As most of you will know already, I've not been able to ride my bike for 15 months now due to a crappy hernia in my back.   I've had 2 laser procedures done on it and it was going ok.   But then 2 weeks ago... POP.... it's herniated again and I'm in agony.   I wanna ask... Who here has had the microdisectomy on a lumbar hernia, how long ago was the surgery and how are you feeling now?   I gotta get on my bike again before end of summer... and before the KISS Rally in Sept!!!                                                                                                                                                                             

Hi Matt   Was the surgery to relieve back or leg pain ?   SS x                                                                                                                                                                                 

both.  I was doing great, just had a bit of sciatica remaining in my lower left left (Hernia is at L1-S5, or L5-S1, can't remember how its ordered).   Then 2 weeks ago it all went t**s up!  I was in agony for about 8 days, couldn't lift my leg up to put my shoes/socks on.  Pain only went away if i lay down or stood perfectly vertical.  Slight movement back or forwards put me in agony.   After about 8 days the back pain settled down but the sciatica in my left leg got about 10x worse, and in more of my leg now (so not just my lower chin now but all up to my arse and side of my thigh).   I'm taking 20-30mg OxyContin again now just to put the pain at ease.   Problem is, I know that when I go to the Neurologist next week all he will say (again) is.... "well you was doing well, so just keep waiting again and all will be ok. It will go away itself".   He said this so much that I just stopped going to him and started doing my own research.   Then i read about PLDD (Laser Decompression) where they laser inside the disc.   I did it last October and the pain got better, about 50%.  So I asked if I could do it again, which i did in February this year.  The pain was then about 80% better than last summer.  I was happy to live with it like that and was happy to not have the Microdisectomy.   Now I've done something (could be anything, washing my face over the sink, putting clothes into washing mashine etc) and it's popped out again I think.  I'm now back to the pain I had before the laser treatments.   I want this over with.  It's been 15 months and it's ruining the best years of my life!!!   I really don't want the disectomy but I'm running out of options.  I've seen the vids on youtube and they're really not very gentle, they just RIP the disc out.   Physio & neurologist say NOT to have it done. Company doctor says TO have it done.   I know people who've had it and have no problems. I also know someone who can't even walk without pain since having it done, really messed him up                                                                                                                                                                             

I've not had anything near what you've had mate but do hope they can sort you out. I have two vertebrae at the top of my spine which are falling apart, no pain just discomfort and pins and needles in my right hand, the quacks want to fuse em together but I've told em to leave it alone for now, if I had pain I would have to consider it.
All the best

yea mine is at the bottom mate, so all my upper body weight is pressing on it.  I can't do anything without making it flare up.   I can walk around, lie down etc... but if i sit in a chair too long, drive my car too long, ride the bike at all etc then it im lots of pain all up and down my leg.   Can't do anything I'd normally be doing - partying, racing go-karts, riding my bike, flying planes and other fun stuff.  It's all on hold and I want my life back.                                                                                                                                                                             

so sorry things not worked Boss Man 

I know spinal stuff is no good to go through, its the sitting doing not a lot thats worse than the pain I think, 

Good luck with it xx                                                                                                                                                                             

ive had pain for bout yr and a half,same disc gone,sumtimes i cudnt walk hardly,but sicne i bin off work ist settledd down,i went in for op other week but had an alergic reaction to the dye they use as a marker so they cudnt do op,but im booked in on 15 june for op,with out using dye.hes just goin to shave disc away,the bit thats sticking out,its all done by camera now,very minor disturbance,there was a lad who had his done wen i was in and he was outside smoking 5 hours after op.people dont realise how painfull it is untill they suffer with it.does cok ur life up yer..

It's actually a lot more brutal than you think! Youtube for Lumbar Hernia Disectomy!
My physio and neurologist also warned me.  They don't just nicely shave off the bit sticking out you know... they get hold of the bit sticking out and the RIP IT OUT, and they keep ripping until the inner (nucleus) part of the disc stops coming out.  Leaving a nice big hole in the harder outer part of your disc to hernia through again in a few years maybe.   Really you should youtube for that vid!!!   You might first want to consider the laser procedure I had, it really helped.  They burn away some of the inner disc which creates a negative pressure and "sucks" the hernia back in (in theory)                                                                                                                                                                             

Discectomy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdrNGgTPvsk Laser: http://www.laserspinecenter.com/                                                                                                                                                                             

It's L5 /S1 (junction between lumbar spine and sacrum). A lot of it depends on the personal preference and experience of the surgeon you are under. Don't be afraid to ask detailed questions about the procedures he has done / complications / alternatives. Sadly, even in this current age, some ortho or neuro surgeons still have a neaderthal god complex that hates being questioned or challenged  - but at the end of the day, it's your back!   Unfortunately, there's always going to be anecdotal stories of "my mate had x done and is fine" or "my mate had x done and he can't walk now". Don't base your decisions on other's personal experiecnes - it's highly unlikely to be the same situation as yours. There are so many variables involved.   Good luck with whatever you decide. Take all advice and research into consideration and in the meantime, keep popping the pills and doing yer gentle exercises.                                                                                                                                                                              

But how am I supposed to decide then?                                                                                                                                                                             

Gawd Matt, what a bummer!   I think you can only make an informed decision, what you feel is right for you.  As has been said, you will always come across - it worked - it didn't work etc.    No doubt you will have and continue to do research on all of this, but at the end of the day only you can decide.   Really hope it gets sorted for you soon.....................                                                                                                                                                                                         

I've been researching it for 15 months.  I really don't want the discectomy but I've already had the PLDD laser treatment twice and it's only worked a little.  I doubt they will do it a 3rd time, not do I think I will benefit from it.   The discectomy also leaves a lot of internal scarring which gets worse over the years and I'll end up in pain again when I'm older (then need the scarring removed, again quite common).   It's basically the worst injury you can get, no current medical science really fixes it                                                                                                                                                                             

im wondering if me good old mum might know a bit about ths as she has only just retired from accident and emergency operating theatres Matt and has been there more than just a few years!! so ya never know she may have some knowledge of pros adn cons.... she is away at the mo and not back for a week or so but il ask her.... she may just have some advice / info   i think thats all you can do to make your decision... gather as much unbiased info as possible   il post back here once spoke me me lurverly mom  she may not have any info but she equally might..... i wish you all the best in the meanwhile and hope the pain goes for you x                                                                                                                                                                             

fingers crossed with what ever you decide m8                                                                                                                                                                              

  Aww big ((((hug)))) Matt. I hope you can get some pain relief one way or another.   I'm sure Picko appreciates you letting him know how painful a procedure can be lol (sarcasm, don't ya just love it? )                                                                                                                                                                             

well my surgeon matt as given a 90 perc succes rate,im avin mine done in walton neuro,apparantley is world renowned.ive seen it on u tube mate tar,cos the pain is mainly in me leg thats a good sign he said,and yer theres a 6 percent chance another disc can go later on.my job has cocked my bak up ,hunched under a low wing for 9 yrs on shit chairs,no good.will let u no in 4 weeks how my op goes.

thanks Suzi, please let me know.   Picko... don't be fooled by the stats. There's a reason my neurologist and physio refuse to let me have the discectomy (they said don't have it unless my leg starts to go numb!).   The stats are based on those who say the pain is gone afer a few weeks.... but what about those in 10 years?  Where they rip the disc out is where it's likely to reherniate again in the future cos you end up with a big hole where they rip the nucleus through.  That hole never heals because there's no blood supply to the disc.  They also rip about half of your nucleus out, which means if you're 26 like me then there's a good chance in 20 years that the vertebae are rubbing on each other (no disc left)                                                                                                                                                                             

As has been said Matt, only you can make the decision. Its sounds like you have done your research, and now will just go round in circles looking for more information.
For what its worth, in1991 I started getting sciatica, which the doctor put down to me being overweight, but after losing 2 stone, I still had pain. I went to an osteopath for a few sessions, which really seemed to help . . . . for a short while. Back to the doctor who sent me for scans and found it was what used to be called a slipped disc(do they still call it that?) in my lower back. He gave me anti inflamatories and pain killers for the pain, but nothing to fix the problem. Another visit to chiropractor/osteopath followed, this time with no effect. So back to the doctor, who then started talking about an operation. He gave me and 85% chance of making it better, and 15% of making things worse, which is a hard choice. After 18 months of near constant pain, I opted to have the operation. 2 weeks at home doing near to nothing, then 3 months of weekly phisio later, No Pain! 20 years on, and still pain free. I have had 'twinges' over the years, but I start doing the exercises I was shown, and all is well after a couple of days.   Im not saying 'have the op' because only you can make that decision. Whatever you decide I wish you well mate.                                                                                                                                                                             

think ill b dead matt anyway in 20 years the way im smoking so i aint got nowt to lose lol...