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Sciatica, it's crippling me: Who to turn to?
Spine Health | Last Active: Oct 30, 2023 | Replies (48)Comment receiving replies
In the end, surgeons decline to offer elective spine surgery because they cannot predict a good outcome, or the procedure desired is experimental. Frankly, it is my opinion that surgeons who refuse elective surgery are probably trying to do what is best for their patient. As you all know, you can always find someone to do your surgery. There is too much incentive for many surgeons to just go ahead and operate. If a surgeon says no, there must be a very good reason. Please take that into consideration and remember, you can always get a second opinion, but research your surgeons first.
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@anoyymous123 I have been thinking about the "spacers" that were removed during the latest procedure for your wife and wondering if those were something external (attached on outside of vertebrae) that stabilized the spine? I know during a laminectomy, they have to cut bone to enlarge the spinal canal. It is kind of like raising the roof when you construct another story in a house. That would make sense then, if this was a device that spread the vertebrae a bit if those were removed during a laminectomy. Many patients call the cage or bone disc a "spacer" that replaces a removed disc with a fusion. Her implants may have prevented some movement from the spondylolythesis that allows the vertebrae to slip over another one and compress the spinal cord. I had that gong on a little bit in my neck before my fusion and when it slipped, it increased my symptoms. It was kind of intermittent because my physical therapist was realigning my neck weekly (before my surgery), and that is how I knew where my symptoms were coming from.
Even though I had surgeons dismiss my case, I do still respect their decisions because if the surgeon doesn't fully understand the problem, he shouldn't go there, and I wouldn't want a surgeon operating who doesn't know the problem. I chose to advocate for myself even though I was afraid of surgery because I knew the stakes were very high for what I would loose if the problem of spinal cord compression was allowed to continue. I was taking care of my disabled parents in wheelchairs and didn't want that to be my future if I could choose a different path for myself. Given enough time, the spine can fuse itself into a permanent deformity. Sometimes they pass because surgery would make a patient worse off, and sometimes they pass because they don't want the risk to their reputation and surgery really could benefit a patient (like me for example).
One very good question to ask a surgeon is, what will happen if no surgery is done and the condition progresses with aging and any other health conditions that are present? Will this cause further disability?