One of the most common complications of any spinal operation involves the patient continuing to experience pain after surgery, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center 2. Surgery went well. Recovery may not take place but read this to understand the type of nerve damage that can occur and how muscles recover from this injury. In some instances, though, another herniated disc surgery procedure may eventually be discussed and recommended.Although microdiscectomy surgery is generally a very successful procedure, a hole is left in the outer wall of the disc. Thank you for choosing Dr. Corenman as your healthcare provider. Will let you kow how things go. Veritas Health, LLC, 520 Lake Cook Road, Suite 350, Deerfield, IL, 60015, Pain Management After Microdiscectomy Surgery, Microdiscectomy Spine Surgery: Risks, Complications, and Success Rates, Microdiscectomy Surgery Video: A Spine Surgeon Explains the Procedure, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), Postoperative Care for Lumbar Microdiscectomy Surgery, Lumbar Microdiscectomy Recovery: Discharge to 14 Days, Lumbar Microdiscectomy Recovery: Weeks 2 to 6, Lumbar Microdiscectomy Recovery: Weeks 6 to 12, What Causes Buttock Muscle Pain and How to Relieve it, Piriformis Syndrome: When the Symptoms Indicate a Medical Emergency, Massage to Reduce Buttock Muscle Pain from Piriformis Syndrome, Suffering from Lumbar Spinal Stenosis? I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your answers. Spinal intervertebral discs are the bodys shock absorbers, allowing the back to be strong, highly flexible, and resilient. I would say be patient and gently perform hamstring stretches (which is the main exercise that stretches the sciatic nerve) GENTLY to try and cautiously squeeze the edema out of the nerve root. This is called recurrent disk herniation. At Wake Spine & Pain Specialists our goal is to relieve your pain and improve function to increase your quality of life. I'm not sure what you mean by foot drop, but I do have problem with my left foot and legthat I did not have before surgery, being that I walk feeling as if I'm dragging my left foot-this has gotten a little better. However, two days after the long walk, I developed buttock nerve pain in my right side, the very side that was compromised before surgery. The doctor willthenonlyremovethe damaged portion of the disc. There was an immediate relief to my back pain. Should I increase my walking? The best wayfor them to diagnose the problem isthrough physical examination findings correlated with imaging studies (MRI, CT scan, X-rays, etc.). Its just a sort of sensitivity I havent had since the surgery. Stronger painkillers, such as opioids, are typically used in combination with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The doctor willthenonlyremovethe damaged portion of the disc. We offer this Site AS IS and without any warranties. Start taking short walks around the house or the yard; climb stairs if you can do so without pain. Its not painful. Although weakness has improved, pain and burning sensation has also reduced, I cannot stil lift my foot from the ankle or make a single twist or movement of my toes.. No dorsiflexion or plantar flexion, MRI results revealed thickened edematuos(10mm) sciatic nerve plexus on the left side with grade 1 muscle edema within the gluteus maximus, sub acute denervation muscle changes in the form of combination of athropy /fatty replacement along the territory of the injured sciatic nerve, During therapy, when The (EMS) machine pads are placed on myL5region using interrupted currents, my muscles contract and my foot is lifted up but when faradic current is set It doesnt contract, what could this mean? Other than swimming, exercise and two hour-long walks a day, I have been spending most of my time in bed for the rest of the day. The good news is that many patients have significant pain relief from a microdiscectomy and can quickly return to their normal lives, generally in 4-6 weeks. Before using any new medications or going back to old medications, it is important to check with the doctor or pharmacist to reduce the risk of adverse drug interactions or serious side effects. In the weeks following your procedure, contact your surgeon right away if your numbness or pain increases significantly. Disc degeneration and herniation are common back problems leading to surgery. FAQs About Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgery, The Benefits of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery. After surgery, your surgeon may recommend visiting a physical therapist toimprove your recovery quality. "Do what's comfortable. Ive been reading through many of these questions and respons 38 year old male, 5'8 165 pounds. Recovering from surgery to correct a herniated spinal disc is no time to sit "back" and relax. As was mentioned earlier, the type of surgical technique used during the initial procedure and type of herniation strongly influence whether or not there will be a recurrence. Return to light work duties when you are able. wound pain. 1 Leg and Buttock Pain After Spinal Fusion Surgery. Some days, there's lesser pain and soreness. A microdiscectomy is aminimally invasiveversion of the surgerythatcan be performed on various parts of the spine. Pinching of the nerves in the lumbar spine can cause pain radiating into the leg, ankle, and foot. Otarbo Home Search Home Search buttock pain after microdiscectomy (2022) June 9, 2022 . Once those visits start, its imperativeto see your physical therapy all the way through. Maintaining spinal mobility is key to the healing process. please update to most recent version. In severe cases, patients may also have less control of bladder or bowel function control. The most common reason to have a microdiscectomy is to alleviate nerve pain that has not resolved within a reas. Herniation can occur due to back injuries, undue spinal stress from heavy lifting or participation in sports, and even the normal aging process as the spinal discs dry out and become more brittle, forcing a disc's outer membrane to crack and its inner core material to ooze out. This seroma should resolve in 2-3 months. Trained as both a Medical Doctor and Doctor of Chiropractic, Dr. Corenman earned academic appointments as Clinical Assistant Professor and Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and his research on spine surgery and rehabilitation has resulted in the publication of multiple peer-reviewed articles and two books. For example, acetaminophen is in many common drugs, including cold medicines, which could lead to an overdose if labels are not read. Spinal discectomy surgery is a minimally invasive keyhole procedure in which a surgeon removes all or part of a disc in the patients spine. Could this be a reherniation? Microdiscectomy, also called microdecompression, is a minimally invasive spinal surgery where your surgeon removes a part of the herniated disc to relieve pressure on the spinal nerves. Marc J. Levine, MD 1 Hamilton Health Place, Suite 101 Hamilton, NJ 08690 Phone: 609-917-7720 No, my doctor has not spoken with me about any of the things you have educated me about. The pain was constant burning at the left pelvic region, with sharp shooting pain in the left leg. Now I can do it pain-free. A gradual return to more low impact activities is encouraged. Still, Dr. Liu cautions that, during the first couple weeks following surgery, patients should avoid repeatedly bending or twisting, lifting anything heavier than five or six pounds, driving, or performing tasks like lawn mowing, sweeping, shoveling snow or dirt, doing the laundry, running, jogging or other activities that can overly tax back muscles. He refers to a study, published July 2017 in the journal, BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, which indicated that patients who did not limit their activities during the healing process actually returned to work sooner than those who adhered to specific restrictions. Some pain in the back or buttock region post-op is completely normal. Should I continue this vigorous swimming program, or should I be more careful and dial it back a notch? Leg pain is definitely secondary to problems in back because there is a spinal cord from brain to the tail tip which gives branches to the legs and arms at d. So I can move my chin to my chest further, for example. Was up walking shortly after surgery. The Content on this Site is presented in a summary fashion, and is intended to be used for educational and entertainment purposes only. Dr. Cross notes that SI joints normally move less than 1 millimeter. Microdiscectomy is an advanced surgical technique that is much less invasive. I had l4/l5 discectomy 25 days ago, because I suffered from lower back pain that quickly was replaced by a persistant almost daily sciatica for almost 4 months. During the physical exam,your surgeonmay look for pain during specific movementsand performa power/sensory examination of your lower extremities. I so appreciate your time and info. This fragment can push on the nerve root, which causes the pain to occur. As fellowship-trained physicians with over, treating spinal conditions, we offer patient recommendations for treatment, including conservative care, non-operativetreatment, and sophisticated, customized surgical solutions. "Research has shown that microdiscectomy has a success rate as high as 90 percent in alleviating nerve pressure and eliminating pain," Dr. Liu says. An MRI will be able to determine if this is your cause of pain. This could signal another, more serious issue. Dont stand forextended periodswithout putting one foot up on something and alternating feet every few minutes. Additional potential reasons for postoperative leg pain following a microdiscectomy include: Herniation of another disc that wasn't herniated prior to surgery Nerve damage that occurred during the surgery A failure to remove enough disc material during the microdiscectomyThere Are Various Treatment OptionsA second surgery may be discussed, but it's not always necessary or appropriate, especially if there's a secondary pain source involving soft tissues. Acute pain is more likely the result of recurrent disc herniation following a shift in weight distribution across the vertebral levels. Risks and side effects. It takes time for this swelling to reduce as noted before. We strive toofferefficient and professionalservicesto our patients, deliveredwith integrity and honesty in a cohesive, family-like environment. If it's similar or slightly improved to your pre-op pain, then I wouldn't panic. !he read all of my issue and details and his replies really helped me in decidingi am now confident about my decision and i now totally understand the procedure thanks to the in-depth information providedthank you ever so much ! I had my TLIF surgery on 6/24/2020 by Dr. Corenman, I can not say enough good things about the Dr or his staff. I had been on physical therapy>physical therapy from day 10 and in weeks 4 and 5 I started feeling more like myself. I, also, had a discectomy done due to a severe herniation in lower L4/L5. Buttock pain after a minimally invasive keyhole discectomy procedure is most often nerve-related. You can expect your back to feel stiff or sore after surgery. Christopher J. Bergin, M.D. Contact: Orthopedic and Spine Institute. You can develop a seroma (a collection of fluid post-operatively) that temporarily will partially compress the nerve after surgery. Our physicians serve as innovators in technology,actively participate in national and international research studies,and are on the forefront of medical knowledge. to our patients, deliveredwith integrity and honesty in a cohesive, family-like environment. trained physicians with over 50 years of experience, treating spinal conditions, we offer patient recommendations for treatment,including conservative care, non-operative treatment, and sophisticated, customized surgical solutions. It is one of the most common spinal surgeries performed to alleviate back and leg pain, offering 90 to 95% of patients who undergo the procedure of significant pain relief. Diskectomy works best for treating pain that travels down the arms or legs from a compressed nerve. In fact, in many situations, it's often possible to treat or manage lingering leg pain following a microdiscectomy with nonsurgical techniques. 1.3 Postoperative inflammation of the nerve root. Asa patient,thereare five classicsymptomsto watch for: When experiencingrecurrent discreherniation, a patient might also report pain in a different location, intensity, orrelated tophysical activity. "Patients leave the hospital the same day or the day following the procedure and can begin microdiscectomy recovery immediately.". Although most patients enjoy noticeable pain relief immediately following the surgery, nerve recovery after a lumbar discectomy is dependent on a variety of factors. In many minimally invasive spine surgeries, the spinal nerves are agitated. My sciatic nerve was crushed and I have been unable to walk and have been in constant agonizing pain for six months. Dr. Bergin has a special interest in medical research and maintains membership in the Scoliosis Research Society. Before surgery, I couldnt do this without there being a sharp, stabbing pain in my back, when lifting either leg, especially on the right side. The most common is inflammation. I had to have at least 2 courses of them to quell nerve irritation post micro-D. You may not have a high pain tolerance but you do have a high pain medication relief level. Also, other tests, such as the slump test and straight leg raise, are positive for pain in the buttock. my L5 / S1 disc herniation mainly lead to severe left-side buttocks pain when stretching the nerve. As a patient, knowing the telltale signs ofreherniationafter microdiscectomy surgery will help ensurethat you get the care you deserve. You should report any numbness to your surgeon immediately after surgery. Obviously, I need to do a fresh MRI with gadolinum to discover whats truly happening. The disc may press on the spinal nerves and cause pain and numbness in the buttock and leg. For example, the incomplete removal of herniated disc material or inadequate closure of a significant gap in the annulus may lead to reherniation. After 6 months of phyiscal therapy and epidural steroid injections I opted for surgery which was done 4 weeks ago. The Affected Nerve Root May Need Some Time to HealOne reason your leg may still hurt after microdiscectomy surgery is because of the way compression can affect nerve roots. For full benefit/risk information, please visit. Understanding why this might be normal would be really helpful to keep going without loosing hope. Any activity (like walking) can stretch the root. For example, your surgeon may perform a lumbar microdiscectomy to remove the herniated portionof a lumbar discin your lower back. The good news is that many patients have significant pain relief from a microdiscectomy and can quickly return to their normal lives, generally in 4-6 weeks. A discectomy,sometimes called apercutaneous discectomyorlumbar discectomy, involvesremoving the herniated portion of the intervertebral disc (the nucleus pulposus)that is pressing on thenerve or spinal cord. In some instances, it may become necessary to pursue surgical management in the form of repeat microdiscectomy. Why Seek a Second Opinion Before Your Spine Surgery? Does that sound like a reasonable way to proceed with these leftover pains Im having? One more thing gritch..DON'T OVER DO IT!! Endoscopic Spine Surgeon Dr. Kaixuan Liu Offers Tips to Speed the Recovery Process after a Microdiscectomy. The patients may complain of symptoms similar to the original complaints of disc herniation. Lumbar Decompression Back Surgery. During a microdiscectomy procedure, the surgeonuses a microscope and laser toremovepart of the nucleus pulposus through a small incision (less than 2 inches). The two year anniversary of my microdiscectomy recently passed and I thought I should write an update on the long term effects of a microdiscectomy! I have a sitting job, 3 hours total commuting per day. 1.2 Inflammation of the membranes that surround the nerves of the spinal cord. The butt pain is as bad, if not worse than, the original pain I was having in my lower back. Here are some of the mistakes that you will want to avoid whileconvalescing after amicrodiscectomyprocedure: Youre going to be a little sore while initially recovering from surgery, and that is perfectly normal. Even though the nerve is injured at the spine, it feels like the pain is coming from the . This seroma should resolve in 2-3 months. However, in the last two days, I have noticed some nerve tingling down my right leg, at the back of the knee, heel, and the big toe. Microdiscectomy is surgery to remove part or all of a bulging or damaged (herniated) disc in the lower spine. is a fellowship trained, board certified orthopedic surgeon who has been practicing since 1999 and specializes in complex spinal treatment. Work hardening is a specialty in physical therapy so you might contact a specialist to see if they can help you. PLEASE REMEMBER, THIS FORUM IS MEANT TO PROVIDE GENERAL INFORMATION ON SPINE ANATOMY, CONDITIONS AND TREATMENTS. Based onfollow-upstudies, recurrent lumbar disc herniation only occurs inroughly 10%ofallmicrodiscectomy patients. Learn How Bone Growth Therapy Can Help You, Get a Comprehensive Evaluation from Mayo Clinic's Spine Care Experts, Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). More than one nerve of mine is "pissed off"HA!!!! Return nerve pain after a microdiscectomy can originate from three issues; nerve inflammation, re-herniation or seroma formation. In the worst cases, they may also have to go in there and reconstruct discs that have been degenerating, or they may be helping your back to straighten out a little better than it would have otherwise. Weeks 4 and 5 I started noticing improvement. Kinda feels like my foot isn't connected to my body. Spinal discs are gel-filled capsules located between the spine's bony vertebrae. A reherniation after microdiscectomy may occur in the immediate postoperative period, a few weeks to few months after the surgery, or within years following the surgery. with afellowship-trainedorthopedic surgeon. Most patients are gradually weaned off opioids over a period of 1 to 2 weeks. Using small surgical tools, your surgeon will create a tiny incision and move aside the muscles and nerve root. Your browser is out of date. It results from the inflammation of the sciatic nerve in your lower back. I was always treated with respect and explained everything throughly, that made it easy for everyone to understand. Had microdiscectomy L 4/5 on 08/13/09. However, if leg pain continues after 2 or 3 months, talk to your doctor or surgeon.The Initial Diagnosis Might Have Been IncorrectAccording to Spine Health, the top reason for leg pain after a microdiscectomy or similar decompression procedure is an incorrect initial diagnosis. Microdiscectomy Candidates In NYC Unfortunately, this microdiscectomy recovery time depends on many factors, including the patients general health, the speed of tissue recovery, the success of the procedure, etc., so the actual herniated disc surgery recovery time can be longer. "Endoscopic microdiscectomy is the modern approach to repair herniated discs," Dr. Liu states. Although the surgery itself ismuch less invasive thantraditionalprocedures,a long-termmicrodiscectomy success ratedependson followingyourdoctorsspecific recoveryinstructions. We have asolidcommitment to excellence in diagnosing and treating spinal injuries and conditions spanning all age groups. A herniated disc may cause pressure on a nerve, resulting in intense pain in the buttocks and hip area and radiating pain, numbness, and weakness in the leg, a condition called sciatica. I am happy to tell you that the buttock pain reported before has significantly subsided. Obtain Long Term Pain Relief. If youstill have apprehensions, theycansharespecificmicrodiscectomy recovery stories with you. The management of a re-herniated disc is much like the primary disc prolapse. !he read all of my issue and details and his replies really helped me in decidingi am now confident about my decision and i now totally understand the procedure thanks to the in-depth information providedthank you ever so much ! I swam close to an hour and a half (with pauses in between, obviously) and afterwards I felt amazing, the nerve pain was reduced by a half. If the source of your discomfort wasn't accurately diagnosed, a nerve that sends signals to your legs may still be compressed. Although symptoms are varied andcanbecome more severe with movement, they typically include: When you are experiencing any of these warning signs onan ongoingbasis,its best toschedule an evaluationwith afellowship-trainedorthopedic surgeon.