Connect
← Return to Sciatic pain after a laminectomy and L4/L5 fusion
Discussion
Sciatic pain after a laminectomy and L4/L5 fusion
Spine Health | Last Active: Apr 11 8:11am | Replies (20)Comment receiving replies
I would appreciate hearing from members if the fusion surgery really helps diminish pain. I’ve been struggling with sciatica pain for many years. I’m trying to decide if the pain would improve with fusion surgery. My surgeon creates a sunny picture of signification improvement. However I’ve heard stories from people, who got bad results or even worse results with fusion surgery. Meanwhile I go from epidural to epidural. Thanks.
Replies to "I would appreciate hearing from members if the fusion surgery really helps diminish pain. I’ve been..."
@thankful1 It sounds like a decision when there can be variables. One source you may be interest in is a website called mskneurology.com. If you look at the articles section for low back and pelvis, there are some conditions that cause pain that mimic spine conditions. Those are related to muscles causing tight compression of nerves. It maybe worth a physical therapy evaluation. PT may be able to help calm things down or buy some time before surgery. If you do have surgery, there will probably be a lot of rehab afterward.
Connect
@thankful1
If epidurals still work for like 3-6 months I would have kept doing them, but mine quit.
Fusion is a broad category of types.
Biggest thing is to research, research, research.
Some fusions are done because of instability. If this is the case the pain may or may not be helped, but it probably has to be done
If the pain is coming from a problem like foramanal stenosis (I have that) where there is just no room for the nerve anymore, it is a pretty good chance it will work but there is always chances of damage created by surgery or pain being generated somewhere else.
I trust my surgeon but they are always optomistic they can fix the structure and thats a good thing but it doesn't mean a sucessful repair will equate to a pain level that you are looking for or even coming out the same or worse.
Because the fusions create extra stress on the levels above and below the fusion a lot of people end up having another fusion down the road.
I have been told realistically the goal on mine would be 50% reduction in pain, will that get me back to playing golf, mowing the lawn, rough housing with grandkids? I don't know.
It is a risk reward question to me. Right now I know the pain I have vs not knowing the result. Both surgeons I have seen would prefer me to wait.
With that said a lot of people come out really well.
When my wife had her 1st fusion looking back I wish I knew more, maybe it could have been delayed or treated more aggressively non-surgically.