Microdiscectomy....Low back surgery.

[Flojoe]

Has anyone out there had this done?

I'm scheduled to have a microdiscectomy for my L4-5 done next month and wanted to know if anyone out there has had this done? Would like to know what your recovery was like or if this effects the way you backpack hunt now?

I was planning on doing a Goat hunt this fall and I'm hoping this isn't an unreasonable goal. My surgeon said I should have no problem being able to hike by the summer, but when I asked if a backpack hunt in the fall would be do-able, she was a little less optimistic.

Any one out there able to chime in on there experience would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Dexter Grayson]

Not much to recovery. You'll feel a lot better after the surgery so you'll be more active. Shouldn't effect any hiking or hunting that you have planned. Who is your surgeon?

 

[gbflyer]

L4/L5 hemilaminectomy for me and a fingernail sized chunk of disk removed. You're lucky if you can stand to wait until next month, when mine went I was on the floor until I got under the knife which was about 2 weeks. I was pretty sore for about 3 weeks, and I'll never be 100% again but 95% is way better than the alternative.

Follow your doctors advice for recovery. Mine recommended as much walking as I could stand. Seems to be the best for me, even now.

Unless you're in bad shape and way overweight, I can't see why a backpack hunt by Fall is a concern. But I ain't a doctor.

 

[Roy68]

Been down this road a couple of times. L4/L5 Microdiscectomy in September 2007 5'11" and 215# for reference. The MRI was not 100% accurate and I was told the next day that I was borderline for a fusion. I ranch with family, and I was pretty useless for a long time. I followed all of the Surgeon's instructions & PT to the letter. Honestly for the first 30 days I really wondered if the surgery was a waste of time. The associated pain and weakness in my right leg did not start to recede until sometime in the second month of post-op It took 5 solid months before I began to see cumulative improvement. Even casting a fishing pole was uncomfortable 7 months post-op. I rifle hunted elk the fall of 2008, but I would not pack one, and my hunting partners were accepting of this fact. In fact my day pack that year was all I carried and it was less than 15#. A decade later I'm getting along very well. I can tell you my lower back and legs remind me on a weekly basis that it is not what it once was. For me personally I'm probably about 75-80% of what I was before the disc let go, and I don't expect it to be any better than that.

Spring 2016 C3/C4 fusion in my neck.

In the end make good decisions based on the facts when it comes to your goat hunt. I know the cliche statement "there is always next year" is far from appealing. However for me my longterm physical ability is more important, and if that would have meant missing the 2008 season then so be it.

Everyone is different and every situation is different. I hope the best for you.

 

[Huntindog45]

Had it done a couple years ago and it made a huge difference though my recovery was pretty long. I would say my experience was similar to Roy68 above.


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[gbflyer]

Also don't let some sawbones orthopedic surgeon near you. Fellowship trained spinal surgeon or neurosurgeon only.

 

[Roy68]

Also don't let some sawbones orthopedic surgeon near you. Fellowship trained spinal surgeon or neurosurgeon only.

Echo this.

 

[Flojoe]

Who is your surgeon?

I'm seeing Dr. Fix at Coastal Nuerology. Who is a Nuerosurgeon.

 

[Flojoe]

I've been dealing with this for over a year now and have tried all the conservative measures with no avail. Thankfully though short of a few flare ups, I'm not in debilitating pain and I'm still in pretty young and in good shape.

My surgeons assistant may have given me the best advice, and that was to let your buddies carry the heavy stuff!

 

[DenverCountryBoy]

I had a bulging L4-L5 and ruptured L5-S1 in July 2016. I was able to recover with physical therapy and meds. I also adjusted my diet to include lots of vitamin C for cartilage recovery, and apples and red grapes for disc matrix and gel. I trained hard and got back to 100% in 4 months.

 

[Cgeb]

I had a ruptured disc, causing pain down my butt/leg (sciatic nerve). After my surgery the pain was pretty much gone, I was told don't lift anything heavier than a gallon of milk for 6 months. I'll be honest though I probably didn't feel "completely comfortable" with my back for 3 years. By that I mean where I could feel 100% with no discomfort or at least in my mind where I didn't have to baby it. I guess everyone is different. I'm to the point now where when I work out it's mainly to strengthen my core just to insure I don't need surgery down the road again on it. Good luck, it sucks when medical stuff threatens your string or trigger time.

 

[PNWGATOR]

BTDT L5/S1 discectomy November 2010. Herniation on R side the “size of a chestnut”. Couple hour procedure. One night in hospital. Two weeks bed rest. Two weeks nothing heavier than a glass of water and only indoor walking. Progressed from there. It was a marathon. Neurosurgeon did the procedure. I was jacked up, bad. I tried rest, sick leave, light duty, physical therapy, chiropractic care, back injections, bed rest, etc. Surgery truly was a last resort. My physican said no guarantees, some don’t work, often second procedure required,“two identical injuries, one has surgery, one doesn’t, spastically similar symptoms five years down the road”. Literally tried everything before surgery. Surgery was a Godsend. It was a l o n g journey. Middle three toes on R foot feel like a sock is balled up under them. Couldn’t be happier. . I work and function as me and I’m grateful EVERY day!

 

[Flojoe]

I certainly don't wanna push it too much after I have surgery. My back is really important to my line of work and most importantly to playing with my boy as he grows up. Hunting comes after all that.

 

[steve s]

There are lot's of variables that make it tough to compare outcomes with others - size of disc protrusion, health of remaining disc, health of levels above and below, amount of time you have had nerve irritation, general health, core strength, luck, age, smoking. It's tough to predict who is going to have a great outcome and who might have a good one. You have a couple things going for you - Dr. Fix has an awesome name and did a fellowship with a very reputable institution.

I'd ask her about her philosophy for PT - not just for basics after the discectomy, but for building core strength required for a goat hunt. Find a PT that uses Pilates or focuses on advanced core strengthening. I think a lot of people underestimate the pressure a goat hunting could place on your spine and most people quit PT when pain is gone. Focus on core strength, consider some intro Pilates exercises. Build endurance (distance) before you increase intensity (adding pack weight). PM me if I can help with anything or if you want to peak at an average post-op PT program. I do PT practice consulting but started out as a PT myself.

Best wishes

 

[Flojoe]

You have a couple things going for you - Dr. Fix has an awesome name and did a fellowship with a very reputable institution.

Focus on core strength, consider some intro Pilates exercises. Build endurance (distance) before you increase intensity (adding pack weight). PM me if I can help with anything or if you want to peak at an average post-op PT program. I do PT practice consulting but started out as a PT myself.

Best wishes

About the only thing I feel going against me is my surgery date, Friday the 13th.

Fortunately I get time to workout at work everyday, so right now my main focus has been on strengthening my core and increasing my fairly poor hamstring flexibility. I plan to keep doing much of the same after surgery and working more in as my back allows.

I'll be sure to take your advice to the PT I see now. Currently he works more on stimulating the nerve roots than any sort of core strengthening.

Thanks for the help and I'll be sure to keep you in mind if I have questions

 

[Mark]

I've had that surgery twice; one in 2015 the second in 2017. Both were successful and both were performed by a qualified neurosurgeons. After my last surgery as soon as I woke up in the recovery room I was pain free. I'm six month post surgery and I'm doing great. A little weakness in my right leg and ankle and I have some numbness in my big toe. No foot drop and I can lift my toes still. Life is good.

Three weeks after surgery I went duck hunting in my boat - my son drove the boat. Six weeks later I was in a layout blind shooting geese. Last weekend I was in a layout shooting geese again. No problems at all. And in about three weeks I'll be turkey hunting. I'm not letting this slow me down, but I'm definitely being cautious with activities. I plan on doing a back country hunt this season and I'm confident that I'll be ready for it.

The best advice I've seen on this thread is the PT that incorporates Pilates. I also recommend TRX Suspension training. Body weight resistant training has helped me a lot. You can take the TRX with you anywhere you go.

Best of luck to you and I hope you have a speedy recovery. A lot of that recovery is based on your commitment to your PT.

 

[Wild Bob]

I have degenerative disk disease...and had a microdisectomy about 11 years ago now. Then three years ago, I had another issue and had to have a disk fused.

I'll spare you all the nitty-gritty details and just offer a basic summary, based on my experiences:

1) They'll tell you that you may not fully recover and be able to do all the things you hope to do.

2) You'll hear all kinds of horror stories from friends and acquaintances.

3) If you have nerve damage like I did, they'll tell you that you may not recover from that.

4) Listen to your Doc regarding recovery - don't do something stupid too quick, let your body fully recover.

5) That being said, get your head right that you are going to do all you can, as soon as you can to aid in recovery (lots of walking for starters).

6) Stay the &%$#^ off the pain pills if you can...they are not your friend for recovery.

7) Once you are on the road recovering, do the recommended stretching - all the time.

8) Walk, a lot!

9) Once you are back to a reasonably normal existence, begin and stick to a regimented core strengthening routine.

10) Do everything you can to pick up where you left off physically, and then start improving your workout routine.

11) Be smart...once you go through this back stuff - your days of proving that you are an ox are over, if you don't lose that mentality - you'll be back in surgery, eventually.

12) This doesn't mean you can't be tough as nails and hunt like a wild man, it just means that you realize and understand that you make an extra trip out rather than over load your pack beyond your capabilities.

13) After a few years, it'll be really easy to forget all this and revert to over doing it...be careful of that!

14) I used my back issues to get in better shape than I was when I was 'supposedly stronger' and twenty years younger.

15) Now, even when I'm taking it easy, after 2 surgeries, and having gotten in better shape, I still get comments about out working guys half my age on a hunt.

Ok, I'll shut up now. Good luck with your surgery and your goat hunt!

 

[307]

Get the book "Back Mechanic" by Professor Stuart McGill, worth its weight in gold.

Learn what not to do, things that damage discs (see above).

Don't try to stretch the back, even if it feels tight.

Stretching around hips (flexors, extensors, etc) can be done but only if done safely.

Learn how to breathe from the diaphram

Learn how to stiffen the trunk properly

Don't focus too much on "core strength", but rather endurance and proper breathing and bracing. Maximal spinal stiffening (how the muscles protect the spine) occurs at only 25% of max strength. Rarely is an actual lack of strength the cause of pain. Firing pattern and endurance is another matter and what we should be focused on.

Disagree about pilates for reasons stated by Dr. McGill (he's the leading spine biomechanist on the planet).

Get a second neurosurgical opinion. If you're functional, and there's no urgent need for surgery, wait. Discs take a long time to heal/dehydrate/scar but they do so the vast majority of the time without outside intervention. Better to be patient than undertake an irreversible procedure IMO.

 

[NebraskaStickHunter]

I had two surgeries at age 22 and 27 both L4-L5. First one was herniated and I recovered well from that surgery quickly without much discomfort. The second surgery I had they discovered it ruptured and I have nerve damage and am constantly reminded that I have a back . Both times I was struggling to function in college then work so there was no question about needing intervention. If you are doing ok I would follow the previous advice about a second opinion. Never go under the knife unless you have to. If you do don’t push it too much there is always next year to hunt but you only have one back. Good luck

 

[Cgeb]

My back hurt last night just reading this....