In all my years of spine disorders, I can remember only two prior recurrent thoracic disc herniations after surgery. However, it is not uncommon to have degenerative disc changes which can cause localized mid-back pain and bone spur formation which can cause thoracic nerve root pain. This is the reason that I normally performed a fusion at any level in the thoracic spine involved with a decompression for a disc herniation.
If the pain is not impairing, another epidural could be considered. A simple AP and lateral X-ray would yield a general impression of progressive degenerative changes. A new MRI with gadolinium would be the gold standard for diagnosis.
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.
