The images are a unique way to allow me to view them. I will tell you that these are sagittal images and really only give a partial snapshot of what condition the spine is in. These images are incomplete and do not reveal the condition of the spine.
We have to define what specific surgeries will and will not do. Back pain after a microdiscectomy raises many questions. First, a microdiscectomy surgery is generally not designed to reduce back pain. The surgery is designed to remove pressure from a nerve root that is causing buttocks and leg pain. If you had back pain as your primary complaint, the chance that a microdiscectomy will reduce this pain is about 50%. You can see that microdiscectomies are really designed for reduction of leg pain and not for reduction of back pain.
Now- if you have significant increased back pain after surgery, there are some potential diagnoses to look for. An infection can cause increased back pain. A work-up can reveal the presence of infection. Instability can occur after surgery. A work-up for that can be helpful.
If your back pain is not worse but did not improve after surgery, that result is not unexpected as a microdisectomy (as previously noted) is not designed for treatment of lower back pain.
Dr. Corenman
