On 11/3/2012 HighL said: I have been dealing with increasing spinal stenosis for the few past years. On pain meds, and have had injections due to numbness and tingling down legs and feet. The last MRI showed two additional discs deteriorating in my lower back. BUT, because I can still walk and "somewhat" do my job, my doctor says I'm not ready for surgery "yet", and that it's not always successful, and that he currently is still treating patients that had unsuccessful surgery.
Anyone?
TIA, Paula
Below is part of what I left in my other reply to you. The Spinal Surgeon was not at hockey tonight, but my other Orthpod, who has done this type of surgery also, was there and I spoke with him about this. I will put what he said under my quote of my last reply to you.
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"If I see my friend this week at my Adult Hockey League game, I will ask him about this. He is a Spinal Specialist, and does a lot of spine micro-surgeries. He is with the State Spinal Institute in our area. Hasn't been to the last couple games, he is one of my 2 Refs, and they do not come to every game.
When I see him I will ask him about this type of surgery, if I can remember, and see what type of results he has had with this. If like typical spinal prognosis, every situation is different and I am sure he would need specific information before he would even think of telling anyone about what he would do.
Will ask him, in general, how this surgery in his experience, has worked overall with his Spinal Stenosis Patients."
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Paula,
This friend does mostly Hip and Knee surgeries, but he used to do a lot of back surgeries also. I asked him about the results of this type of surgery. Here is what he told me.
Since the involves the compression of the spinal canal, what he does it decompress it by cutting of parts of the parts causing the compression. He said there are many ways to do this type of surgery, and this depends on which the patient and he, decide which one would have the best results based on the overall situation of what and where in/on the spinal canal.
He told me he has done at least 30 of them, and that his success rate was well about 90% for these patients. He also said the overall condition of the patients body is a factor in the results, along with their willingness to follow some rigid Physical Therapy Sessions after the surgery.
Told me the biggest success is for those that have the pain in their legs, as opposed to their back. This he said, depends on the location of the compression of the spinal canal, and the nerves involved.
One of my other hockey players told me his mother had this surgery 3 years ago, and she was 90 years old at the time of the surgery. He said she had been suffering for years and could not find a doctor to do the surgery because of her age. He said it is now 3 years later and she has been pain free after her full recovery from the surgery she had done.
My doctor friend said this is "not the norm" because not many 90 year old's are physically able to handle this type of surgery and recovery. The risks, he said, are too high and that he would never have done this on anyone that age.
Wish the Spinal doctor would have been there, but this is the best I could do for you. I am not sure if I remember every thing he said about this surgery, because at certain points I had to ask him to keep it to where I could understand what he was saying. Can't understand all the "doctor talk terms", so he kept it where I knew most of what he was saying about this surgery.
Not sure this will help you, but I wanted to let you know that I did try to get some information for you.
hckynut(john)
hckynut(john)
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