Lumbar Microdiscectomy

[napes99]

I have just decided to go for the op after years of pain, not a decision I took lightly. I have lower back pain that spreads right down my left leg. Will the op help with just the sciatica or will it also ease my lower back pain?

[nivlac456]

Dr. Pakzaban performed an L4-5 procedure in 2004. I was told that 3% of all herniations will nerniate again. I fell into that 3%, and just recently had my 2nd L4-5 procedure on 9-13-2011. A different surgeon performed this procedue, because I now live somewhere else. I can only hope this is the last time. Back pain sucks. I do like the music DR.- Calvin B.

[SSthemagicviolin]

That is one hell of a herniation. I happened to be a very unlucky teen with this condition and everybody tried to scare me about the surgery. It wasn't half as bad as everybody said it was and now, two weeks later, I'm totally fine! I have no idea why I wasted a year of my life in pain..

[Blondie5983]

After having a pain free year with my back, it returned just over a month ago with a vengance and just kept getting worse to the extent that I couldnt move. I was taken into hospital , told I had a severe water infection as well as a large disc L3/4 . I was advised had to be removed to make me safe. The disc was going to cause severe nerve damage. I would be incontinent both ends, at 31 this was a no brainer . Had the op, and im so happy to have my life back.. DO IT!. Holly

[bluemanor]

had this surgery done a month ago for a herniation that was giving me debilitating sciatic pain, foot drop, leg weakness and numbness. The surgery completely removed all that pain! Back itself still sore, but much better than it was.

[1981JamieD]

I have had this surgery, it changed my life. I could barely move, the disc had detached and wrapped around my sciotic nerve. It was horrid for 4 months, I couldn't drive without balling. The leg pain was gone as soon as I was out of surgery. Recovery was under a month, 5 days of bed rest, taking it easy.

[lostinusa09]

Comenting teh surgery would be more helpful. The music is still misplaced

[dhide14]

How long does pain remain AFTER this surgery? WHen will I feel "normal" again?

[eharty]

Hi there,I'm getting this op done on Friday ,what's the recovery period and whats the protocol for getting back to normal?

[sallywilton]

You will never look back if you have this op. Should be available free as the pain is excruciating.

[TheOLearysNC]

I'm having this surgery on Thursday and it is good to hear the positive feedback on here. The daily pain is depressing...I sure hope it is over soon.

[AyJay1127]

OHHH SHIT! thats whats they gonna do to me on wednesday! im only 14 ahhhhhh!

[PeaceForSteeze23]

@AyJay1127 its cause u masterbait too much

[AyJay1127]

@PeaceForSteeze23 screw u!!!

[ocdpdrummer711]

just had this surgery this past wednesday. I am recovering well so far. It is still a little hard to walk, bend, pick up things, but all in all I am feeling much better. I don't think they removed as much disc material with my surgery, but I did have two herniations. I'm 21 and have had leg pain for over 9 months-- had 3 spinal epidural treatments which didnt work, physical therapy also had no effect.

[chudmaster101]

@ocdpdrummer711 , I will have the micro discectomy before the end of the year. I was hoping to hear how you are doing now that it must be 8 months since your operation. Any info on your operation and your recovering would be great to hear. Thank you kindly...

[myztklk3v]

i had this surgery, i was almost in a wheelchair near the end, i couldnt stand it, its been over a year, im doing ok, have to watch my heavy lifting tho

[dillwallay]

I had this operation twice in2005 and 2008 but now i am suffering from this pain again and try to control it with medicine caflam 50mg 1+1+1 daily,

[1983cbarnes]

hi ive been suffering this problem for the past ten years and finally today after fighting for so long the specialists have agreed to give me this surgery as a 27 year old the last ten years have been unbairable i have to take 40mg of morphine every four hours along with 700mg of gabapentin these are extremaly high doses now im extremally nervous as the risks with this op is apparrently really high i hope my op is as succesful as everyones here and that im not the unlucky 1% who has complication

[sallywilton]

I had this operation 2 months ago and was better from the moment I came round from the op. No pain at all after months of suffering, as others say here the pain is excruciating and it is not healthy to be lying about taking pain killers every day. The disc was stuck to the nerve and I would have had a life long problem. Now I can walk, run do anything. Don't wait too long for this it is really easy to get over and the rewards are great.

[YellowEvo8Girl]

@sallywilton I just had this operation yesterday so i am soar, but looking forward to recovering. anything you did to ensure a safe healthy recovery you could recommend??

[sallywilton]

@YellowEvo8Girl Well done. Just do the normal things. The physio is good but i never did it and still am better.

[wendyisafarmer]

i'm 17 and nothing worked. 3 physical therapists, 1 spine institute, an anesthesiologist and 3 epidural steroid injections.. if traction therapy doesnt work then this is my next option.. recomend yes or no?

[AyJay1127]

@wendyisafarmer yes im 14 and ive had sciatica for a year. getting this on wednesday. cant take the pain anymore

[pattyjake64]

Microdiscectomy works! The pain down my entire left leg was so bad I was huntched over to one side, couldn't work, etc. After 3 facet blocks, rest, pain meds and physical therapy, my surgeon and I decided this was the next best option for me. I'm back to work and take nothing for pain! I'm thankful every day for my surgeon and for this proceedure!

[anrie]

-_- gawd why did i watch it T^T.... Now I have a tonight nightmare when I sleep..

[lizinwfb]

My husband is scheduled for this on Monday. What is the recovery like? Timeframe? Pain level? p.s this music is creepy!

[stormtrooper1121]

man a doctors job is easy, they just want u to go to school for 8-10 years is for extra precautions

[mel577]

What is it that they're extracting from there?

[lmidence]

i had this surgery and messed me more up than i already was now i feel like jumping off a bridge

[thenewerag]

Thank you for the post!

Question's:

1) What are they cutting and taking out?

2) How long is the recovery for this type of operation?

3) Is this surgery the best for a herniated lumbar disc or would a Laser Discectomy be better?

I ask because my dad has these issues and was told by doctor's that he has a herniated lumbar disc and never do anything about it and give him vicodin for the pain. Which I think is really silly and stupid for any doctor to tell someone vicodin is the answer.

[vedder6]

I just had this operation 6 days ago. I already feel improvement in my left leg. I am still a little sore, but I am happy I had the surgery. I had it done to L5 S1.

[HerbWalker]

Dr wants to do this to my L5 & S1 what do you think I should do? Thanks............MUSIC??? Merle Haggard"Workin Man Blues" since I got hurt TWICE at work LOL :)

[bennydaball]

I'm potentially facing this operation here shortly - good to be able to see what's really going on in one of these things. Amazing technique and precision when you factor in the scale of that inscision!

[colts5818]

for anyone that is thinking about getting this surgery.... i am 16 and although it does look quite painful it is not bad at all

[Quarker99]

@colts5818 Hey man! I'm 16 too, and im about to have it in the next 3 weeks... nothings worked for me... i hope everything goers okay, but looking at this vid turned me off a bit,.... lol..

[costasefrem]

hi, to everyone :))

in this operation do they remove all the disc ??? ( all the nucleus puplosus??? and what about the annulus fibrosus) or only the part that is pinching the nerve?? does the annulus fibrosus close again after the surgery ????

[bitterexdroid]

I had a microdiscectomy done at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto, January/10. My recovery was awesome; I just wish somebody could remove the Tarlov Cyst in my spine. Thanks for uploading this video...I was curious how the procedure was done. But I am even more curious to know how I was moved from the bed to the operating site...I'd love to see that part!

[jonnyweston]

Hey this video is much better with the creepy classical music turned off. I keep expecting someine to come into the scene and give me huge "BOO, I gotcha!!"

I noticed that someone else hd mentioned that the music had been changed. Seriously, I think videos like this are either much better silent or maybe with a commentary.

Thanks for a great video though,

thanks so much,

JW

[MrCamaroguy1969]

Dr. Dana Wilson out of Mississauga Ontario, did my surgery. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You , Thank You, I have my life back, no pun intended. :)

[jmoar5]

It would be nice to get rid of the music and tell us what the heck is going on. no one wants to see this while falling asleep to beautiful music. 86 the music and narrate what is going on. we are looking at these clips because we have this problem, not to feel like we are at the ballet!

[danmang92]

What is that stuff they are cutting out??

[hawkdog110]

I just had a L5 S1 discectomy in Hamilton Ontario, i can't believe the difference it made. The post surgery pain is far less than the pain i have endured in the past year. I no longer have to take PK's and my condition is improving every day. Many Thanks to the Hamilton team.

[dizkoteck]

its amazing how doctors know what is what inside there.

[johnfz1]

I had incredible pain in my r.leg & my r.foot was completely numb. I had this surgery in early 2008. The pain was almost gone in a week & the numb foot was good in less than a month. I still have cramps here & there but my only wish was that I didn't spend 4 months trying to walk this off before getting the surgery. Good luck & I hope your results are as good as mine.

[bmanjuice]

Sorry to post so many comments in a row but I'm scared as shit. I've never had surgery before, let alone have to be put under. I've had stitches before and a broken finger but that's not ahit compared to this. I hope my dr is on his A game when he does my surgery. I bookmarked this video and will let you know how it goes after my surgery

[bigrobsw]

@bmanjuice

Don't worry you should be fine just make sure your doctor is really good. I had a Triple Discectomy done Dec. 11 2008. I was just like you very neverous when I woke up I couldn't feel my legs but that was cause of the anesthesia but after 2days I got all feeling back from waist down. But what sucked the most is it took nearly a year to walk and run normal.

[abbaalan64]

@bigrobsw You had 3 fusions surgery. How much can you bench your back? I had L3 done 4 yrs ago but next week i hv to go for L5-S1.

[abbaalan64]

@bmanjuice Hope the surgery went well with you. I had L3 surgery 4 yrs ago. I was able to walk and even played tennis after 1 year, but the last 21/2 yrs I had to deal with pains cause of L5-S1, the MRI leaves me no choice but have to go for another operation by next week.

[abbaalan64]

@bmanjuice Dont worry, you will get back to normal in 6 wks. I got bad back because of bad back massage. dont ever let the massuer step on your back, very dangerous. It feels good but it was the reason cause my L3 broken and affected to L4 @ L5. And dont play any too active sport after your surgery. I will have my L5-S1 surgery in Saigon, Vietnam by Pro Dr. Vo, who is the chairman of both VN Spine Assoc and Asia Spine Association.

[abbaalan64]

@bmanjuice Before the operation, talk to many surgeon as you can and have the best surgeon for your surgery. I work in VN so it's ok to have it done here. For budget concerns, it cost less than 5K USD for one fusion in Saigon, Vietnam. Of course, nuts and screws are latest from Johnson @ Johnson. But do no compare the hospital facilites like the US.

[bmanjuice]

The very first thing I'm doing when my surgery is done is checking my lower body, to make sure I'm not paralyzed, then I'm making sure my Johnson has feeling still. I would hate to not have anymore back pain and my junk not work.

[bmanjuice]

The bad thing with this is you don't know what's gonna happen. You can wake up and be fucking paralyzed from the waist down, your pecker may not work again, have trouble controlling your bowels. I have to get this done this coming Tuesday. After my surgery I will comment here and let you know if my pecker gets hard lol

[bmanjuice]

I have to get this done on Tuesday. A laminotomy then a disckectomy. I am scared as shit, I won't even try to lie. I swear if my Johnson don't work afterwards I'm gonna be pissed off.

[minizzel]

i was told today that i will have to have Microdiscectomy on my L5 S1 in a week iv had a few ops in my life but this one really worries me a lot hopefully it will work out that i will have no more pain in my leg which after 2 years will be a better than winning the lotto.

[Shadoweprinz]

I broke my radius and ulna about 1 year ago and lost feeling in half my arm. The doctor said I would get feeling back but I didn't trust him. Nonetheless, after 6 months, I have complete feeling in my entire arm. (dunno if this is similar to your case or not)

[pooch73]

Bear in mind that the incision is only 2cm. The disc material that is being removed looks huge but it really isn't - it is magnafied.

[eclipsez0r]

this looks like a SPINAL FUSION not a microdiscectomy

[eclipsez0r]

@eclipsez0r i thought a microdiscectomy is only to remove the bulging or herniated portion of the disc thats pressing on the nerve not the entire disc.

[lonecrow66]

They really only do fusions where I'm at in Canada and the waiting list is insane.

By the time i"m 60 our healthcare in Canada is going to be so bad people will literally die waiting in the emergency room. They already are! They do here I've heard several stories already.

[rktsciguy]

Great video. Glad to be able to see what they did to me two weeks ago when I was operated on. Shame I forgot to ask the surgeon to keep the hernia so I could see exactly what it was that's been giving me all this grief!!! Could've been avoided if diagnosed correctly 7 years ago, but hey ho, it's done now and though I still have some pain in the sciatic nerve (right leg), I'm told it'll go away within a few weeks or at worst a few months!! Thankyou Dr Lescure!!!

[cichmugs]

i had a microdisctomy 2 months ago in my l5 s1. extruded fragment 20mm(big one). after the surgery i now have numbness in my left side of my penis,scrotum,buttocks. he said it should go away in 6 months. unbelivable!!!! should i request another mri? he is getting tired of me complaining.

[SarahLG3]

This video was really helpful. I believe my mother has a herniated disc. She has been having an "electrical" type pain going from her lower back down to her knee on her right side. She is just in so much pain. If she gets this surgery and works then her life would be so much better. This just gives me hope. =)

[sergiopuy]

I had this done on monday and now I still feel kind of wierd (dizzy) but the pain is gone,.. I'm walking now and I can also seat no problem. however, this is only the begening of a long recovery which is not guearanteed to turn out good.

[Hertsman50]

I had a lumbar discectomy operation done 16 years ago. I was okay for about 8 years but now the pain is back with a vegeance. Back pain has ruined my life.

[CaminDaR]

gotta work with the cards that you are dealt with man. make the best of it.

[LikeToWatchYouPlay]

@Hertsman50 I had my surgury done in 1988. Now I have constant pain with numbness in both legs. My doctor says the only thing that will help now is a double disc replacement, which of course the FDA has not approved. My life too has been ruined by back pain.

[Hertsman50]

@LikeToWatchYouPlay I doubt techniques were very advanced in 1988 and I suspect he was a butcher just like the cunt I had. Private surgeons are the worst. They will just butcher you for the money. The cunt who operated on my back just wanted money for his holidays. A few months after my op I started having neck pain and then he offered me an op to cure that problem. The fucking maggot just wanted to make money out of my misery. I would like to see the cunt die a long miserable death.

[FilmLou]

@Hertsman50 I had a similar experience and maggot is too good a term to describe such creeps. I have opted for this procedure and expect to be in the surgical suite my 11/28/10.

[Hertsman50]

@FilmLou Techniques have advanced quite a bit since my operation and I'm sure this is the way to go. Good luck and best wishes.

[dightmin]

just had this on monday i can sit perfectly and no more pain just sore from incision...sooo happy

[pokerrich9]

@dightmin Hi, how long was your OP? Are u still happy with results??

[dightmin]

absolutly! its been about 3 weeks, and my op was about 45 mins as i only had 1 herniated disc. my pinched nerve in my leg was so bad, i swear to god i could not physically sit down for the last 2 months...LITERALLY. i can sit and live life normal again!!!

[getsome541or]

I had this surgery 4 months ago and now I am one of the lucky 10% who still is suffering from pain post-op. Although I do have Spinal Stenosis and Degenerative Disc Disease at the ripe age of 22

[larrythelookout]

i could not stand the pain i was having. so i had to have this op.. a lot of people say dont let them oprt on your back... i was in so much pain i did not care if i lived or died.. and thats the truth. after 3 months i was back to work again 90% better and 100% wiser. all the best larry.

[NewYorkViolets]

@larrythelookout thanks for sharing your comment. i'm considering surgery right now



[wendyisafarmer]

@larrythelookout: I just turned 17 and have had the same pain for almost a year now.. there were times when i wanted a surgeon to rip my back open and operate on it with no anesthetic because that would have been less pain than i was having from my disc problem. i got slightly better and now i'm doing traction at a chirporactor's office, i've tried every physical therapy and injections there are and a microdiscectomy is my last option really but i'm so young.. glad you got good results!

[liamarlee411]

omg... i cant believe i choose the right time to do the surgery!! im only 19 and i got it donr jan 21, 2009! the sciatic pain is definitely gone and i feel like i wanna run again! ive been suffering for the past 8 months and cant wait till i heal again but i was just wondering what are somethings i should be careful about the years ahead? i heard it can come back in 10 or 15 years or so is that true???

[fatstercat]

I had two of these surgeries performed l 4-5 discectomies and the results are amazing no more pain and I got most of my mobility back. the reason being I waited too long to have it done if I would have done the surgery my mobility and nerve damage wouldn't have occured.

i

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[jaeque03]

i did it 2 days ago! i made it! Its a great relief. been walking little by little. lifting my legs getting in and out of bed is a big challenge. I just felt super dizzy with all the meds i got from the hospital. Otherwise, it's all great! :)

[ssaannddrro]

Just had it done. No problems. All the sciatic pain has disappeared and I feel great.

[pakzaban]

In response to the comments about the music, I have changed the music on this video. How do you like it now?

[mednode]

@pakzaban

What's the name of this music?

[alvarito45]

@mednode It is Johannes Brahms third synphony, second movement.

[mednode]

@alvarito45

Thanks.

[FilmLou]

@pakzaban Great music choice

[liberalinajd]

@pakzaban Beautiful music.

May I know the name of this piece ?

thnx

[Kolster33]

I am having this done THIS friday. I have had pain in the lower left side of my back, which radiates down my leg. I am glad to be getting this done - I am only 18 years old. I don't want a bad back down the road!

[jaeque03]

OMG! the music is scary. it's like that sound from a tribal restaurant.

[sfreem13]

It would appear that this is a complete discectomy I had thought it would be a partial discectomy. Good video just wish the music wasn't so loud.

[nephthysuk]

Horrifying and yet this procedure is the one thing I am impatiently looking forward to this year! I have a buldge at L5 on the right side which has caused over 6 months of pain, I have had an awfull time with the painkillers and my MRI shows no change. I am counting down the days :o)

[IllinoisanCowboy]

Good luck. I am going for the same surgery, but my pain lasted for 12 years. The music in this video does not help at all. It could have looked less horrifying with a soothing soundtrack.

[nephthysuk]

OMG 12 years! After 6 months I have turned into a mental case!

The music does seem to be designed to put you on edge and the red first screen doesn't help. Maybe a viennese waltz like the blue danube? ;o)

GL with the op. I am going in on the 11th of Dec.

[pepgrl601]

I am in the same boat. I have had pain for over 2 years. My right leg is knumb from my hip to my little toe. Good luck to you , my surgury is on January 5, 2010

[ibr180]

i did it at dammam central hospital sence 3 month

but still i have to take care

i cant run

or left heavy object

[lonecrow66]

This scares the shit out of me. I have loss of feeling as well in both of my legs now and after 2 years of epidural injections and all sorts of things there is no improvement. I'm unfortunately going to have to resort to surgery. Unfortunately in Canada they only have open back surgery and they take the entire disc out.. sigh..

[SarahLG3]

The entire disc? Why?

[eclipsez0r]

@SarahLG3 no shit this looks like a SPINAL FUSION not a microdiscectomy

[RoMpErStOmP3R]

@SarahLG3 yeah he seems to be taking out an awful lot.

i just had a L5-S1 L4-S2 done and feeling great.

[MarkoWezep]

@SarahLG3 Your disc consists out of a rigid membrane filled with gel-like pulpa. Once the membrane is damaged and the pulpa is coming out, you are having a hernia. Only removing the pulpa that causes the pain is useless, because the membrane is still damaged. That's why they remove the whole disc, once the disc is damaged repair is less effective than removal.

[isangsweet]

i hope that this will be the answer to my back down to my right leg pain. i hope that i will not experience the excruciating pain again in the future...

[isangsweet]

i had this operation last Oct 29 and i'm recovering very well now. i'm glad that i had it done. i didn't feel any leg pain or numbness at this very moment but the wound still hurts.

[Duckienoir]

I'm getting this done soon - I'm so scared! Kind if wish I didn't watch the video :(

[lduck76]

I agree - I'll be getting this done soon as well and it looks gross but I'll be glad when it's over!!!!

[q8master123]

I had this operation in Kuwait Razi hospital two weeks ago after having severe back pain preceeded by weakness in my right leg and I'm glad I did. since the operation I'm pain free down my right leg and back, no more sensation change along my big toe and ankle however I still have weakness in my right leg which I've been told might take months to recover.

I'm happy with the results so far. will return to work next week.

[pokerrich9]

Hey, I wondered has your strength recovered in ur right leg after your back operation? I m looking at having this operation too.

[ashgaddis]

I had this surgery 2 years ago for a herniated disc in which more than half was herniated so I was in extreme pain, barely able to function, which is not good for a young mother of a 2 year old. My strength came back in my leg after the operation without any problems. It was very successful and I felt immediate relief after the surgery, I recommend it to anyone.

[gillu3]

I decided to go privately, thus the quick turn around. The full cost £5k was worth every penny! I think though that if anyone had suggested this option 3 months in I would have laughed in their face. I tried choro osteopathy pain meds etc etc, but eventually after seeing the scan accpeted that the operation was the only option. I don't remember much about the 2 month pre op as I was off my head on drugs that had little or no effect on the pain.

[gillu3]

I had this done too 5 weeks ago nd it has been a great success. I took part in my first pilates class last week to strengthen my corre muscles and will be bck at work in abot a weeks time. I heard some horror stories about this operation but I would strongly urge those to go for it after doing research on the surgeon- I feel that I have my life back and now walk every where I can after being imobile for 8 months and in agony all the time.

[MrSicknote999]

I feel you are very lucky to have had your operation in such short period of time, i have been waiting for 7years and have just found someone that will do the operation.

I wish you all the luck in the future.

[thehernandez14]

I had the procedure done twice once in 2002 on my L5-S1 left side and then again in 2007 same disc but on the right side. that said my second operation was successfull but the first has now led to complications and my back will have to be fused. that said after my second operation i felt instant relief and felt 100 times better. the first operation was done wrong by a different dr than my first thus leading to my disc compressing and rupturing again, along with scar tissue pinching the nerve.

[castro888]

I have a disc herniation in that same spot if the left side which effects my sciatic nerve. What can I do to avoid a better success rate on this surgery.. and how should I prepare?

[thehernandez14]

the surgery that i had in 2007 worked perfectly instant relief. my advice to you is to listen to what the dr says in your recovery, and also listen to what your body tells you. most importantly be patient in the recovery time, just because you feel better doesnt mean your ready to start normal activities. i would suggest doing some sort of core strengthening and walking, after the operation. try to be active but again listen to what you body says. thats my best advice to and good luck.

[makeumybitch]

wow thats exactly what im goin through.I got the right side disc done but,now my left leg as well as my right leg are feeling numbness as well as left side back pain

[inurmum1]

i had a thoracic microdiscectomy performed, it went very well and felt instant relief as soon as i awoke from surgery. more complex in the thoracic, hard to find a doctor to do it, but worth the time

[elmoscarcan]

thoracis means that is upper to the lumbar aera right?

[scottgunmag]

I had this done 4 years ago. It was the best decision I have ever made in my life. I woke up from surgery with instant relief. Post operative pain was minimal, and recovery although difficult, was not too bad really. I do get recurring nerve pain from time to time, I have realized that I will always have some pain, but nothing like before the procedure.

[Athaleth3ashar]

great video

many thanks

please add more alike videos with longer periods and more details

[rudeboy4422]

im gettin this done next week

its gross!!