Viewing 4 posts - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • Rooney
    Participant
    Post count: 2

    Hi Dr Donald,
    I had a microdiscectomy done 2 and half weeks ago for disc herniation right side l5s1. Symptoms resolved initially however in the last few days I have a returning ache /pain in my right leg calf area. It’s not as severe as my symptoms prior to surgery , it’s settles at night , but nonetheless it hangs around all day .My right leg feels quite tight in the morning too, walking seems to loosen it out a little . My lower back feels fine however Is this just the nerve healing would you think and if so how long would you expect symptoms to last ? It’s a little disconcerting if I’m honest, as I am always worried about a re herniation. Thanks I’m advance

    Donald Corenman, MD, DC
    Moderator
    Post count: 8656

    It is not unusual to have some milder return of symptoms in the first 4-6 weeks due to root swelling. A short course of oral steroids can be quite helpful for these symptoms. Make sure you don’t have progressive weakness which would be unusual.

    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.
    Rooney
    Participant
    Post count: 2

    Thank you Dr Corenman for your reply . Unfortunately in the past few weeks my symptoms have deteriorated with a big flare of of lower back back and leg pain about 2 weeks ago. Iv had another mri , with dye injection for contrast , the radiologists finding was of probable rehernaition of the same disc . My surgeon has said he does not necessarily agree with the finding . He says that it’s possible a bleed and not disc is causing the compression and that the next week or two would tell a lot . From your experience is possible that a post sorgical bleed could mimic a reherniated disc on a mri? And if so is it possible that it could clear up ?
    I’m not convinced myself , symptoms have currently reverted to persistent leg pain , lower back feels ok .

    Donald Corenman, MD, DC
    Moderator
    Post count: 8656

    A Seroma is a collection of post-operative fluid that can have a compressive effects. However. if you had “dye” (gadolinium), that should be helpful enough to distinguish fluid collection from recurrent herniation. It could be helpful to get some simple lab tests to make sure this is not infection (but normally the radiologist can distinguish fluid from infection-but not always). If your symptoms are increasing and especially if you have increased weakness, I would recommend some type of action (either an aspiration or an exploration).

    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.
Viewing 4 posts - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.