Viewing 5 posts - 7 through 11 (of 11 total)
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  • Donald Corenman, MD, DC
    Moderator
    Post count: 8660

    Surgery give you the best chance to recover your motor strength. Loss of strength is the number one reason to have spine surgery in the lower back and the clock is ticking at 6 weeks post weakness onset. I would not negotiate but insist a surgical consult as soon as possible. It is still possible that you could recover useful motor strength without surgery but the odds of that are much less. If it was my leg, surgery would be the pathway I would take.

    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.
    Donald Corenman, MD, DC
    Moderator
    Post count: 8660

    Stretching of the root does nothing to decompress it. I would advise surgical decompression soon.

    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.
    mdt
    Participant
    Post count: 6

    Thank you Dr. I saw surgeon and microdiscectomy scheduled in 2 weeks. But he said it may not fully remove the symptoms but better chance than no surgery. Called it acute herniation of L5-S1.
    Question I forgot to ask is the endoscopic microdiscectomy possible? It is advertised by a lot of clinics but not clear under what conditions it works.

    Donald Corenman, MD, DC
    Moderator
    Post count: 8660

    Endoscopic discectomy (no microscope used) is a technique that is new and still in it’s infancy. The success rate is still somewhat unknown compared to microdiscectomy and probably in your case will not be more successful than microdiscectomy.

    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.
    mdt
    Participant
    Post count: 6

    Dr Corenman, thanks for your help back in March 2020. I did not do MD surgery due to Covid and then my symptoms got much better. I was about 80-90% good for most 2020 and 21 with just a bit of numbness on my right foot, Then in early Dec 21, I had a flareup, more numbness but no loss of strength this time. Got repeat MRI at 22 month mark – have a consult this week. Copying relevant results – wondering if worse or better than first one.

    L2-L3: Minimal disc bulge resulting in minimal indentation of ventral
    thecal sac and minimal neural foraminal narrowing.

    L3-L4: Minimal disc bulge resulting mild indentation of ventral thecal
    sac and minimal neural foraminal narrowing.

    L4-L5: Moderate severe disc space narrowing with endplate changes.
    Broad-based central disc protrusion seen abutting both L5 nerve roots
    along the lateral recess, left worse on right. No neural foraminal
    stenosis.

    L5-S1: Interval resolution of right lateral recess disc extrusion with
    persistent broad-based right paramedian protrusion seen slightly
    abutting the right S1 nerve root.

    Nonaneurysmal aorta with normal flow-voids.

Viewing 5 posts - 7 through 11 (of 11 total)
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