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  • Bulging Disc?

    Hi everyone,

    I am currently 14 weeks post op but I haven't posted here much since my 6 week post op mark because i've been fighting chronic severe nerve pain. I have a few questions I thought someone here might be able to answer:

    1. Is it possible to have a bulging disc at L-4 L-5 area AFTER spinal fusion surgery? The report from my CT myelogram states mild left lateral bulge L-4 L-5 present but hard to see due to artifact present. At 3 months post-op obviously the spine is not fused yet, but would it be possible to have a bulging disc when BMP and other matter was used to enhance a T-3 to sacrum fusion??? I am currently around 14 weeks post-op and have had significant left leg/hip pain since 7 weeks post-op.

    2. I Have had an unsuccessful piriformus injection and will be evaluated for other epidural injections or spinal stimulator soon. Has anyone had a spinal cord stimulator and is that even an option post spinal fusion?

    Any knowledgeable feedback would be appreciated. Didn't mean to have the smiley face on heading but didn't see how to edit it out. Obviously I am not in a "smiley face" mood these days!!!

    Thanks so much,
    Pam
    Last edited by TwinmomTN; 07-30-2012, 01:05 PM.
    Pam, age 49
    Thoracolumbar curves 80 and 40 corrected to 20 degrees
    April 20, 2012 surgery with Dr. Lenke
    T-3 to sacrum

  • #2
    Pam

    Sigh....Your pain could be caused by many things.....Scar tissue is one of them....Discectomy might seem like they remove the whole disc,but its far from the truth, even with an anterior they can leave material. Operating around the cord is delicate......

    Are you having your CT’s and injections done locally in Nashville? and what kind of feedback are you getting from St Louis?

    We totally understand that you are not smiling right now. Hang in there and lets hope that what needs to heal, heals. Have you tried hot water immersion? I found it was the only way I could get a break from the pain in my recovery.

    Ed
    49 yr old male, now 63, the new 64...
    Pre surgery curves T70,L70
    ALIF/PSA T2-Pelvis 01/29/08, 01/31/08 7" pelvic anchors BMP
    Dr Brett Menmuir St Marys Hospital Reno,Nevada

    Bending and twisting pics after full fusion
    http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/showt...on.&highlight=

    My x-rays
    http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...2&d=1228779214

    http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...3&d=1228779258

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by TwinmomTN View Post
      Hi everyone,

      I am currently 14 weeks post op but I haven't posted here much since my 6 week post op mark because i've been fighting chronic severe nerve pain. I have a few questions I thought someone here might be able to answer:

      1. Is it possible to have a bulging disc at L-4 L-5 area AFTER spinal fusion surgery? The report from my CT myelogram states mild left lateral bulge L-4 L-5 present but hard to see due to artifact present. At 3 months post-op obviously the spine is not fused yet, but would it be possible to have a bulging disc when BMP and other matter was used to enhance a T-3 to sacrum fusion??? I am currently around 14 weeks post-op and have had significant left leg/hip pain since 7 weeks post-op.

      2. I Have had an unsuccessful piriformus injection and will be evaluated for other epidural injections or spinal stimulator soon. Has anyone had a spinal cord stimulator and is that even an option post spinal fusion?

      Any knowledgeable feedback would be appreciated. Didn't mean to have the smiley face on heading but didn't see how to edit it out. Obviously I am not in a "smiley face" mood these days!!!

      Thanks so much,
      Pam
      Pam...

      Did you have any interbody fusion at that level? If so, you cannot have a bulging disc, but you could have something like BMP, or even a interbody device (e.g. cage), intruding into the canal.

      --Linda
      Never argue with an idiot. They always drag you down to their level, and then they beat you with experience. --Twain
      ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Surgery 2/10/93 A/P fusion T4-L3
      Surgery 1/20/11 A/P fusion L2-sacrum w/pelvic fixation

      Comment


      • #4
        Linda...I have no idea what type of fusion was done at that level. My CT myelogram is being sent to St. Louis so hopefully I will get some sort of feedback from the surgeon. It sounds like I could be in MAJOR trouble here.

        Ed...I am having my injections and CT done locally here in Nashville. I have tried heat therapy along with everything else under the sun and nothing seems to help this pain except lying down. It's really tough to hang in there when I have no diagnosis and therefore no idea how long I am stuck with this horrendous pain. The radiologist could find no cause for the pain as a result of the CT But thanks for the kind words! You are always there with encouraging words for us non-veterans.
        Pam, age 49
        Thoracolumbar curves 80 and 40 corrected to 20 degrees
        April 20, 2012 surgery with Dr. Lenke
        T-3 to sacrum

        Comment


        • #5
          Pam

          Since you have relief lying down, its weight related. Make sure you relay this important fact to the doctors at be. This does sound like good news...

          Many of us get relief while laying down including myself in my recovery. Nerves can be real buggers when it comes to healing and when inflamed seem to be on just like a light switch. On or off. Max pain or no pain.

          When I had my mysterious “soft tissue injury” it was a 9-10 level pain around my L3 for 14 days, then suddenly it went away just like turning off that light switch. This was at 23 months post. I went to visit my surgeon, was going up the elevator and realized that the pain was gone. He asked me what was wrong. I laughed and said “Oh nothing”.

          I wouldn’t lose hope....Lets hope your light switch turns off soon. Lets hope its this simple.

          I am friends with Dr L. Babat’s father. He is a local scoli surgeon in Nashville....

          Ed
          49 yr old male, now 63, the new 64...
          Pre surgery curves T70,L70
          ALIF/PSA T2-Pelvis 01/29/08, 01/31/08 7" pelvic anchors BMP
          Dr Brett Menmuir St Marys Hospital Reno,Nevada

          Bending and twisting pics after full fusion
          http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/showt...on.&highlight=

          My x-rays
          http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...2&d=1228779214

          http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...3&d=1228779258

          Comment


          • #6
            Pam,

            I have seen a number of people post that they had spinal cord stimulators. But I thought they were to help with fusion, rather than pain. Not sure, tho. Naptown78 is one. If you PM her, I'm sure she'll tell you about it.

            How are you feeling this week? Any feedback from St. Louis?

            Evelyn
            age 48
            80* thoracolumbar; 40* thoracic
            Reduced to ~16* thoracolumbar; ~0* thoracic
            Surgery 3/14/12 with Dr. Lenke in St. Louis, T4 to S1 with pelvic fixation
            Broken rods 12/1/19; scheduled for revision fusion L1-L3-4 with Dr. Lenke 2/4/2020
            Not "confused" anymore, but don't know how to change my username.

            Comment


            • #7
              Spinal cord stimulator vs spinal fusion stimulator

              Hi,

              The spinal cord stimulator that was mentioned above is for control of chronic pain, and is an implanted device. It is entirely different from a spinal fusion/bone growth stimulator, which helps signal the body to fuse an area. It is worn externally.

              I was given a spinal fusion (bone growth) stimulator to wear 24/7 after my broken rod revision surgery, and I will have to wear it for one year total.

              Hope this clears up any confusion.
              Gayle, age 50
              Oct 2010 fusion T8-sacrum w/ pelvic fixation
              Feb 2012 lumbar revision for broken rods @ L2-3-4
              Sept 2015 major lumbar A/P revision for broken rods @ L5-S1


              mom of Leah, 15 y/o, Diagnosed '08 with 26* T JIS (age 6)
              2010 VBS Dr Luhmann Shriners St Louis
              2017 curves stable/skeletely mature

              also mom of Torrey, 12 y/o son, 16* T, stable

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by leahdragonfly View Post
                Hi,

                The spinal cord stimulator that was mentioned above is for control of chronic pain, and is an implanted device. It is entirely different from a spinal fusion/bone growth stimulator, which helps signal the body to fuse an area. It is worn externally.

                I was given a spinal fusion (bone growth) stimulator to wear 24/7 after my broken rod revision surgery, and I will have to wear it for one year total.

                Hope this clears up any confusion.
                Hi Gayle,

                How are you feeling half-a-year out of your revision surgery? Do you have a lot of restrictions?
                I am stronger than scoliosis, and won't let it rule my life!
                45 years old - diagnosed at age 7
                A/P surgery on March 5/7, 2013 - UCSF

                Comment

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