Acute persistent sciatica 16 weeks after successful laminectomy

@dodders1952
What levels did you have done in your lumbar spine? What were your symptoms before surgery and how are they different after surgery? Did you have sciatica before surgery?

I had lumbar spine decompression and fusion surgery on L3-L5 due to severe stenosis, degenerative disc disease and neurogenic claudication. It has taken me over 6 months to feel the full benefits and effects of the surgery. Nerves take a long time to heal if they are not permanently damaged.

With a laminectomy, your spinal cord and nerve roots that are compressed have more room to move and there is most likely inflammation around the surgical site 16 weeks post operation. This can cause pain due to irritated and healing nerves. It will take time for things to calm down.

Are you seeing a pain management specialist to help manage your post operative pain? Have you had any post op imaging (X-rays/MRI)? Are you doing any physical therapy? Are you using any nerve pain patches or creams (like Salonpas) or Voltaren gel for inflammation?

I am sorry to hear that the surgery did not permanently relieve your sciatica. I also had a serious problem with sciatica and sought a solution that was also not a permanent one. A sciatica clinic had opened up and (at a very high cost) was treating people by stretching the body on a specially designed table. It felt great on the spot, but did not last. I persisted for a while, just in case the accumulated treatments would bring permanent relief. That did not happen. I was at the end of my rope when I saw an advertisement for Dr Ho’s belt. This belt has a pump that inflates it with air, and it tractions and stretches the lower back, decompressing the spinal discs. Now, I am not one to buy all kinds of gadgets out there, but, hey, I had nothing to lose. I purchased the belt many years ago, and it is the best thing I have EVER bought. The sciatica is GONE, except for the smallest flair up once in a while, which is mild and will last for a minute or so. Please do yourself a favour and try this therapy. It is non-invasive and has also brought relief to other people I know. You could check out Dr Ho’s website, and read up on his invention. All the best to you. I really hope you find relief!

Thanks for your reply. I take note of what you say and will look into some of your suggestions. I did have sciatica before my operation, but afterwards felt pain-free for several weeks. However, the sciatica has returned on the right hand side. Seeing someone about pain management seems an excellent suggestion thank you.

Sorry, I forgot to say my laminectomy was on L4 L5.

@dodders1952
I also had relief after my decompression/fusion surgery once I recovered from the open surgery pain (they cut through muscle which was very painful). Hopefully, you had minimally invasive surgery.

My pain improved and then I got new pain several months after my surgery and now believe it was due to compressed nerves trapped for over 12 years were finally free and starting to heal. Nerve healing can be painful. I started to have some relief of nerve pain from healing after 6 months.

You will want to keep an eye on your L4-L5 over time to make sure you don’t have any disc herniations/vertebrae slippage. Since vertebrae are cut during the laminectomy procedure, the strength is changed. Sort of like removing blocks from a foundation or panels/shingles on a roof.

I had this happen to me after lumbar surgery (laminectomies, foraminotomies, and discectomy). I was great for maybe 2 months and was even careful to follow all post-surgical instructions about bending, lifting, twisting, stretching, etc. Then all of a sudden one day I woke up at night, went to step out of bed, and almost fell because I had no feeling in one leg. Then the horrific pain started from my rear all the way down into my ankle. The sciatica pain felt as though someone sliced me open the whole way down and poured rubbing alcohol into the wound. The pain was 24/7 and unrelenting. I had new MRIs done and it was found that I had scar tissue, even though I did everything I was told to help prevent it. (I had to get two MRIS done - one with contrast and one without contrast because I had recently had surgery). Anyway, I went to get another ESI and that Doctor was actually able to flush out a piece of stuck scar tissue during my ESI, which resolved my sciatica pain. So, it is possible you could have scar tissue as well.

Many thanks for your reply. I was already thinking of asking for another MRI to see what’s going on. Possibly an MRI of my hip too. Whilst my issue is very painful. It doesn’t sound quite as severe as yours was, though the suddenness of the onset of pain after several weeks being pain-free could easily be caused by the same thing. I guess the only way to check is by repeating the MRI. I’m seeing my GP on Wednesday this week and I will mention your case to him. Thanks again I’m very grateful.

You're welcome and I really hope you can find the cause! When you had the first MRI, did they give you two of them - with contrast and without contrast? Asking because I was told contrast can help identify scar tissue (and other issues).

To be honest I don’t know exactly what type of MRI I had. I will ask the question this week. I did have an MRI on my right hip together with one on my back a few months before where I was diagnosed with a cyst in my hip joint. The doctor told me that my right side sciatica may be due to that but that likely it would disperse if left alone. . However he seemed to discount that prior to my laminectomy when the pain scams more widespread. I was willing to accept the diagnosis particularly as the operation seemed to cure my pain initially. But given that the right side sciatica has returned I’m wondering whether the cyst may not have dispersed and may be the cause. I’ve decided I’m going to get a hip MRI to check this.