Having Decompression Hemi Laminectomy and possible Diskectomy

Posted by Karen @ktrammell1, Aug 9, 2020

I have been having radiating pain through my hip, buttocks, leg into my big toe off and on several years. Physical therapy and a round of oral prednisone would take care of the issue. This past December the pain returned with a vengeance. I tired the normal PT, oral prednisone, three different chiropractors, massage therapy, dry needling, etc with no relief whatsoever. Having been a Mayo gastro patient in the past, I contacted the Spine Center at Mayo Jax. I got in for an assessment with the Physical Medicine Dept. on March 20 - which happened to be the last day for non-essential appointments/procedures due to Covid 19. They were able to add me to the MRI schedule before I left that day. (Yet another example of Mayo going above and beyond. Folks stayed late so I could have that done before returning to my home 400 miles away.) They called me within a couple of days and gave me the findings. They recommended that I try epidural steroid injections before considering surgery. Due to Covid 19, I had to have these near my home but it was late April before I could get that scheduled. The first injection helped my pain for 5-6 days. My second injection which was two weeks after the first gave me relief for 7-8 weeks. I thought I was on my way. The pain then began to come back and gradually worsened. At that point the Physical Medicine Dept referred me to Dr. Selby Chen. Since it was going to be a month before Dr. Chen had an opening, he recommended a third injection to try to help the pain. The injection itself was very painful - totally unlike the first two. I didn’t not get any relief from the third injection and I fact the pain is getting worse. After my appointment with Dr. Chen (I am so thankful for telemedicine), he recommended decompression surgery and a possible diskectomy at L4-L5. Due to Covid 19 they are very backed up so my surgery isn’t until Oct. 8. Has anyone had this surgery and if so, what can I expect? Dr. Chen said I should be able to leave the hospital the day of the surgery or the next day. I’m one that likes to know exactly what to expect with medical procedures. I handle it a lot better that way. If this surgery doesn’t work, my only option will be a fusion which I want to avoid if at all possible. I am very active and have just retired after 35 years teaching, coaching and serving as a school counselor in a public high school. I want to get my lifestyle back. My pain is when I stand or walk. Thankfully I get about 90% relief when sitting. I would appreciate anyone that could share experiences, what to expect, etc.

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Tore the screws loose from T10-T4. They redid the screws and bars from T10- and extended it to T2. I had just had the T10-T4 surgery 6 month prior. Took a month of screaming before they would admit something was wrong. When they got in there, it was very wrong.

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They couldn’t see any of that from imaging?!

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@wisco50

They couldn’t see any of that from imaging?!

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I took the CD of the CT taken locally and the report that defined the loose screws, “windshield wiper” syndrome and such. The mighty heads at the University couldn’t see it. Fact is they never looked at it. A month later someone did.

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That’s horrible! Makes me mad for you!

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@jellycats

@jenniferhunter Thank you for sharing your research! My PCP of 25 years as well as the physiatrist independently recommended the same neurosurgeon, who is part of Allegheny Health Network. Both based this recommendation on outcomes of their patients. My physiatrist offered another neurosurgeon, who is part of UPMC, to see for a second opinion. As he said, "It is your back. See three or four surgeons if you need to before making any decision." @leongreenjr Thanks for sharing your experience--it's good to hear positive outcomes!

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@jellycats Kudos to you for being proactive and advocating for yourself. That is so important and it's what I always try to encourage in other patients because these choices are what determines your future quality of life. I have listened to enough of the neurosurgeons presentations online to hear them describe how a patients first back surgery failed when screws pulled out because of the placement of the pedicle screws that hold the rods being improperly placed at incorrect angles for example . They have done a revision surgery and are presenting the case. That is why it is so important to choose the right surgeon based on their specific outcomes for the procedure that a patient needs. That's what advocating for yourself can do for you... to help you choose wisely and to avoid excess risk, and to hire the best surgeon for the job. You will also gain perspective in the way that they explain the issues and answer your questions. When a patient brings their advocacy and interest in positive outcomes, it helps them heal and achieve those goals toward their own success.

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