Laminectomy Recovery Question

Posted by mndan @mndan, Nov 3 2:16am

I was the victim of a car crash 40+ years ago and have avoided back surgery, but the situation has changed. I have developed foot drop and have severe weakness in my right leg. The stenosis is listed as severe and I am scheduled for a lamenectomy L2-S1 in a few weeks.
I have a wife who is disabled and very reliant upon me. I have family that is planning on staying with us for 3 weeks post surgery to help. Do you think that time is adequate for me to be able to walk and perform most daily life activities without the need for help? I am 68 and overall in good shape, but the surgeon said I am risking permanent issues with the foot drop and weakness if I don't have the surgery.
Thanks for any insight you can provide

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Spine Health Support Group.

dlydailyhope | @dlydailyhope | Nov 3 6:37am

@mndan
You may need more help doing certain tasks after your surgery and may want to have family help you plan for additional help after 3 weeks depending on how surgery/recovery goes. I had fusion surgery and I was limited significantly in what I could do for months but since you are only getting laminectomy without fusion, you may be able to do a bit more than me. You just need to be careful with heavy lifting/twisting with recovery and take it easy since it is significant surgery.

Maybe hire someone after 3 weeks to help with your wife and things around the house while you continue your recovery. Definitely don’t delay the surgery if you are at risk of permanent nerve injury.

mndan | @mndan | Nov 4 5:00pm

Thanks so much for your feedback. I am hoping for a fast recovery but know from personal experience that surgery outcomes can be very different than what is expected. I am meeting with a house-keeper next week, and am hiring someone to care for snow removal for the entire winter. I will try to err on the overly cautious side as I want this to be a success.