Sciatic pain after a laminectomy and L4/L5 fusion

@downhillmarg 6 weeks is still pretty early in recovery and the incision takes that long to heal. My surgery was cervical and it took at least 3 months until I could forget I had just had surgery. I suggest ask this question of your surgical team. Perhaps you need new imaging to evaluate this.

I hope you are right. I feel discouraged.

@downhillmarg My surgery really helped with my sciatica pain. I have only felt it randomly as things are healing. There is a lot of trauma and inflammation caused by the surgery and all of it can maintain or increase sciatica pain until you heal.
Those soft gel ice packs are amazing for sitting back in a recliner and letting the cold penetrate everywhere that you feel pain.
Wishing you the best, Sherry

I had the same surgeries. It just made the pain worse. I have been on Norco, otherwise I couldn't live a semi normal life. Maybe you'll have better luck than I did.

I’m sorry you’re having pain. However, your post surgery swelling hasn’t had time to heal. Talk to your doctor about the pain and ask them to help you manage it. Sciatic pain can be many things and different to many people. I have had sciatic pain for over 30 years. It comes and goes, but it mostly comes when I sit too much and I don’t do the light exercise and stretch stretching that I should. You can try an MFR therapist And see if they can tackle your sciatic pain. They do a great job on mine and it goes away only to return if I don’t stop my bad habits!

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.

@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.

I am a little more than 4 months iut from lower fusion. My back below the fusion is now causing pain. It’s too early to say if I improved things but ot suee looks like I now have more pain issues yo deal with.

@jlssurplus yes, mine is stenosis also. The surgeon, as u say is optimistic. He thinks over 90% chance the pain, function will be better. The pain down my leg is at a 9 about 3 months after the epidural. Did u try the nerve ablation? Thanks

@thankful1 I tried epidurals at 3 month intervals for about 15 months. Effective for roughly 3-6 weeks after injection, lessening effectiveness as time went on, so stopped. Rest, massage, stretching all helpful. Haven’t had much sciatica in 15 years. It’s very much an individual result. Now I just deal with MS, concussions from falls and old age! Isn’t life grand. Best always.