1. < Chronic Pain

Any tips for Failed Back Surgery Syndrome?

Posted by phxratt1 @phxratt1, Jun 3 10:09am

Hi, I've had 2 lumbar microdiscectomies and an L4-5 fusion, and still deal with chronic pain, which I now think is FBSS. Does anyone else deal with this, and has anything helped?

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heisenberg34 | @heisenberg34 | 1 day ago
In reply to @jimmyc52 "Soooo, BTW: I now have to contact a pain management specialist to write a prescription! Contact..." + (show)
@jimmyc52

Soooo, BTW: I now have to contact a pain management specialist to write a prescription! Contact a Dr. to contact a doctor for a prescription to take back to the SAME HOSPITAL for the procedure 🤯. Thanks Mayo, a real “premier HEALTHCARE provider !

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Sounds like a "Catch-22" situation. Crazy!!

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mnn8 | @mnn8 | 1 day ago
In reply to @loriesco "I’ve had a lot of surgeries, and I noticed those little surgeries like you had are..." + (show)
@loriesco

I’ve had a lot of surgeries, and I noticed those little surgeries like you had are ineffective, and you probably need to go to another orthopedic surgeon and have fusion and laminectomy (people commonly have at L3 L4 L5). I read up a lot on the discectomy and the like, before I ended up After having two hip replacements, and then finally a major lumbar fusion and laminectomy with an amazing orthopedic surgeon who wasted no time and told me my nerves are crushed and I need to have immediate surgery. I saw four orthopedic and neurology surgeons. He was my night and shining armor. Don’t give up and go for second third fourth opinions if you need to until you find your night in shining armor.

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Would you mind sharing who did your surgery? We are looking for more opinions after pain not getting better but rather worse than before.

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1 reply
elizadolittle | @elizadolittle | 1 day ago
In reply to @jimmyc52 "Had a total laminectomy @ Mayo in October 21. Went through several rehabs (1 before 2..." + (show)
@jimmyc52

Had a total laminectomy @ Mayo in October 21. Went through several rehabs (1 before 2 after. I’ve complained (even met with the surgeon) and according to them, all was well (EGO). Can now barely walk and they’re STILL kicking the can down the road. Congratulations Mayo, I’ve officially surrendered to the “MEDICAL FRATERNITY. NO MORE

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Doctors can only see what's on the e-rays. They can't see what the nerves are doing. I'm trying a combination of accupuncture and lazar. I've had three treatments. It seems to be working. The first treatment didn't do much except to get me thinking that it just might work. Last week was the closest I've had to what I call a "normal" week. Don't give up. Keep trying things. Try alternative
things. e.g. accupuncture, physiotherapy, chiropractic, lazar. You never know what will work.

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1 reply
bobt8 | @bobt8 | 1 day ago
In reply to @loriesco "I’ve had a lot of surgeries, and I noticed those little surgeries like you had are..." + (show)
@loriesco

I’ve had a lot of surgeries, and I noticed those little surgeries like you had are ineffective, and you probably need to go to another orthopedic surgeon and have fusion and laminectomy (people commonly have at L3 L4 L5). I read up a lot on the discectomy and the like, before I ended up After having two hip replacements, and then finally a major lumbar fusion and laminectomy with an amazing orthopedic surgeon who wasted no time and told me my nerves are crushed and I need to have immediate surgery. I saw four orthopedic and neurology surgeons. He was my night and shining armor. Don’t give up and go for second third fourth opinions if you need to until you find your night in shining armor.

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I am going to make a general statement about patients being part of the failed surgeries. I am not pointing fingers and no accusations. I have had over 45 surgeries, 4 individual cervical fusions (C3-T1 in total), 3 laminectomies/discectomies and finally L3-S1 fusion, new shoulder and I could go on. The lumbar fusion was the most painful surgery I’ve had, the doctor wanted me out of work 6-9 months. Family bills, mortgage, car payments…6-9 months? Can’t afford to do it. As I was getting discharged I asked the surgeon when would I start PT, not for at least 6 months. All I want you to do is walk. I got into a routine of getting the kids on the bus at 7:45 and I’d just start walking. I get back home from my walk around noon or so. At my 6 month follow up I asked the doc if I could go back to work. He said it’s only been 6 months, you haven’t had any PT. He asked if I was walking, yup, for how long? I don’t know I said but I’m doing about 40 miles per week. Two days later I was back to work. We as patients have a responsibility to hold up our own end of the surgical agreement. I look at PT (I hate PT) as my full time job while I’m not working because of surgery and devote my efforts to the excersises to strengthen the muscles supporting my joints, neck, lower back and more. If there’s no exercises at that point, walk. Walking is by far the best overall exercise there is. I am absolutely 100% honest with surgeries as I am about a 3 month coma, 6 week coma , 2 trips in a life flight helicopter and being killed in a 60mph head on collision. Surgery is in addition to what we need to do to heal.

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1 reply
jimmyc52 | @jimmyc52 | 23 hours ago
In reply to @elizadolittle "Doctors can only see what's on the e-rays. They can't see what the nerves are doing...." + (show)
@elizadolittle

Doctors can only see what's on the e-rays. They can't see what the nerves are doing. I'm trying a combination of accupuncture and lazar. I've had three treatments. It seems to be working. The first treatment didn't do much except to get me thinking that it just might work. Last week was the closest I've had to what I call a "normal" week. Don't give up. Keep trying things. Try alternative
things. e.g. accupuncture, physiotherapy, chiropractic, lazar. You never know what will work.

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Thanks but @73 I’m finished ✅. Neighbor is a pain Dr. now talking hospice. Keep me comfortable until the end 🙏.
Medical is THE issue here, total incompetence ✅

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jimmyc52 | @jimmyc52 | 22 hours ago
In reply to @mnn8 "Would you mind sharing who did your surgery? We are looking for more opinions after pain..." + (show)
@mnn8

Would you mind sharing who did your surgery? We are looking for more opinions after pain not getting better but rather worse than before.

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Mark Lyons

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jimmyc52 | @jimmyc52 | 22 hours ago

Mark Lyons/neurologist

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phxratt1 | @phxratt1 | 5 hours ago
In reply to @bajjerfan "Has the type of pain changed? Quite possible that there is another source of the pain?" + (show)
@bajjerfan

Has the type of pain changed? Quite possible that there is another source of the pain?

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Pain is mainly in upper right buttock now. I had an MRI in late May, and wondering if doctor will say it's right foraminal stenosis.

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phxratt1 | @phxratt1 | 5 hours ago
In reply to @fletchette "Don’t you love it now they have a name for thi? failed back surgery. What a..." + (show)
@fletchette

Don’t you love it now they have a name for thi? failed back surgery. What a joke I’ve had three failed back surgeries, two in the lumbar spine and one in the thoracic. I’ve had a spine cord stimulator implanted. The company went out of business. But the stimulator never brought relief. I’ve tried to acupuncture. Massage. Prednisone step downs.
My surgeries were 10 years ago. I still have pain and trouble walking any distance. But they’ve been with me for such a long time that they’ve normalized. Life is just going through days with failed back surgery pain.

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I know what you're talking about. The surgeons say... ""yes, have the surgery, it will fix the cause of your pain." Then after the surgery, you still have pain, and they say... hmmm... we'll, your post-op MRI looks fine, I don't know why your back hurts. They should tell patients the statistics on lumbar surgeries: 50% success rate 1st surgery, 30% 2nd surgery, then 15%, and only 5% on 4th lumbar surgery. Not a great batting average.

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1 reply
marialyce | @marialyce | 2 hours ago
In reply to @loriesco "I’ve had a lot of surgeries, and I noticed those little surgeries like you had are..." + (show)
@loriesco

I’ve had a lot of surgeries, and I noticed those little surgeries like you had are ineffective, and you probably need to go to another orthopedic surgeon and have fusion and laminectomy (people commonly have at L3 L4 L5). I read up a lot on the discectomy and the like, before I ended up After having two hip replacements, and then finally a major lumbar fusion and laminectomy with an amazing orthopedic surgeon who wasted no time and told me my nerves are crushed and I need to have immediate surgery. I saw four orthopedic and neurology surgeons. He was my night and shining armor. Don’t give up and go for second third fourth opinions if you need to until you find your night in shining armor.

Jump to this post

Who did your surgery

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