Sciatica

@anoyymous123 I feel for your wife. Not every surgeon is like the one she had who has increased her problems. I understand her frustration and lack of trust for this surgeon and I agree, but there are other excellent surgeons out there who can help. It is just finding the good one who wants this case. I responded to your discussion with information. There is hope. Please reach out to me if you need to know more.

Jennifer

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.

Thanks again for your consideration and understanding.

@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?

My non medical opinion is that she now has iatrogenic spondylolisthesis from a simple laminectomy

As far as i know thy were interspinious spacers outside of the spine attached to spinous process
to give the nerves more room. Anyway post laminectomy with removal of spacers pain is now unbeareable 10++++++++

Final comment: Either removing the 3 interspinious spacers caused spondylolisthesis or just the fact that having a "simple" laminectomy for spinal stenosis caused spinal shift, in any case bottom line is now she has incredible
back and leg pain that did not exist before operation/ Spinal surgery no worth the risk in my opinion.

Spinal surgery not worth the rusk

@anoyymous123 Thanks for your response. I can see why the surgeon recommend a fusion (OLIF) then. Have you thought about working with a health coach about these spine issues? I was just at a workshop with a demonstration by a health coach and it is really valuable in helping to explore all the details and possible issues related to medical decisions.

As patients, when we are in the midst of a stressful and painful problem, it is sometimes hard to know what to do that would benefit us the most. Having a poor experience with a doctor doesn't help, and that can be mitigated with new opinions about how to solve the problem.

If no decision is made for an intervention, the time can expire during which the issue could have been addressed, and that can leave permanent disability, and a burden on those who need to care for that person who can no longer function well on their own. Hired help is very expensive if you can find it or afford it. Lifting a patient is not handled by typical caregiver agencies. When I was caring for my dad at the end of his life, I needed to have a Hoyer lift to get him in and out of bed and chairs as he could not do this himself and there were no agencies in the area that I could hire for this. It was incredibly difficult and exhausting to take care of him. This also impacted me financially because I couldn't work other than taking care of my parents.

These are things to think about in how to prepare for the future. I was suddenly thrust into being a round the clock caregiver for my parents because they refused to live anywhere but in their own home. How does your wife see her future going forward? What if her pain can be reduced with a new surgeon? I know from my spine experience, that was possible for me. Is that something you want to explore?

77 year old male. Both buttocks and both legs have aches, some numbness, difficulty hiking and walking. Sitting, even standing ok.
Had it for 10 months. Mri shows severe stenosis L3,L4 and L5.
However started a statin days before problems began, stopped statin twice during the period and both times, aches resolved after 1-3 weeks.
I'm trying to figure out if aches are from statin or stenosis.