Lumbar Laminectomy; Recovery at Home

i had the laminectomy l4-l5 4 weeks ago. I have fought it since march so about 6 mnths, now there is no pain in my leg just a little in the lower back now. I do heavy construction, concrete work, and also play rugby, all of which are to blame for this. I hope I can return to work with no problems, and rugby as well with no worries of future problems. I was just scaping a little gravel when it felt like someone hit me with a taser and i fell to ground in a heap. I drove to the hospital, not a good idea, immediately admitted, surgery next morning. All I can say is when they say take it easy do exactly that even though it drives you crazy. remember "Pain is weakness leaving the body!"

I had a laminectomy and discectomy on L4 and 5 and S1 on one of them last Monday. I was terrified going in because of so many horror stories I had read. Wow, was I mistaken. The surgery has been a piece of cake. I was released the same day and have been up and moving ever since - although I am off for 2 weeks and supposed to be resting which is driving me insane. The worst part for me was an upset stomach from the Vicodin which has been changed to Percoset and is better. I am slowly weaning myself off the drugs as well. After a week, I did start to get the leg/nerve action. I would not call it pain, just a tingling and sometimes tightness from the nerves. I knew this would happen and it really is not that uncomfortable. Hopefully, it will go away eventually but still is NOTHING like my previous pain. My 13 year old daughter is upset because now that I am able to stand straight again, she is no longer taller than me. It is hard to believe how hunched over I actually was! Now, even though I have had it easy please don't think it was because my case was easy or am in great shape. I am 40 with Degenerative Disc Disease in addition to all the other issues; before the surgery, I had had 5 spinal injections in 6 months (trying to hold off until I could have surgery in the fall); I still have severe scoliosis (22 and 25 degree curves) even after surgery 26 years ago (I did have 58 and 54 degree curves). I have spent the last 6 months in terrible pain and unable to even walk through a mall. As for my physical condition - not so hot - besides I am 40, I am quite over weight (not giving an amount but quite obese) and haven't done any form of exercise in ions. So, I should be a mess, but the surgery is thus far a lifesaver! I just want to encourage others who like I was are fearful - don't be!

The question is have for you guys, did you guys have a Neurosurgeon or orthopedic surgeon perform your surgery? I will probably need L4-L5 laminectomy with discectomy on L4. ALL input will be appreciate it. ! thank you.

I had a lumbar laminectomy and discectomy 4 weeks ago and all seemed to go well. There was bad pain around the cut area and back straight after, but the hip pain (where it was worst for me) went instantly. However over the last week the hip pain has come back here and there and is spasming a little again. Does anyone know if this is normal? Is this just the nerve getting life back into it? ( i haven't had my follow up appt yet).

PS - i had a neurosurgeon do mine.

I had a laminectomy and discectomy 2 1/2 weeks ago at L4/L5 by a nuerosurgeon. I had radicular pain in the hips, buttocks, pelvic floor (both sides) and down my right leg for two years. The surgeon says that it was a success and that they did remove herniated disc material and part of the laminal, but my main problem is stenosis. The radiating pain in my leg is definitely better, but the pain does still come and go. The Dr said it may be months before I am pain free, but he is confidant that I will be. I am walking several times a day, every day. The past two days I returned to work part time and it was too much. I still feel really wiped out. I am 44, a healthy weight and physically fit. The Dr says that this is all normal. . . .that I may feel some pain for months. I still feel like I need meds to deal with the pain. I'd appreciate hearing how my experience compares to other's. I expected to feel better than this by now. Thank you.

Hello!
To everyone who is about to have this surgery! Everyone is different and there are different ranges of pain thresholds. I had a Laminectomy on Dec. 28. I will have to tell you, I have a very high pain threshold and yes, it was very painful. I was out of the hospital the next day but could not walk without a walker for about 2 weeks. I chose to have the surgery over the holidays because i was off for the entire 12 days. Thought I would be back to work by Jan. 4th. Not!!!! That was so not happening. But a week later I was finally able to walk and drive with minimal pain. I still have a hard time sitting and standing for long periods of time and I do not get much quality sleep but that comes with the recovery I guess. I am now starting PT and it's a challenge to do it with out pain. I have friends who had this done and they said it would take at least 6 to 9 months to be pain free. Now,mind you, this is surgery pain and not spinal pain like you had before you had the surgery. Remember muscles take a long time to heal and so does bone. Be patent and stick with your PT and try to be as mobile as possible as this in time will help your healing.
I almost forgot. Yes, absolutely have someone there for you for at least the first two weeks just to help you up and get around. You will be able to make that call better than anyone. Just be careful in the shower because little slips and wrong moves can be really painful.

Feb 7, 2010
Hi there, I had a Lumbar Laminectomy and Discetomy(sp?) done right before Thanksgiving 09 due to severe, severe left leg pain radiating from my left buttocks all the way down to my left foot...It all started one morning with a slight pain in my left hamstring. I'm an on location baby photographer so I thought maybe I had over stretched my hamstring at a shoot....Well, by the end of that week, I could no longer lift my left leg or barely walk because the pain had worsened and now was so painful all i could do was cry...There was no comfortable position and pain meds didn't help at all. I had an MRI and was told that I had sciatica and that my L5 disc was bulging...So I was referred to a neck and spine doctor and was sent to get an injection. The injection worked great for about 2 weeks and then the pain came back with a vengence. It was worse than it was before. I started having non-stop muscle spasms in my rear and in my left thigh...It was the worse pain I had ever felt in my life. By this time the docs had me on every pain med you could think of, percocet, diladud, vicodin,muscle relaxers, steroids, norco, etc....NOTHING touched this pain or even relieved it. I was calling my doc's office daily crying to them begging for help..They then set me up for a perc disc procedure which I did and came out feeling worse then I was before. Again, I was back on the phone with the doc begging and pleading for help, telling them the perc disc peocedure did nothing but make it worse. I at that point became severely depressed because I thought I would be in that pain forever with no help. I was walking with a walker at my home and could barely get out of bed, use the bathroom, shower, etc..I was pretty much helpless...It was horrible because I am a mother of 2 little boys and am also a wife...Needless to say, I could no longer work nor take care of my home....So anyway, the pain got so intense one evening that my husband took me to the ER for some pain relief. They hooked me up to an IV and pumped Dilaudid(sp?) in me and I got "some" relief but as soon as the IV was taken out, the pain came right back instantly....13 hrs later I was back in the ER begging to be admitted to the hospital. They called my surgeon and he admitted me right away....I had the surgery the next morning and awoke from surgery with NO leg pain at all..I only had slight pain from surgery in my back...but that was NOTHING compared to what I had been living with the previous 6 weeks...I was sooooo happy. So, on Thanksgiving I had a beautiful day with my family and felt zero pain....I had never been happier to be able to join everyone smililng and laughing and not frowning and crying because of the pain I was in....Well, about 3 days after thanksgiving, I got out of my bed ad caught a horrible charlie horse in my right calf, it caused me to fall down...I freaked out because I knew falling was terrible for my recovery...sure enough within a couple days of falling, my pain came back and it was excruciating...I went back to my doc, told him what happened, he sent me for a stat MRI and as i was leaving the hospital, he called me and said the dics had re-herniated and I was need a 2nd surgery...had the 2nd surgery the next morning but when i wore up, the leg pain was still there...I need to say that I HAVE NEVER REALLY HAD ANY BACK PAIN WHATSOEVER during any of this...the pain started in my left leg and has pretty much always been there...(i just think that's pretty strange considering the injury is in my back) I went home the same day of surgery and rested...Each day the pain increased more and more to the point that I could not mange my pain...somy doc admitted me to the hospital again because he wanted to run a battery of tests on my nerves which included a Milogram, CT scan, and another MRI...he came in the next morning and said that my surgery was healing as it should, the disc had not re-herniated but that i has alot of swelling still and that is what was causing the pain. He gave me an RX for Neurontin, Norco and a steroid pack..he said that the Neurontin would help to soothe the nerve and it did for about 2 weeks...the past 4 days the pain has slowly crept back up in my left leg again. It is now very, very painful again...I have a non-stop stretching, burning sensation from my left hip all the way down to my left foot....also i can feel muscle spasms in my left buttocks again...I do get relief from sitting and lying down but standing is incredibly painful and so is lifting my leg to get into my vehicle and looking backwards to back my vehicle out of my driveway....I feel like i am back to square one again. I am calling my doc as soon as the office opens to let him know the pain is back again. It seems everything they have done is very short term, each injection, surgery, etc has only given me relief for 2 weeks MAX...What is the deal??? i need help in a bad way!!

I had L4/L5 disc prolapse and went for surgery. I would advise that surgery is a good option if the pain becomes unbearable. I remember last i had any pain was when i went and got admitted. I have no memory of surgery as it is done under general anestheia. I woke up after an hour or so and had no pain in my leg at all. I stayed in the hospital for 3 days and started walking inside the house on the third day itself. two weeks down i was walking upto 5-6 Kms and now it has been almost 2 months and I can now even jog a little and can walk upto 10K everyday. One must keep on walking for an early recovery.

I had a lumbar laminectomy infusion Jan. 23rd and had wonderful dr. Before surgery I got where I couldn't walk except to restroom I couldn't fix my own meals, shop, stand more than few minutes, had pain running down my legs, only relieve I got was lay down flat on my back.
Doctors that I went to weren't doing me any good one would blame it on my weight, one would send me to pain management then I went to new doctor that had mylogram done and it showed my problem.
For first 5 months I was doing great no pain what so ever I could walk anywhere do everything I did before and then all of sudden I'm having pain in my back at very bottom when I sit or get up or lye down, at one time I got up in middle of nite to go to restroom and went to lay back down and felt like I was lying on something hard right where my incision was and then I felt something pop. I don't have insurance anymore so can't afford to go back to my doctor but called them and nurse said it could be the hardware in my back. That really scares me because I can't do anything without insurance. Has anyone else had this problem after surgery?

I developed a herniated disk (L4/L5) and consequent left-side sciatica in September of 2008. An epidural injection in April of 2009 helped for a few weeks, but second and third injections in December 2009 and January 2010 made things much worse. Through most of February-March 2010 I was getting around only by wheelchair (pains on left side in buttocks and thigh, plus numbness in left foot). In March my neurosurgeon showed me the MRI photos and explained the planned surgery, and on April 12 he did a laminectomy/microdiscectomy. As soon as I woke up I commented that the pain was still there, and much the same. Three weeks later, with no one really listening to me, I went to the emergency room for the continuing pain. After another MRI the surgeon called almost immediately, apologized, and scheduled a second operation. He was quite honest: Explained that he took a conservative approach the first time in, and ended up missing the source of the problem. A second operation on May 12 was a complete success: I awoke to an absence of pain, and it's been gone ever since. The tiny incision healed in about three weeks. In summary: I'm very pleased with the microsurgical approach, even with the need for two operations (both went in through the same 1.5" slit). Recovery time is negligible (a few days to recover physically from the surgery, and a few weeks for the wound to heal).

I just had a lumbar laminectomy L5-S1 two days ago, the leg pain is gone that I have been living with for 8 months prior, just some tenderness at the incision site, which is expected since those muscles are used no matter what you do, I just do not want to reherniate it any suggestions on how to be absoultly safe? I am 28 and used to working 60 hours a week, I am now bored out of my mind that I can not do anything on my own, but want to heal fully before doing anything to reherniate the disc, does any one no how long I will have to stay out of work being an LPN?

I am a 28 y.o female and monday August 9th, I had a laminectomy on L5/S1. I had injured my back lifting a heavy box a year and half ago. I didnt know at the time, what exactly I had done to my back, until a year and a half later. The pain came and went, but within these last few months it became constant, and ran right down my right leg. I have also never felt such pain in my life, with every movement turn even a cough or a sneeze felt paralyzing. I was so scared to get surgery because of the things people were telling me and how maybe I would end up worse than befor. I had 2 MRI's with such a difference in each. The 1st showed slight bulging. 1 year later, the disk was clearly pressed out of my spine and onto my nerves. I have a 4 year old son and realized that this was no life for my family so surgery was the answer. I woke up after the surgery and immediately noticed my right leg pain was gone!! what relief, I felt like my old self again! (except the incision pain, but thats nothing compared to presurgery!) Its day 3 and I am at home. I would highly reccomend having someone there with you when u come home. you really cannot bend at all at the waist or even get out of a sitting/lying position at all. u think you can use your arms to pull yourself, but you feel the skin around your incision stretch and pull. I was very pleased with my surgeon. Back pain is no joke we know that. and when your suffering from it, it really sucks the life right out of you and u may become depressed. I am looking forward to a more physical healthier lifestyle. I wish anyone in this situation the best of luck and hope you keep a positive attitude. Keep faith...

Had a fusion of the cervical spine (3 discs, donor bone, titanium guard and screws on January 29, 2010.

Had laminectomy and fusion of L4-L5 August 5, 2010 and am experiencing numbness in the "saddle area" with difficulty knowing when/if I need to use a rest room. Both sciatic nerves are more painful than prior to surgery, bu the numbness in the legs has not returned. Dfficulty wth balance, and sometimes tip forward from waist and walk too fast without trying too. The sheath of my spinal cord was nicked and repaired. Surgery took 8 1/2 hours and pain in my chest has decreased but is still there. Pain is still with me as well as lack of energy.

Any similiar circumstances by anyone on the board? How long until the nerves grow back in the saddle area?

Posterior surgery of the cervical spine at shoulder is advised next year.

Don't want to continue to complain, but even vision and balance are extensively affected. Any advice from those more experienced than I am?

Am keeping faith, knowing that this body is is falling away. Am praying that the Lord will keep me from being a burden to anyone but Him. Have learned that the more of me that is stripped away, the more capacity for the filling by His Spirit. Will be paying for all of you for recovery, rest, and strength.

Thank you for reading this - I truly appreciate it.
anna

Hi All, I had my laminectomy surgery on 2 Aug 2010. Performed by a Neurosurgeon. I also have a high tolerance for pain but must say the pain after the surgery was horrible for at least 2 weeks. Recovery literally felt as if the nerves were healing from my lower back gradually making its way down my body and legs until currently I am experiencing numbness, tingling and some pain only in my ankles and feet (big toe/second toe and inside soles). I still have tenderness at incision site and am experiencing pain in my left buttock - near where the drainage tube was inserted. My walking is still a bit wobbly, but I have been released from wearing the back brace and can now drive. I still have to wear the Spinal Stim Bone Growth Stimulator vest.
My concerns are: Since the surgery, I've noticed that during car rides I become nauseated & vomit quite often. Also, after car rides I notice I experience pretty bad pain primarily around my mid section down through my legs. I become severly fatigued from walking or attempting light tasks such as making my bed. Mainly, has any of the women out there experienced severe pain after having even light and careful sex? Good Luck to all and know that there are those of us who truly understand your pain and frustration.

Hi:

I had Lumbar laminectomy in July. It,s been 3 months now. I didn't have any pain right after the surgery. About 3 weeks later I started feeling tightness in the lower back. 2 months after the surgery I started my PT and I like my therapist a lot. Those who experience discomfort or pain sitting - have a little pillow with you all the time. It's important to support your lowers back. I have had a strange sensation with my head: pressure in both ears and temples. It might be the spinal fluid or vestibular ear/apparatus. I am going to see an otolaryngoligyst tomorrow. I go to the gym but I understand I should be walking more than I have. I have no idea when the scar tissue stops growing. Does anybody know?