Back Surgery and Neck Surgery
January 28, 2012 - 5:15pm
Disc replacement vs. laser surgery
I am in the process of trying to decide whether to have disc replacement surgery or laser surgery. It would really help to hear from people that have had either and whether they felt it went well or not. Would they do it all over again given the chance.
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Leslie
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I've seen here Leslie is that folks who have the ADR come and tell us they are having surgery, and then we never hear from them again. I have seen a few posts from people who've had a one-level ADR and then eventually required a fusion, but those are few and far between. It would be nice to know from the others if they fully recovered, recovered enough to keep themselves out of pain, or if the ADRs were a failure. Oftentimes folks don't come back when they are feeling well, but it's also the case that folks don't come back when something they have tried has failed and they're embarrassed about it. I did have some laser surgery (a discectomy) in my early stages for back problems and it solved my pain problems so completely, I probably over did and ended up needing the fusion eventually. I'm not sure what your overall situation is like. I wish you the best!
Linda
3 level 360 degree lumbar fusion (L3-S1) starting with eight-hour surgery to place hardware, discs could not be removed from the back due to scar tissue, so four days later, they went in from the front to complete the job. November 2008
June of 2010 I was rear ended in my car. I tried to treat the back pain with chiropractic care only. After a year I got an MRI that showed a bulging disc. I have had two injections and the pain just keeps returning (L5). I saw a specialist Friday who told me that I would be a candidate for disc replacement surgery based on previous tests and extra x rays he had taken. The whole idea of back surgery is frightening. My husband saw something about laser spine institute and thought it looked like an amazing cure. Maybe too good to be true? It will be two years this June from the onset of the pain. I would really like to feel hopeful about all of this. It seems like back problems tend to go on forever. Thanks for writing.
Leslie
Welcome to spine health! You and I have both had back pain for the same amount of time (May 2010 for me) I tried all the conservative measures and met with many surgeons the first year. I had different opinions ranging from micro discectomy to fusion. In July 2011 I had a two level discectomy/laminectomy.
I did not improve at all after surgery.
I am now scheduled to have an artificial disc replacement in a week. I was very scared (am still nervous) about trying something so extreme. In my case, I feel that it is the right decision for me. I am basically housebound the last 5 months, walk with a cane, am in pain 24/7 even though I am taking heavy narcotics. I just can't continue this way, so this is my chance at a new life with hopefully alot less pain and more mobility.
I have read a few things on here about the laser spine institute...from good to very bad. If you type it in to the search bar, I am sure some posts will come up.
Please feel free to PM me if there is anything I can do to help. It is a difficult decision to make, but you will know in your heart if and when you make the right decision for you.
back injury May 2010
DDD,abutment both l5 nerve roots and s1 nerve root.herniated disc L5/S1 bulging discs L3-L5,osteophytes,degenerative facets,stenosis and coccydynia
discectomy/laminectomy L4/L5 L5/S1 July 2011- unsuccessful
ADR L5/S1 February 6 2012
Search in Google for LSI and Bonati. They both compete in the laser surgery business. Many of their procedures were not covered by most insurance companies. You better verify that before even wasting your time considering them. They also seem to pay people to post stories. We've caught some on here hyping them up. My opinion is to stay away from all of them.
Get a reputable surgeon and do surgery in a reputable hospital. Which mechanics are used to solve the problem is between you and the surgeon. Sometimes you have more than one choice, sometimes not.
I too would advice you to use SH's Search to find old posts on laser spine surgery; I've posted on that subject a few times about having heard an opinion on that from the horse's mouth, meaning that of an orthopedic spine surgeon whose lectures I've attended. Best wishes, and keep us posted on your treatment.
essmoe29
It seems like for the most part people have discectomies not disc replacement surgery. Is that the preferred method of most surgeons?
Leslie
case is different but discectomies are the least invasive,compared to adr and fusion.If it is a herniation that is the problem,then alot of the time a discectomy can remove the part of the disc that is impinging a nerve
If the disc has collapses or there is instability etc, they may have to do a fusion or adr. In my case, I tried the least invasive first, as it can be all that alot of people need. They may never need another back surgery.But you always need to be aware and protect your back so as to not reherniate.
Has your surgeon discussed discectomy with you?
Karen
back injury May 2010
DDD,abutment both l5 nerve roots and s1 nerve root.herniated disc L5/S1 bulging discs L3-L5,osteophytes,degenerative facets,stenosis and coccydynia
discectomy/laminectomy L4/L5 L5/S1 July 2011- unsuccessful
ADR L5/S1 February 6 2012
Wish you the best of luck with your surgery coming up,
Leslie. Always get a 2 nd opinion to see if surgery of such as adr or fusion is the fix for your situation.
As others said here. If they can save the disc or just remove a small part pressing on the nerve is always best bet, If that dont work they can always decide on adr or fusion once they tried the least invasive surgery 1 st,
Best of luck
L4 L5 disc replacement in 2004=causing nerve damage'Flexicore disc. 2006 fusion same level leaving adr in. Fusion did nothing to releive the nerve pain.Pain clinic=every injection procedure avalable inc,razadamy, ablation, nerve stimulater trial,morphine pump trial all failed. Pain can be described as burning pain in lower spine penetrating in to left buttock,down left leg. Refuse to take lyrica or nuorontin do to its side effect,Leaving me with norco,valume,and flexiril at night.Which these medications only help with the muscle aches and stiffnes does nothing for the nerve pain from the nerve damage sustained from the adr surgery.Coming up nov.19th 2009 Lami, and hardware removal from fusion,for hardware just causing more pain in other areas.Hardware block comfirmed hardware is also causing pain in diferent area aside from the severe nerve pain on left side.Emg showed some posible problem above surgery are at L3 L4.
I would avoid LSI / bonati. They have tons of lawsuits and there are very well respected doctors that do surgury with lasers.
Second I think spine health is probably not best place ( good one ) to talk about ADR. There are some sites strickly devoted to ADR and have forums based the same. Scary and amazing stuff at same time.
Amazing to see someone who had 3 level ADR, 100 percent pain free. But it seems like anything choosing exp. surgeon, right ADR, clean facets all impact results. Remember they been doing it overseas for 20 + years so not technically new.
Herniated T6-7 impinging on cord. Annular tears in T5-6 and T7-8, DDD and smorls nodes throughout thoracic. Small herniation in C2-3 and buldge at L 4-5.
"A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove . . . . but the world maybe different because I was important in the life of a child."
I decided to start with the least invasive of surgeries first. Today I will have the laminectomy to try to relieve the sciatic pain down my left hip and leg. It sounds like most people have had good results I am praying I will too.
Leslie
Welcome to the other side! Hope that you are doing well and that your pain is being controlled.
That is great that you are trying the least invasive approach first. I hope that this helps you and you heal completely.
Please let us know how you are doing when you are able.
back injury May 2010
DDD,abutment both l5 nerve roots and s1 nerve root.herniated disc L5/S1 bulging discs L3-L5,osteophytes,degenerative facets,stenosis and coccydynia
discectomy/laminectomy L4/L5 L5/S1 July 2011- unsuccessful
ADR L5/S1 February 6 2012
Coming out of surgery I had monster shivers that took awhile to get under control. The pain was pretty bad but once they got it under control I have been able to manage it. I already feel relief from the pain into my hip, down my leg and into my foot. I am so glad I had the surgery at this point.
There was a bone spur also involved in the nerve problems at L4 L5 There is a tear and herniation in L3-L4 but I am leaving that alone for now. The disc at L5s1 is going to need a fusion. So that is where I am headed down the road. Thanks for checking in...
Leslie
Coming out of surgery I had monster shivers that took awhile to get under control. The pain was pretty bad but once they got it under control I have been able to manage it. I already feel relief from the pain into my hip, down my leg and into my foot. I am so glad I had the surgery at this point.
There was a bone spur also involved in the nerve problems at L4 L5 There is a tear and herniation in L3-L4 but I am leaving that alone for now. The disc at L5s1 is going to need a fusion. So that is where I am headed down the road. Thanks for checking in...
Leslie