking w/your Pain Management doc re something maybe more effective to manage your pain. I live in CA as well. There are plenty of good docs here in So Cal. and I'm sure in other parts as well. Is WC covering your injury or regular medical insurance or do you have any prob trying to schedule appts/consultations?

[dshobbies]

B2L,

What has your doctor advised as to, physical therapy, surgical options or anything else?

You are describing nerve damage/irritation brought on by a herniated disc pressing against the spinal cord. I've absolutely no medical expertise, just personal experience. The sooner the pressure issue is resolved, the better for the long term healing benefit to the irritated nerves. Two years is too long a period to wait for this relief when there are options.

I have to wonder at a doctor that has allowed this to continue. Have been under a doctor's care during this entire time? It's time to get this addressed and under control.

Please tell us more about your doctor's, their advise, any non-invasive remedies you have tried, etc. Do you live near L.A. or elsewhere? BTW, is this a worker's comp case? Surgery may very well be in your future and which one is another discussion but you first need to understand what is happening, why and so on. It doesn't appear too much has been explained to you!

Dale

[Back2lyfe]

This is a work comp case which makes it difficult for me to get the right medical care. The way the workcomp didnt come to me until 8 months after my accident. I wasnt aware of the nerves getting impinged longer than 6 months. I saw a doctor and he had the same injury i did and he ended up having a micro-D which didnt work out for him so he told me not to do it which made me not go for physical therapy and now the pain is not manageable withour pills. I only saw one PTP and he is a bad doctor he ended up dropping me. I was wondering since you have to be referred to a specialist such as a nuerology or spine specialist doctor. WHat type of PTP doctor should i pick from the MPN list.

[mmglobal]

Hello Back2Lyfe... Welcome to the forum!

I'm sorry that you find yourself in this situation. It's impossible to have an opinion about what you might do based on the description here. If things aren't going in the right direction and have not been for so long, if you are a good candidate for surgery, then that may be your best option. WC gets in the way.

Be careful... the same surgery performed by different doctors can be VERY different from one doc to the next. Do your homework... make informed decisions.

Goog luck! please keep us posted.

All the best,

Mark

[Maria]

My case has always been WC re my low back (since early 80's). It wasn't such a struggle then to get things authorized as it is now but it wasn't easy either. Now it's nearly impossible.

My PTP has been the same Orthopedic Spine Surgeon since '98. He hasn't done any spine surgery on me although I had picked him to manage my care and was considering having surgery done w/him but then sought other opinions.

Before him I had a medical doctor as my PTP who referred me to the Neurosurgeon who did my first discectomy. I think the only reason I decided to utlilize someone else was distance in terms of driving.

I was told that PTP and surgeon aren't usually the same person because the surgeon stops treating at a certain point (after releasing one from care) and the PTP continues to manage your care. Whether that still holds true or not I don't know however I have used the OSS as my PTP to order my ESIs, refer me to PM, and overall do the paperwork involved in my WC case (keep it straight). I didn't want to switch doctors as WC is such a pain in the arse it's good to have at least one doctor that knew my case and legalities involved. Don't get someone who isn't familiar w/WC as they won't know how to write the reports and can screw things up further for you.

I saw a really good Neurosurgeon for consultation in San Diego and also several extremely reputable Orthopedic Spine surgeons in the LA area for opinions. My PTP is in the city I live in. I don't know if there have been legislative changes re picking PTPs, how easy it is to switch PTPs and all that. It's best to familiarize yourself with the WC legislation in your state.

[cherylstewart67]

Dear B2L, So ask yourself and your doctor, have we done we we can? If the answer is yes, then most likely surgery is the next step. As you know from reading the posts on here, it does NOT always solve all of your pain or mobility issues. My first surgery was due to spinal cord involvement, so no choice. If it's only one level I highly suggest you look into ADR artificial disc replacement rather than fusion. Fusion can lead to more problems later on. Read about Wolf's Law. God bless and keep us updated. Cheryl

[Maria]

I don't know what state you're in regarding your WC legislation. In CA it's getting very difficult to have anything authorized anymore re WC although I'm sure a persistant surgeon w/the right information can eventually manage that.

Your PTP should be familiar w/WC IMHO. Your PTP should be willing to make necessary referrals to surgeons and PM and any other necessary referrals needed re your spine. Your PTP should be familiar w/WC because how the reports are written can facilitate and expedite your care/case.

It is very important you get someone that will work with you and not against you. Good luck.

[dridobits]

I so understand how your feeling. I used to be a dancer and a runner and it's so hard to be in pain. Do you feel you are getting adequate relief from the painkillers? Maybe you need something longer acting as well as what you are taking now.

As for waiting for surgery, I waited for over ten years. I had surgery last year. I am glad I did. While I still have problems, I don't have the nerve issues I did. After exhaustive research I found out that for my condition people who had surgery were much better off. I don't think because you've waited that you should be discouraged from pursuing surgery.

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