The fact that the symptoms are much reduced indicates you don’t have a significant recurrent HNP. When I said ‘It is possible that a small fragment of disc migrated to the opposite side”, this means either a residual fragment or a small recurrent fragment. None-the-less, your symptoms are better so give it some time to recover. Your surgeon’s statement; “my herniation, though small, was likely so painful–because my nerve was adhered and got pinned by the extrusion” is a true statement. Nerves can “get out of the way” from an HNP is there is no scar. Scar makes the root less mobile.
It’s unlikely that disc height loss has caused foraminal or lateral recess stenosis to cause opposite sided compression.
Dr. Corenman