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Microdiscectomy Healing?

Posted by David Wednesday, August 26, 2009 0 comments

Question:

How Long Does It Usually Take?

Answer:
Two of my patients have got spinal surgery in India.One was treated for spondylolistheis by spinal fusion and the other for disc replacement.Both of them are very happy with the results.Their pain and other symptoms due to nerve compression have totally gone.

Spinal Surgery is very cheap in India.There is one company that is very famous in India that arranges spine surgery for foreigners in India.They are called the Forerunners Healthcare.I read a lot about them in the Newspapers and about their patient stories.I have also read that they arrange financing for american and canadian patients as spine surgery is not covered by insurance.They also have photos pasted of their International patients.You can checkout their website.

The cost savings are incredible.As a doctor i personally believe that your spine surgery can be easily handled in India as the quality of healthcare available here is simply best in the world.The surgeons are USA/UK trained and facilities are 5 star.both my patients had gone to India through the forerunners healthcare company.i strongly recommend you to talk to this company,checkout your options with surgery from them.

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Microdiscectomy and Reuptured Disc

Posted by David 0 comments

Question:

My dad is looking into getting a microdiscectomy(L4-L5), ad he's a little wary about it because he's heard of a lot of people who have gone through it, but the disc has re-ruptured. If this happens, the only other treatment would be a spinal fusion, and he doesn't want to go through that

Does anyone know if this procedure is more likely to rupture the disc again after the surgery? Thanks a ton

Answers:
I would recommend conservative treatment. Try seeing a chiropractor. If the progression you listed was the progression and only two routes his doctor offered, you might want to get a second opinion. The problem with microdicectomy is that when they go in and clean up the area, they also scrape some healthy fibers away, along with the damaged fibers. Even if it were just removing the damaged fibers it would still cause the disc to be weak compared to his other discs. As the previous answerer noted, discs will occasionally resorb which might make the surgery pointless.

I would highly recommend finding a reputable chiropractor in the area and starting a trial of care with them. Make sure they are someone who comes recommended from other people who have had disc problems, and that the doctor is willing to discuss the problem, and evaluate your dad's progress so he is getting better. Chiropractic does wonderful things, my friend started chiropractic school because of his results from a chiropractor when he was treated for a similar problem. Chiropractic was the only thing that helped, even after he had the interior of his disc removed.

Regardless of what treatment you choose, be very wary of any doctor who does not recommend waiting at least 6 weeks before having the surgery as this is the standard of care for any uncomplicated disc related complaint currently- if he wants to rush your dad in, he is probably looking to finish paying off his boat, rather than focused on the best choice for your dad.

Source(s):

4th year chiropractic student and a good friend had the surgery and eventually had to get his nucleus pulposus (the center part of the disc) taken out.

i deal with the issue regularly. i read neurosurgeon's and orthopedist's depositions and medical records constantly. i also see the patients results. first, if humanly possible, i would have no surgery. multiple studies have shown that a herniated disc will often times re-absorb itself if left alone in one year. i have seen the mri scans that prove it. second, if he is just to the point he can not possibly live with it any more, i would recommend that he have a full discectomy (removal of the disc) it has been my experience that microdiscectomies fail more than discectomies. once a disc is removed it is not likely to herniate again. however, the disc above and below are more succeptable to degeneration. if it later becomes problematic, a fusion is the next option. no matter what you do, get a second opinion from a neurosurgeon or orthopedist in another group. i would suggest finding an orthopedist who has done a spinal fellowship, if you go to an orthopedist. best of luck. feel free to email me if you have any questions.

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Microdiscectomy Surgery

Posted by David 0 comments

Question:

I'm 21 and gonna be having a microdiscectomy soon, does anybody know how long I will be in hospital for and when will I be able to get back on the treadmill down the gym?

Answers:

I had microdiscectomy done on L5/S1. Each Doctor will be different, but below was the guidelines my Doctor gave me. In addition, my brother had the same surgery (different Doctor) and his guidelines were almost identical.

I stayed in the hospital overnight just because it was a late afternoon (3:00 p.m.) surgery.

I was up walking within a couple hours of the surgery.

The first week, no lifting other than feeding yourself, and no excessive standing, walking, basically as much bed rest you can stand.

Second week, lift up to 5 lbs, walk a block ot two each day.

3-4 weeks, lift up to 10 lbs (remember a gallon of milk weighs 8 lbs) and walking 1/2-1 mile per day.

5-6 weeks, lift no more than 20 lbs, and walked 1-2 miles a day.

6 weeks plus is when you would be allowed to go back to work in a non-physical demanding job.

GYM - Depending upon what you do at the gym, maybe never! I attempted to go to the gym countless times but it is to easy to re-injure your back if you lift. My Doctor put a 40 lb lifetime lift restriction and other than treadmill, stair stepper, etc. lifting is just out of the question.

If you have a specific question, feel free to see my profile and e-mail me.

Good luck!

My husband had that surgery in July. He stayed in the hospital overnight. His pain was not bad. He was walking around fine in a day or two. Your doctor will let you know when you are ready to do stuff, but your restriction will generally involve bending, lifting and twisting. I bet you could get on a treadmill in 4-6 weeks, if not sooner. Since you are so young you will heal quickly. Just please listen to your doc so you don't mess up your surgery results. Good luck!

Hello,

(ANS) Anything related to backs or orthopaedic surgery, or spinal surgery I think you have to take especially seriously and should'nt rush any post operative recovery period required. Why? because at 21 yrs old you have a lot of your life remaining and so getting good healing post opatively is going to be vital.

How long the healing is going to take depends upon the seriousness & depth of the proceedure. I would think you'de be looking at a minimum of 2-3months may be more. Possibly as much as 6months?

I ran across your question while online, doing my own research as to my post-operative progress. I had a microdiscectomy 3 weeks ago (Feb 21) and, although I am doing remarkably better than I expected, my doctor has imposed a number of restrictions and I plan to follow his orders fully so as not to potentially cause myself harm. I just returned back to work yesterday (Monday) but am allowed only 2 hours per day as my job is a desk job and I should avoid sitting as much as possible. I walk (and have been walking) easily and without pain; in the beginning, I was slow and very cautious, but have never had any problem with walking or standing. At my present stage of recovery (again, 3 weeks post-op), the only discomfort I feel is when I sit, which I rarely do. It's not pain...just minor discomfort --pressure...sort of a tugging sensation in my back. I have been surprisingly pleased with how well things have gone and particularly because the pain I was feeling in my leg and foot is now completely gone, so having the surgery turned out to be a very good thing for me. But, to directly answer your question...how soon on a treadmill?? Though I have not specifically asked my doctor this question (and you certainly should ask yours), I can't imagine getting on a treadmill yet, unless it was just for a very slow, level walk....which I would personally rather do outdoors. I would not do any sort of running or jogging anytime soon...you don't want to do anything that will be impacting or pounding on your body. In my case, I can put socks on my feet, but I haven't even yet attempted tying shoes (like sneakers) yet...I am just wearing slip-ons for now. Don't know if this helps you at all...again, you need to ask your doctor, and I am quite a bit older than you (I am 52), but before I had my surgery, I would have appreciated hearing from anyone who could tell me what their experiences had been, and I simply wanted to pass mine on to you. Finally, I'll say again..I'm very glad that I had the surgery, but don't rush anything...give your body time to heal properly. Best of luck to you...and take care!!!

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