Has anybody had this surgery?
I have been having lower back pain for close to 10 years. It flared up beyond its normal and tolerable aches and pains before Thanksgiving.
Took almost a month to get into a specialist (Texas Brain and Spine Institute at Texas A&M health center). They wanted MRI and xrays to confirm their theory about degenerative lumbar stenosis. It took nearly another month to get into the Imaging department for my MRI.
Dr. Friedman confirmed that my L4 and L5 discs are degenerating. One more that the other. The bad news is i am only 28 years old. I should not have this type of back issue at this point in life. He told me some people are just prone to back complications.
The worst disc is worn just beyond 50% and at times, cause severe pain. But most of the year, i feel pretty normal. Only once or so a year it flares up bad for about a month. however i am useless. Cant do anything, not even drive.
SO my options are to continue getting injections which is pretty much like putting a bandaid on a gunshot wound. Its not helping the problem, just covering it up. Or, i could have disc replacement surgery. It is relatively new compared to full on spinal fusion where they screw titanium rods to multiple vertebrae.
The newer surgery is pretty simple and claim it to be a one and done thing. Should not have any recurring operations to replace for life barring any complications. They go in through the abdomen, move your organs aside then access the spine from the front. Then remove the bad disc and implant an artificial one. Dr. Friedman is a neurosurgeon and would be the one to do the operation should i choose to go through with it. He said the surgery usually lasts about an hour and a half and has a quicker recovery than regular spine fusion since the bone will not have to heal from screws and plates.
Has anybody here had this surgery? If so, how did you feel after and have you noticed anything that doesn't seem right or normal?
I have been having lower back pain for close to 10 years. It flared up beyond its normal and tolerable aches and pains before Thanksgiving.
Took almost a month to get into a specialist (Texas Brain and Spine Institute at Texas A&M health center). They wanted MRI and xrays to confirm their theory about degenerative lumbar stenosis. It took nearly another month to get into the Imaging department for my MRI.
Dr. Friedman confirmed that my L4 and L5 discs are degenerating. One more that the other. The bad news is i am only 28 years old. I should not have this type of back issue at this point in life. He told me some people are just prone to back complications.
The worst disc is worn just beyond 50% and at times, cause severe pain. But most of the year, i feel pretty normal. Only once or so a year it flares up bad for about a month. however i am useless. Cant do anything, not even drive.
SO my options are to continue getting injections which is pretty much like putting a bandaid on a gunshot wound. Its not helping the problem, just covering it up. Or, i could have disc replacement surgery. It is relatively new compared to full on spinal fusion where they screw titanium rods to multiple vertebrae.
The newer surgery is pretty simple and claim it to be a one and done thing. Should not have any recurring operations to replace for life barring any complications. They go in through the abdomen, move your organs aside then access the spine from the front. Then remove the bad disc and implant an artificial one. Dr. Friedman is a neurosurgeon and would be the one to do the operation should i choose to go through with it. He said the surgery usually lasts about an hour and a half and has a quicker recovery than regular spine fusion since the bone will not have to heal from screws and plates.
Has anybody here had this surgery? If so, how did you feel after and have you noticed anything that doesn't seem right or normal?
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