Post surgery burning pain

Hi Everyone,

I am back with another moan, but I have been in excruciating pain since I got back from Florida on 6 Sep 23 after neck surgery and rhizotomies.

I decided to get laser surgery because I did not want a fusion.

I left Australia on 26 Aug to go to the DeukSpine Institute in Melbourne Florida to be operated by Dr Deuk on the following:

Deuk Laser Disc Repair C5-C6, C6-C7
Deuk Plasma Rhizotomy
Bilateral C5-C6, C6-C7, C7-T1; RT L4-L5, L5-S1; BL SI Joints

When I woke up from the surgery, I developed a dropped head that I did not have before. I also had extensive severe pain all over my neck and back.

I told the neurosurgeon about it, but he stated that there was nothing in the surgery that could have caused the dropped head. I find it hard to believe.

There is so much deep seeded pain in my paraspinal, trapezius muscles that I struggle to lift head because it feels very heavy

I went back to Melbourne Australia and have been suffering with severe burning pain till now. Chronic 10 out 10 pains.

The pain has got worse week by week.

Now I have extreme burning pain from the mid of my neck down to the upper thoracic spine.

I have not been able to manage this pain very well.

I have been to the hospital’s ED twice in the last 2 weeks.
They gave me pain management (1 oxycodone 10mg) then they discharged me.

I then ask them to investigate the problem but was told to wait for an appointment with the neurosurgery clinic in the coming weeks. Very disappointing!

I tried to book a few private neurosurgeons urgently, but there is a 3 month wait.

The burning pain is so bad at the base of the neck that prevents me from sleeping.

I also feel burning pain in my lower back, legs, and feet.

My neck is very tight and stiff.

If I flex over, I feel burning pain in the neck and in the feet.

I have referred pains in my traps, shoulders, scapulae, arms, hands, fingers, back, groin, legs, and toes.

I am getting headaches, earache, jaw ache, cheek bone ache on the left.

My GP has put me on Gabapentin 300mg and Tramadol 50mg, but it is not managing the pain well. I have oxycodone but I do not want to take it too frequently because of side effects.

Currently my life is unbearable, I feel depressed and lonely.
I stopped driving the car since I got back because of my neck stiffness and range.

I asked Dr Deuk about the stiffness. He answered the I have muscles spasms.
I have taken Robaxin 750 mg, but it is not doing much.

I feel that there is nerve compression, but I am not sure.

Where do I go from here?

I would appreciate to hear from people that are going through the same pains.

These are my neck surgeries videos

DLDR C5-C7

Deuk Plasma Rhizotomy (DPR) B/L C5-T1

Here are my MRI reports from the 12 of Sep.

I am worried about the hematoma in the facet joint.

CERVICAL SPINE

Procedure Date: 12 September 2023 Report Date: 13 September
2023

Examination: MRI - CERVICAL SPINE

Technique: Sagittal T1/T2/STIR, right and left sagittal oblique T2 and
axial T2.
Clinical Data: Neck pain

Findings:
Comparison was made to previous MRI of 08/08/2023.

There is generalised inflammation of the posterior neck muscles left
related to recent surgery.
There is a localised ill-defined hyperintense region seen adjacent to the
left C6-C7 facet joint ?Haematoma or collection.
Normal craniocervical junction.
Atlanto axial joints are unremarkable.
Vertebral bodies are normal in height and marrow signal intensity.
No spondylosis or spondylolisthesis.

At C2/C3, no disc herniation, no canal stenosis, no foraminal stenosis
or nerve impingement.
At C3/C4, there is disc degeneration. Disc osteophyte bulge indents the
anterior thecal sac. No canal stenosis. There is uncovertebral joint
arthrosis with severe right foraminal stenosis. There is mild left
foraminal stenosis.
At C4/C5, there is disc degeneration with disc osteophyte bulge
indenting the anterior thecal sac so mild canal stenosis. There is
bilateral uncovertebral joint arthrosis with severe bilateral foraminal
stenosis right>left.
At C5/C6, there is disc degeneration with disc osteophyte bulge
causing mild canal stenosis. There is bilateral uncovertebral joint
arthrosis with bilateral foraminal stenosis.
At C6/C7, there is disc degeneration. Broad-based disc bulge is noted.
No canal stenosis. There is bilateral uncovertebral joint arthrosis and bilateral foraminal stenosis.
At C7/T1, no disc herniation, no canal stenosis, no foraminal stenosis
or nerve impingement. There is bilateral facet joint arthrosis.
Spinal cord is normal in size and outline and shows no focal lesion.
There is a soft tissue mass arising from the left T2-T3 neural exit
foraminal only demonstrated on the left sagittal oblique sequence. It
measures 25 x 23 mm in size and is suggestive of a nerve sheath
tumour.
Comment: Postprocedural inflammation of the posterior neck
paraspinal muscles. There is a focus of ill-defined hyperintense
collection adjacent to the left C6-C7 facet. Superimposed infection
cannot be excluded and clinical correlation is recommended.

Stable appearance of multilevel disc degeneration and foraminal
stenosis when compared with previous study.

LUMBAR SPINE

Procedure Date: 12 September 2023 Report Date: 13 September
2023
Examination: MRI - LUMBAR SPINE
Technique: Sagittal T1, T2, STIR and axial T2.
Clinical Data:? Radiculopathy

Findings:
There is scoliosis of lumbar spine convex to the left with the apex at L3.
Conus terminates at T12 and shows no focal lesion.
Vertebral bodies are normal in height.
There is lumbar spondylosis.
At L1-L2, there is disc desiccation and mild bulge. No canal stenosis.
There is moderate right foraminal stenosis.
At L2/L3, there is reduction in disc height with endplate Modic 1 signal
change. There is slight retrolisthesis of L2/L3. No canal stenosis. There
is mild right foraminal stenosis and right facet joint arthrosis.
At L3/L4, there is disc desiccation. Disc bulge indents the anterior
thecal sac. No canal stenosis. No foraminal stenosis.
At L4/L5, there is disc bulge indenting the anterior thecal sac with mild
canal stenosis. There is mild bilateral foraminal stenosis. There is mild
bilateral facet arthrosis.
At L5/S1, there is disc desiccation and mild bulge. No canal stenosis.
There is left foraminal stenosis. There is left facet joint arthrosis.
Facet joints and spinous processes are unremarkable.
Comment: Scoliosis of lumbar spine convex to the left.
Multilevel disc degeneration and bulge.
L5-S1 left foraminal stenosis. Mild bilateral L4-L5 and right L2-L3
foraminal stenosis. Right L1-L2 foraminal stenosis.

Thank you

Best regards

Alfred

Hi solom174,

I feel your pain mate and I am sorry that it is like this for both of us.

My neurosurgeon in Florida told me that my surgery was a success!

But if I judge it from my point of view, because I am the one feeling the pain, I didn't think it was.
He may have done it correctly, but the pain is actually worse than before at the moment and chronic.
It is taking my breath away. I don't know how I am going to cope. I hope the it will improve eventually.

I am still ridden with a lot of left sided stabbing neck pain probably due to the inflammation caused by the procedures. My left SCM and Trapezius are incredibly sore. I also think that I still have nerve pain because I feel it deep inside my neck shooting into the left arm, then feeling it into the left foot.
I have been taking Baclofen with little success because I can't get Flexeril in Australia.

I thought that this was going to be my life changing operation that would completely free me of pain and stop taking all those pain meds.
I have had undesired side effects with Nortriptyline, Gabapentin, Lyrica etc. Opioids can only be taken for a short time and NSAIDS drugs do not work for me.

Here are my surgery videos:

I am still in a lot of pain. I will need some time to recover properly

These are my neck surgeries from the 29 Aug 2023

Watch Live Back Treatment! Deuk Plasma Rhizotomy (DPR) B/L C5-T1

Watch Live Back Treatment! DLDR C5-C7