Tagged: Symptoms after a microdiscectomy
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Hi Dr. Coreman,
I am 16 days post-op from laminectomy/discectomy. Upon waking up aftwe the operation I felt numbness on my right sole to which was not present before surgery, the numbness is with slight weakness. After a two weeks numbneas slightly decreased but it is still there. After a week I noticed pain on my right buttocks and calf muscle. Pain is releived by Tramadol. When I also do leg raise on my right leg I feel ache on my right buttock. Is this normal at this point in time? I very worries. O hope for your response.
Cristine
Lets start with basics. What were your symptoms prior to the microdisectomy and what side/level was operated on?
Dr. Corenman
PLEASE REMEMBER, THIS FORUM IS MEANT TO PROVIDE GENERAL INFORMATION ON SPINE ANATOMY, CONDITIONS AND TREATMENTS. TO GET AN ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS, YOU MUST VISIT A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL IN PERSON.
Donald Corenman, MD, DC is a highly-regarded spine surgeon, considered an expert in the area of neck and back pain. 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.I had right lumbar radiculopahy, sciatica pain. The area that was operated is L5-S1.
Thanks
Cristine
Numbness that is discovered after surgery for a herniated disc is typical. There most likely was numbness before the surgery but the pain overshadowed this finding. A careful physical examination prior to surgery can identify the presence of this numbness but this part of the examination is typically overlooked.
I tell all my decompression patients to expect numbness after surgery as it is present before and will take up to 6 months to disappear. The “numb spot” “shrinks down” over time and you might be left with a dime sized patch of numbness.
Your complaint “When I also do leg raise on my right leg I feel ache on my right buttock” is a positive straight leg raise, a stretch of the nerve root that induces symptoms. This means that the nerve is still irritable.
Weakness is worrisome if it is still present after surgery but hopefully will disappear after some time. See https://neckandback.com/conditions/peripheral-nerve-anatomy/
Dr. Corenman
PLEASE REMEMBER, THIS FORUM IS MEANT TO PROVIDE GENERAL INFORMATION ON SPINE ANATOMY, CONDITIONS AND TREATMENTS. TO GET AN ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS, YOU MUST VISIT A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL IN PERSON.
Donald Corenman, MD, DC is a highly-regarded spine surgeon, considered an expert in the area of neck and back pain. 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.Hi Dr. Coreman,
Can surgery induce inflamation in my nerves? I am always asking my Doctor about my leg and buttocks ache and he is always telling me to be patient since the nerve is still inflamed during this point in time. Can steriod helps to deceease inflamation?
Thanks.
Cristine
Surgery necessitates the clearance of adhesions from the nerve root and retraction of the root to decompress the nerve. This has to be performed meticulously but occasionally retraction can irritate an already irritated root. Oral steroids are generally very effective to reduce this inflammation.
Dr. Corenman
PLEASE REMEMBER, THIS FORUM IS MEANT TO PROVIDE GENERAL INFORMATION ON SPINE ANATOMY, CONDITIONS AND TREATMENTS. TO GET AN ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS, YOU MUST VISIT A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL IN PERSON.
Donald Corenman, MD, DC is a highly-regarded spine surgeon, considered an expert in the area of neck and back pain. 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. -
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