OT Micro Disc Surgery
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 394
Likes: 0
From: Jackson, MS USA
OT Micro Disc Surgery
A little (okay a lot) off topic, but you guys have such great advice, I wanted to ask a medical question (anybody that can fix a Corvette must have valid medical opinions). I bulged a disc (I think, MRI on Monday). The Doctor thinks it will heal up on its on, but mentioned a microsurgery to snip off the offending disc, if the pain does not go away. Did I mention the pain. Holy S(*&, if any of you have any dilusions of grandure about being pain tolerant, get a good dose of nerve pain from a disc herniation, it will wake you up way better than coffee in the morning. The surgery seems like a good idea as a last resort, as it is an outpatient proceedure now. THey just snake a instrument in through a small hole, and snip off the rupture. My question is (for any in the know), is that area more prone to problems later (like a second rupture) at that point. Any other problems?? Thanks in advance to all you Corvette surgeons, and happy holidays from Americas Most Violent City (St. Louis)
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 7,186
Likes: 45
From: detroit area
start stretching and alot of water......
medical treatments are over rated....... i had knee surgury 2 years ago and it's still screwed up.... plus they cut through a major nerve and my knee feels 85% numb from 6" up and down of my knee cap......
go through massages also....... get a membership at a good gym and relax in the spa/pool/jaccu to help loosen up and take the weight off your back....
b
medical treatments are over rated....... i had knee surgury 2 years ago and it's still screwed up.... plus they cut through a major nerve and my knee feels 85% numb from 6" up and down of my knee cap......
go through massages also....... get a membership at a good gym and relax in the spa/pool/jaccu to help loosen up and take the weight off your back....
b
Intermediate
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
From: Pensacola Florida
I happen to work in the operating room a med or micro endoscopic discectomy is a great surgery but remember working on your body is alot like working on an car. Nothing works as good as the original. So you are right you should only go under the knife as a last resort. Good luck with your back. There are alot of other alternative to try before surgery.
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 123
Likes: 0
From: NY
Originally Posted by MoneyPit
A little (okay a lot) off topic, but you guys have such great advice, I wanted to ask a medical question (anybody that can fix a Corvette must have valid medical opinions). I bulged a disc (I think, MRI on Monday). The Doctor thinks it will heal up on its on, but mentioned a microsurgery to snip off the offending disc, if the pain does not go away. Did I mention the pain. Holy S(*&, if any of you have any dilusions of grandure about being pain tolerant, get a good dose of nerve pain from a disc herniation, it will wake you up way better than coffee in the morning. The surgery seems like a good idea as a last resort, as it is an outpatient proceedure now. THey just snake a instrument in through a small hole, and snip off the rupture. My question is (for any in the know), is that area more prone to problems later (like a second rupture) at that point. Any other problems?? Thanks in advance to all you Corvette surgeons, and happy holidays from Americas Most Violent City (St. Louis)
You will have to be careful how you do things afterwards, if you get the surgery. Depending on your profession, will tell you HOW careful you need to be.
Your other option, would be to have the disc totally removed, and the two vertabrae fused together with bone taken from your hip.
Whatever you decide to do, good luck to you.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 9,192
Likes: 27
From: Boca Raton Florida
Good advice is to be had on here for lots of topics. I got a few back injuries that I have to keep on top of to keep them off the top of me. Start doing LOTS od stretches and get a gym membership and find a trainer that specializes in rehab. I also use a pair of inversion boots, to hang upside down from the ceiling, like a bat. That takes the pressure off my spine and stretches out my back, only takes a few minutes every 2 or 3 days. I got them off ebay.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 5,943
Likes: 3
From: Wildwood IL
YEP....been there my friend. Blew a disk out 10yrs ago, (L-1 S-5) Pain like nothing I have ever expierenced. Your procedure/condition is a bit different than the one I had cause mine was herniated. They didn't snip the hard tissue, they just removed the jelly center of the disk (cushion) which leaks out from the herniation (hole) in the hard disk tissue. Your hard tissue is buldged, putting pressure on the nerves (OUCH)
Only advise I can give is to religiously DO THE THERAPY EXERCISES FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. Don't be a wuss...work hard. Your lifting mechanics will have to change for you to be pain & trouble free. Set weight limitations for yourself when lifting. Lift correctly, (back straight, use legs) and use tools to help lift heavy things. You may have to change the way you sit & sleep too. Remember, strong stomach muscles support the back. (at 54yrs old, I have a 6-pack...and I don't mean beer
) After 10yrs I still do the therapy exercises and live a normal pain free life. Won't see me lifting engine blocks anymore...but hey...as long as I can still horizontal rhumba 
that's good enough.
Best of luck to you...
Eddie
Only advise I can give is to religiously DO THE THERAPY EXERCISES FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. Don't be a wuss...work hard. Your lifting mechanics will have to change for you to be pain & trouble free. Set weight limitations for yourself when lifting. Lift correctly, (back straight, use legs) and use tools to help lift heavy things. You may have to change the way you sit & sleep too. Remember, strong stomach muscles support the back. (at 54yrs old, I have a 6-pack...and I don't mean beer
) After 10yrs I still do the therapy exercises and live a normal pain free life. Won't see me lifting engine blocks anymore...but hey...as long as I can still horizontal rhumba that's good enough. Best of luck to you...
Eddie
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 4,809
Likes: 237
From: Utah
I'm an anesthesiologist, and work frequently with a neurosurgeon in the operating room. Often, depending on the disc and the symptoms, i.e. radiculopathy (pain radiating down the leg), a conservative approach is taken (epidural steroid injection). If you have MRI evidence of nerve impingement and the symptoms (see above), surgery is a good option, usually about 60-90 min surgical time. Most of the time the pain is signicantly improved, although you will still be a little sore from the incision. There can always be complications like infection, instability from the diskectomy that might necessitate a fusion, but unlikely. Good luck!!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 5,943
Likes: 3
From: Wildwood IL
Originally Posted by rudolph schenker
a conservative approach is taken (epidural steroid injection)......., instability from the diskectomy that might necessitate a fusion, but unlikely. Good luck!!
Had diskectomy, and (sp?) hemilaminectomy. Exercised my azz off after and living pain free since.
Good luck MoneyPit. I'm pulling for ya
Eddie
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Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 394
Likes: 0
From: Jackson, MS USA
I hear all on the excercise stuff. I work out 5-6 days a week. In fact, that is how I dinged up my back. My job requires that I work out several times per week. I was doing some squats (relatively low weight), and probably got a little out of line on my back. I am stretching now, which is the only thing that allows me to walk (kinda crooked right now). I am starting back to the ab work outs now, I am going to up the ab work outs along with a lot more core training. Unfortunatly, lifting certain things is a big part of my job that can't be avoided, I guess that I will just have to use more caution on how I do it.
