Has anyone here ever had ...

[MrsDigger]

back surgery? If so, I'd like to know the original prognosis and the type of surgery and the outcome, if you care to share. I may be facing it, and I would like to hear your input.

[Patti]

Darcy, I've never had back surgery but i've had some friends that had surgery for various reasons and it was hugely successful.

Wish I could be of more help..hope you're feeling better quickly! :)

[joel3078]

Hey gals,

I had back surgery about 15 years ago. Back is still ok however, I would NOT go through it again. The procedure I had was a laminecomy (spell?) to take out a ruptured L5 disk - the one above the tailbone. I am 6-3 and tall men usually have low back problems. I beat myself up in sports and also a few motor vehicle accidents so this did not help either. I still have a bad disk as the surgeon only took out the ruptured part of the bad disk. In pre-op consulting they told me they were going to remove the entire disk but this was not the case. After surgery it was months of pain and physical therepy exercise before I was good to go. That was 15 year ago as I said. Now there is surgery that is way less invasive. You probably do not need back surgery unless something is way damaged in your spine. If you just have back pain and a bulged vs. ruptured disk you probably do not need surgery. My disk was ruptured - no way to fix this. There is also the risk of a ruptured disk breaking apart and the fall away part of the disk can the be floating around in your back. This can hit into a nerve and cause paralasis. You need a very good MRI to see what is wrong with your back. This is an expensive procedure and the insurance companies don't like paying for them. However, the surgeon will need it to tell what is really going on with your back.

What you really want to do is get the disk fixed if this is your issue without surgery. Study up on disk decompression thru exercise, maybe a few visits to a chiroprator, and also minimal invasive day paitent surgery. There is a company called VAX-D that is getting rave reviews. Type vax-d into google and read, read, read.

Be aware that the higher up you go in the back the more risk there is for after surgery problems and nerve damage. If you have high back or neck issues, then be especially cautious.

I Also take OPC antioxident supplements. OPC is one of the stronges antioxidents available. This stuff helps rebuild your body from the inside out at a cell level. After a few months, all kinds of internal body issues started to go away for me. Read about this here.
http://www.opcxtra.com
I used to be a market america rep and we were selling a product called opc-3 great stuff and sales for market america was over 2 million (yes million) dollars every other week. The opcextra store is the same stuff but much cheaper price.

Bottom line is get highly educated on alternatives before any surgery. Surgery is very painful and takes weeks to months to recover. Know any girls that have had boob job, plastic surgery, liposuction, tummy stapling, etc.? This is simple proven surgery and even these are a bitch to recover from.

my 2 cents - JE

[MrsDigger]

It appears I have a herniated disk in the L4-L5 with an extrusion or free fragment. Also annular bulge and severe foraminal narrowing in the L5-S1 region. I guess I'm screwed...

[joel3078]

It appears I have a herniated disk in the L4-L5 with an extrusion or free fragment. Also annular bulge and severe foraminal narrowing in the L5-S1 region. I guess I'm screwed...

Well at least this is low back stuff so risk is lower. Consult with your doc and find out if the extrusion/free fragment is just a disk bulge or is it really a chunk that broke off or is gonna break off. Disk bulging is one thing - that is just swelling that pushes on the sciatic (spell?) nerve and causes pain. Easy to fix. If it is the other way around - ready to have a blowout, then you are in deeper poop that you want to be in. Your doc should be able to show you the vertical slices from the MRI and you can see what good disk looks like. Sounds like you have the same drill I had. L3 and up are ok. L4 is bulged. L5 the one above the tailbone had a blowout or is gonna have a blowout. Can you tell me what an extrusion/free fragment is and what kinda problems this will cause?

On the bright side, I would think in 15 years the laminecomy procedures have improved. You are doing the right thing in getting info and opinions. Keep asking around and educating yourself. Good luck with this one. - JE

p.s. Bouncing around in a boat causing further disk compression is gonna be off limits for awhile. :splat: Floating in a boat with your Honey, cocktails, and sunshine is therapy. Therapy is a medical expense and tax deductable. :biggrin:

[mikev]

my mom has degenerative disk disease and she could hardly walk last year and she had surgery where they just trimmed the disk and she says its the best thing she ever did she has not felt this good or been this flexible in years. she is doing stuff like she was in her 30's again even skiing. she found the best docter in the southeast and really did alot of research in it. find a dr that specializes in exactly what you need and see them. then talk to some of there patients if they let you for referrals. take your time and research it and go to someone you know wont screw it up. if you want im sure my mom would be happy to talk with you about her expeience you know how moms are. good luck we are praying for you.

[Schnook]

I got a herniated disk in 1986, I think L5 or L7, been so long I don't remember. Like Joel said, back surgery back then wasn't as sophisticated as now, so I decided to pass on it. Tell you what, some days the pain can be excruciating and there's nothing you can do. I took a shot of demerol directly in my lower back one time and everything felt great except for my back. Plan on a lot of exercise, especially abs, because when I slack off it gets worse. With today's improvements in surgical procedures I'd probably go that route if I had to do it again, and still may. Whatever you do, educate yourself was the best advice given - and don't be afraid to ask the same question over and over till you're comfortable with the answers.
:idea: don't you get to eat all the ice cream you want when you have back surgery?

[MrsDigger]

Ice cream doesn't do it for me...but I'd crawl across a mile of broken glass on my belly for a french fry! Unfortunately, the french fry has a natural tendency to park itself right on my arse, once consumed. Still not sure how one ounce of french fry can turn into one pound of a$$, but it does. So no treats for me!

I just got the MRI results for my back yesterday, and I threw myself a pity party, complete with confetti and just enough booze to give me a slight headache this morning...Thank God for Matthew, he brings such balance and he's always so positive.

I also have degenerative disk disease, and the beginnings of osteoarthritis in the L4-L5-S1 region. I am pretty certain that it is not a question of IF I am going to have surgery, it will be when and what kind. Now that I'm past the initial shock and denial, and I've handled the grieving process courtesy of Corona...I'm ready to take the next step.

I haven't spoken to the neurosurgeon yet, but I am to set up that appointment on Monday. My hope is that I can wait until fall to have any type of surgery--Matthew and I have been looking forward to having a fun-filled summer with outdoor activities and boating for a looong time--I know he dreamed about it a lot while he was in Iraq. So I have time to figure out what I need to do, and where, and how. I will be doing this through the military medical system, so I am not sure how much choice I have in the way of surgeons, but I will definitely do my research and hope for the best. I'm stubborn and determined, too, so the rehab doesn't intimidate me. I will get through it. I may pi$$ and moan a bit, but I'm tough.

If I wait until fall, I will be in better shape, and in the meantime, I can focus on strengthening my core and upper body--the better shape I'm in when I go in, the better off I will be once it is time for rehab. Anybody have any specific exercises they can suggest?

[Schnook]

This is good because it doesn't put a lot of stress on your back.
Take a mop handle, sit on the edge of a chair or bench. Lay the mop handle across your shoulders and rotate your torso to one side. Concentrate on contracting your stomach muscles on the opposite side when you turn - i.e. turn to left squeezing right side muscles. Take your time and don't swing. This move works on your obliques, which are the muscles that actually hold the belly in, although the six-pack gets all the credit. Don't worry about rotating a full 90 degrees, the focus is to contract the obliques. Remember, go sloooooow and don't swing, grasshopper.
And no tora tora tora, you'll overrotate and hurt yourself:biggrin: