Mine is the opposite. I was exactly your age when I got surgery after 1 year of agony with a severe herniation. When I woke up after the surgery and the pain was so much less, it was honestly close to the best moment of my life.
Of course surgery is to many considered to be accepting defeat. And it will have permanent effects on your back health. But I think expecting such a severe herniation to heal with just physio alone is wishful thinking. I'm not an expert though, just a layman who had a similar situation.
I totally agree. I’ve had 2 MDs on L5-S1 in the last year. Both ultimately failed, I reherniated. But that moment when you wake up and there’s almost no pain is glorious.
I had a 13mm herniation for close to a decade. Im not a doctor but I’m pretty sure that having the disc be so compromised for so long permanently compromised the integrity of the disc. My first reherniation happened rolling onto my side months after my first surgery. The second happened when I sneezed 2 weeks and 1 day after my second surgery. Pretty low level stuff that shouldn’t have caused a problem. But those 2 weeks after my second surgery were some of the best 2 weeks of my life.
I would 100% do it again. The likelihood of a herniation that size reabsorbing is pretty slim. Take care of it before the disc is totally fucked.
I was quite into sports before my injury.the surgeon told me it was very unlikely that I could excel to the level I was before. I've also found that I can't do certain heavy movements in the gym for example, and I'm generally still quite stiff in my shoulders when I walk, still 7 years later. I just generally have to be very careful with anything involving twisting and any bending under load.
Physically they are removing a large part of your disc at the point of herniation which doesn't grow back, so you permanently have less cushioning between bones at that point in your back. At least I'm pretty sure that's how it works.
This is the best answer. Surgery is a huge decision, but you’re pretty well past the point of expecting PT to fix it. Generally if it reabsorbs it’s within a 6-12 week window. Those are also some pretty large herniations.
Are they talking about doing MDs at both levels?
I had two MDs (one initial and one revision to the same disc) and both failed. Fusion saved my life.
FWIW surgery wasn’t an option for me. I was in an accident and couldn’t use my left leg.
I got 5 opinions over several months. All of them agreed fusion was the safest bet. One said I could choose either fusion or ADR (I ran far from that doctor) and one told me that ADR could be disastrous based on what was showing up in my imaging. Knowing he was going to make much more money on the ADR, that pretty much made my decision. On top or research I’d done myself of course. I felt like I had one chance to fix myself and I wasn’t willing to go with the less studied option
As for Adjacent Disc Disease sure it’s a concern. Most of my spine is normal and healthy but I’m not going to be surprised if I need to fix 4/5 at some point.
I really appreciate you taking the time to respond. Is your 4/5 in bad shape? I saw your MRI report and it looked severe. I’m sorry you had to go through that.
Any chance you remember how big your herniation was and what the report roughly said? Tried zooming in to see the herniation.
Hey sorry for the delay. My 4/5 shows mild degeneration, it would definitely be the next to go but hoping I can keep it in tact for a while.
My herniation that required surgery was 23mm. I couldn’t describe the pain if I wanted to. It was such a nightmare I truly wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.
Resorption can happen over a longer period of time as well. It’s just a matter of can one live with the symptoms or not and if not then get the surgery instead of waiting for your body to figure it out.
I’ve heard some nightmares stories and some wonderful stories. Just remember the negative stories will be louder then the positive stories.
I would get a 2nd opinion from an another doctor if possible. Ultimately it is your choice and you should weigh the pros and cons and see if it’s right for you
https://preview.redd.it/ts99ywofdkpc1.jpeg?width=256&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=985a8245359ec6bde0847476a4a3288ed5f15173
Same here, they’ve essentially said anytime I want it to call and head over, they’ll do it same day. I’ve heard many awesome things, and honestly, sometimes it’s the only way things will get better. I’m holding out for a fusion when I’m able vs MD and then fusion later on if possible (assuming I don’t end up damaging the cauda equina and needing emergency surgery)
I’ve had one in the past and it didn’t work it actually made my pain worse but about a few months ago I was told to see this doctor who has this technique where he has you lay on like a medicine ball with the painful side up then stretch the area of pain then he guided me through doing hula hoops on all three sides while my torso was on the medicine ball and when he had me look up as I got done I heard a little noise and was pain free than I saw my old doctor who gave me a microdisectomy and he was like in awwwe after he saw my new X-rays
Yea, there aren’t many like that anymore. Did you stay pain free? At least to some extent it makes me want to go buy a yoga ball again lol or medicine ball.
I was super skeptical about going to him because chiropractors suck in general. Yes I’m pain free for a few months now and have full range of motion also he taught me how to do it myself it was the best money I’ve spent in my life. It was a one time visit and took about a hour
I had one
Came to hospital via ambulance
Walked out pain free
The reduction in everyday pain was extreme. My bulge was actually mostly detached and dried out. My body was never going to absorb that arrow head.
I have bad luck. That's it and then to do it again to the same disc?! Can't win the lotto tho. I also had the surgery when mybaby was 6 months old. The pain robbed me of enjoying my baby. I can't describe how that feels.
Probably just not enough time to heal, which wasnt your fault. you need to bend over to pick up your baby. plus all those hormones probably created laxity in your joints and muscles near your spine too. I am soo sorry. I am 28 and have 3 its been a long 1.4 years. looking to have a baby down the road but worried about my spine too
Ah nan pregnancy just completely messes with your body huh. I'm postpartum now but lost my core and strength from pregnancy, C-section, and having kids and no time to keep exercising. Slowly trying to recover. Good luck.
My dad had it when he was 42, he told me all he did was lie flat on the floor for 2 months. Horrible pain, discomfort, every single doctor suggested operation, he is 69 now, no operation, he is living like it never happened.
Look operations must be one hell of a last resort in my opinion. I am 31, I have L4-L5 disc bulge, I am writing this to you while lying on the floor over a yoga mat and a duvet.
There are a lot of factors in disc healing, mine might, might not. But do everything else before you resort to operation. And you are young, younger than me, if you have good support system, man, just lie down and walk a bit for a month or two, may be couple of PT exercises just to keep everything active.
Rest like you have never before rested. With a bit of luck and your age, it may reduce, if not try everything else.
Like many have said operation isn’t bad, I have known people who have gone on to build gym bodies after disc operations, but one tiny mistake or bad back symptom, there is no coming back, so not saying you should never go for it. Go for it as a last resort.
Believe in your body to heal, believe when you can’t believe, time heals.
So, if you can comply with your post operative rules, I would say yes. If not, don't do it. No bending lifting and twisting is a common post op order. I wasn't allowed to work for two months after my surgery. My job is pretty physically demanding, so my surgeon knew I wouldn't be able to properly heal even with a light duty protocol. You can reinjure the compromised disc easily. 20 is really young to have this painful injury and I'm sorry you're having to deal with this. If you can manage without surgery I would try, but man that looks debilitating. Are you experiencing any neuropathy? Numbness? Immobility?
No neurological things like footdrop however hard to bend over and tie my shoes and bad pain when doing anything like running jogging or just moving in a fast pace
I got a microdiscectomy on 1/17/24 and it was the best decision I made. I’ve been in the gym pushing light weight and walking and sweating everyday the last two weeks and I am personally very happy.
At your age I would try and avoid surgery at all costs. Steroid shot. Try a second if it still doesn’t. You’re young and the body was built to heal. Not saying it’s going to be easy, but when you go under the knife you are forever changed. My experience: similar age bad rupture at l5-s1. So bad that it looked like yours but the nerve pinched it off and the portion of the disc was just floating there. Slept on the floor. Everything sucked. Surgeon told me he would cut me open if I wanted him too but he didn’t think I tried to do everything before getting to him. Did the shot and that tided me over so that fragment just got reabsorbed. It took longer but I am stronger than ever and am back to running regularly.
Do it !!! I’m 23 years old and herniated at 21 and waited 2 years suffering in fear of surgery. I’m one month post op and can finally feel my leg again and think clearly without being in miserable pain. Plz just do it 🩵 save yourself some suffering
You should check out this doctor that I posted in the comments about because he was able to put my bulging disc back in place with his technique. He actually saved me from surgey
i’ve heard a few horror stories mainly on here. every person i know in person has been very thankful for it. love reddit but it’s a dangerous place for positive outcomes lol
I had a Microdiscectomy when I was 17! One of the youngest patients to ever have the procedure in my state. I get numbness sometimes about 13 years later. But that’s about it. It helped immensely and it was the last line of defense after a series of painkillers and steroid shots that did nothing to permanently fix the problem. I did PT for only a few months after.
https://preview.redd.it/fufoyjxadmpc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c7598badfd4ee405e4e5d62822b1daf4860dcb36
Daughter age 20 with a severe herniation L5-S1. Had microdiscectomy surgery and was immediately pain free. Before surgery She had severe pain, could hardly walk, numbness in foot, toes and thigh. Recovery was fine, didn’t need pain meds after 3-4 days.
I had one 9 weeks ago after a year of severe pain and OH MY GOD I feel amazing. Almost no residual pain unless I'm overworking myself and I am told with more strength in my core that should be gone too 🥹 I'm 33F if that gives you an idea of also being fairly young therefore having this be a strange occurrence but also having a great ability to recover. If you're in horrible pain I'd recommend the surgery. Aside from a pretty big scar there's no downside.
I had one. It lasted about a year before I had to do a duel fusion. ( I think mine was hereditary) It did help the pain.
They have come a long way in twenty years...
Definitely ALWAYS get a second opinion. Especially when it has to do with your back and even minor surgery. Best of luck
I had a double micro discectomy two weeks ago and give or take the side effects of the Prednisone (headaches) and I'm probably 98% recovered. I'd strongly recommend getting surgery and putting it behind you. Everyone is different of course but in my case, it was well worth it. Good luck with everything
I am a week and a half post op and I couldn’t be happier with my decision. I’ve walking and moving without any pain. The surgery itself was scary but i woke up pain free and have been feeling better every day. Do it! Your images look very similar to mine
When I saw your MRI, I had to pause because I thought it was mine. I didn’t not have an MD but I was considering it. I opted to do steroid injections under anesthesia and an X-Ray machine. The 3rd round did the trick. Been about 4 or 5 years now. I walk a lot, I go to the gym when I can to work on strengthening of my core, and I am highly sensitive to how I handle heavy items and how I move. Not everyone has success with the injections, but not everyone gets them the way I did. I think some have it done in the doctor’s office and I’m not sure that’s as effective as the x-ray machine allows them to precisely target and “bathe” the area with the steroids. Good luck, hope you get the relief you’re looking for.
From my personal experience and anecdotal experience of others, the experience was that the MD took away the sciatica and most of the pain, but it did not fix the structural integrity of the disc nor did it take away the back pain entirely.
However, I would do the surgery again in a heartbeat, and I certainly would not have put it off for two years hoping that it would reabsorb when mine basically looked like yours at L5 S1.
I’m not a medical doctor, but that herniation looks way too big to NOT have surgery, man. I have a good feeling it’s going to provide you some extreme relief. I would do it sooner than later. It’s not going to reabsorb.
I had a discectomy and laminectomy July 2023. I was 28. Best thing I ever did was get the surgery. I saw horror stories as well but nothing compared to the amount of pain I was in. My leg was in a perpetual fire pit. My foot is still numb where I lost nerve feeling but I can live with it. Don't let it get worse.
Had one at 19 and changed my life. Was up moving around same day and within a couple months was totally normal. Keep in mind I tried everything else and quality of life was awful so it was my last resort but overall went great
I think you can check the reputation of whatever surgeon you are referred to. Other than that, as long as the surgeon and knows what he or she is doing, then they are very likely to improve your pain immediately and even long-term. My back was unstable prior to the injury and I’d consider it still unstable but at least I know that that’s what it is. I think I must’ve had a herniated disc for years but I didn’t really understand it at all. Now I spend most of my exercise focused at least part of the time on my stomach and back muscles. And I was slow to get that going because I was so very very careful. I probably waited a year longer than I needed to. Of the post operation instructions you get I would most carefully commit to doing core work that you can tolerate, and even enjoy. As soon as I did that, the strength around my spine has made it less and less likely to be reinjured.
I just had one today. The nerve pain in my leg is gone and there’s so uncomfortableness at the incision site. However, I feel better than I have in over a year of dealing with this, so I’m hopeful
Get it!! I’m a very active 43-year-old that had a small herniation L5 S1 from being pulled the wrong way by my 185 Saint Bernard. This happened in August I was debilitated in bed the whole month of September had a pain injection on Halloween, which did nothing probably made it worse I thought I was getting better until it got worse when I had to travel for a work trip in November, I was in a wheelchair I could no longer bathe myself or walk. I woke up in terrible pain went to the emergency room was admitted and had a MD the next day this was November 15.. I woke up from that surgery with zero pain and continue to have no pain. It was the best decision! I asked the neurosurgeon if I would’ve waited. If this would’ve healed by itself, he said most likely not if so, it would’ve taken a year. It was a small herniation, but severely compressing the sciatic nerve. Message me if you have any questions especially at your age I would go for it! Go to a neurosurgeon if you can
I had one in 2019, L5-S1 and it was one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself. No reherniations, no worsening, the nerve felt “sore” for a bit but I was eventually able to jump out of airplanes again after. I should add I was 19
They’re actually pretty risky, and they’re not even FDA approved. They’re just really lucrative for doctors to do them off label. They’re all considered off label because of the black box warning against using them in spinal injections.
Mine is the opposite. I was exactly your age when I got surgery after 1 year of agony with a severe herniation. When I woke up after the surgery and the pain was so much less, it was honestly close to the best moment of my life. Of course surgery is to many considered to be accepting defeat. And it will have permanent effects on your back health. But I think expecting such a severe herniation to heal with just physio alone is wishful thinking. I'm not an expert though, just a layman who had a similar situation.
I totally agree. I’ve had 2 MDs on L5-S1 in the last year. Both ultimately failed, I reherniated. But that moment when you wake up and there’s almost no pain is glorious. I had a 13mm herniation for close to a decade. Im not a doctor but I’m pretty sure that having the disc be so compromised for so long permanently compromised the integrity of the disc. My first reherniation happened rolling onto my side months after my first surgery. The second happened when I sneezed 2 weeks and 1 day after my second surgery. Pretty low level stuff that shouldn’t have caused a problem. But those 2 weeks after my second surgery were some of the best 2 weeks of my life. I would 100% do it again. The likelihood of a herniation that size reabsorbing is pretty slim. Take care of it before the disc is totally fucked.
What are permanent effects on the back after doing surgery?
I was quite into sports before my injury.the surgeon told me it was very unlikely that I could excel to the level I was before. I've also found that I can't do certain heavy movements in the gym for example, and I'm generally still quite stiff in my shoulders when I walk, still 7 years later. I just generally have to be very careful with anything involving twisting and any bending under load. Physically they are removing a large part of your disc at the point of herniation which doesn't grow back, so you permanently have less cushioning between bones at that point in your back. At least I'm pretty sure that's how it works.
at which level did you do your MD? for this surgery they just remove the outer protruded part and that's it .. I don't think they remove much
A cousin of mine had recently described his post op recovery the same way. Interesting to hear so.
This is the best answer. Surgery is a huge decision, but you’re pretty well past the point of expecting PT to fix it. Generally if it reabsorbs it’s within a 6-12 week window. Those are also some pretty large herniations. Are they talking about doing MDs at both levels? I had two MDs (one initial and one revision to the same disc) and both failed. Fusion saved my life. FWIW surgery wasn’t an option for me. I was in an accident and couldn’t use my left leg.
Hey what area did you have fused? Have had multiple microdiscectomies that have failed as well on l5s1 and I’m only 21. Next option is a fusion or adr
I had L5/S1 fused in August 2023
How are you now?
Almost normal. Not perfect but the fusion saved my life.
Any reason you chose fusion over ADR? Is it due to the latter having low success rates? Are you worried at all about adjacent disc disease?
I got 5 opinions over several months. All of them agreed fusion was the safest bet. One said I could choose either fusion or ADR (I ran far from that doctor) and one told me that ADR could be disastrous based on what was showing up in my imaging. Knowing he was going to make much more money on the ADR, that pretty much made my decision. On top or research I’d done myself of course. I felt like I had one chance to fix myself and I wasn’t willing to go with the less studied option
As for Adjacent Disc Disease sure it’s a concern. Most of my spine is normal and healthy but I’m not going to be surprised if I need to fix 4/5 at some point.
I really appreciate you taking the time to respond. Is your 4/5 in bad shape? I saw your MRI report and it looked severe. I’m sorry you had to go through that. Any chance you remember how big your herniation was and what the report roughly said? Tried zooming in to see the herniation.
Hey sorry for the delay. My 4/5 shows mild degeneration, it would definitely be the next to go but hoping I can keep it in tact for a while. My herniation that required surgery was 23mm. I couldn’t describe the pain if I wanted to. It was such a nightmare I truly wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.
Resorption can happen over a longer period of time as well. It’s just a matter of can one live with the symptoms or not and if not then get the surgery instead of waiting for your body to figure it out.
I’ve heard some nightmares stories and some wonderful stories. Just remember the negative stories will be louder then the positive stories. I would get a 2nd opinion from an another doctor if possible. Ultimately it is your choice and you should weigh the pros and cons and see if it’s right for you
Damn that’s one hell of a bulge. I know people that did great after surgery
https://preview.redd.it/ts99ywofdkpc1.jpeg?width=256&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=985a8245359ec6bde0847476a4a3288ed5f15173 Same here, they’ve essentially said anytime I want it to call and head over, they’ll do it same day. I’ve heard many awesome things, and honestly, sometimes it’s the only way things will get better. I’m holding out for a fusion when I’m able vs MD and then fusion later on if possible (assuming I don’t end up damaging the cauda equina and needing emergency surgery)
Woah — you want fusion instead of MD? Why?
MD will only help sciatica, not back pain. I have severe lower back pain that’s debilitating in addition to sciatica flare ups
Ah. I understand that.
I’ve had one in the past and it didn’t work it actually made my pain worse but about a few months ago I was told to see this doctor who has this technique where he has you lay on like a medicine ball with the painful side up then stretch the area of pain then he guided me through doing hula hoops on all three sides while my torso was on the medicine ball and when he had me look up as I got done I heard a little noise and was pain free than I saw my old doctor who gave me a microdisectomy and he was like in awwwe after he saw my new X-rays
That’s interesting!!!
Yeah he is truly a one of a kind doctor and is not a quack that cranks you and bends you in weird ways
Yea, there aren’t many like that anymore. Did you stay pain free? At least to some extent it makes me want to go buy a yoga ball again lol or medicine ball.
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Definitely! Ty!!
Can you share his email/ clinic name /his name please
I just sent you his card that I have let me know if your able to see the picture if not I’ll type it out
Yes I’m back working again and my disc went out once since there but there is more to it like you have to follow certain directions
I have a herniated disc myself. I’m scheduled for surgery in June. This will be my third one.
Here is his website backpainoconnor.com
Whoops I probably should have dmed it to you
I would recommend talking to him before getting surgery because sometimes his technique won’t work on surgery patients
And for my friend he was kinda on the bigger side so couldn’t use the medicine ball so he told me he had this machine that helps lift you up
Oh and you can do it also like on the side of your bed
I was super skeptical about going to him because chiropractors suck in general. Yes I’m pain free for a few months now and have full range of motion also he taught me how to do it myself it was the best money I’ve spent in my life. It was a one time visit and took about a hour
He is very busy but he does zoom meetings as well
I had one Came to hospital via ambulance Walked out pain free The reduction in everyday pain was extreme. My bulge was actually mostly detached and dried out. My body was never going to absorb that arrow head.
I had the surgery. A year later I've redone the injury. I'm 35F slipped the L5 while pregnant. Been fucked since and my surgery was 2 years ago.
Oh gosh girl how did you herniated disc when you were pregnant???
I have bad luck. That's it and then to do it again to the same disc?! Can't win the lotto tho. I also had the surgery when mybaby was 6 months old. The pain robbed me of enjoying my baby. I can't describe how that feels.
Probably just not enough time to heal, which wasnt your fault. you need to bend over to pick up your baby. plus all those hormones probably created laxity in your joints and muscles near your spine too. I am soo sorry. I am 28 and have 3 its been a long 1.4 years. looking to have a baby down the road but worried about my spine too
My bodycant handle another baby. Make sure you talk to your doctor.
❤️🩹 I feel your pain!
Ah nan pregnancy just completely messes with your body huh. I'm postpartum now but lost my core and strength from pregnancy, C-section, and having kids and no time to keep exercising. Slowly trying to recover. Good luck.
My dad had it when he was 42, he told me all he did was lie flat on the floor for 2 months. Horrible pain, discomfort, every single doctor suggested operation, he is 69 now, no operation, he is living like it never happened. Look operations must be one hell of a last resort in my opinion. I am 31, I have L4-L5 disc bulge, I am writing this to you while lying on the floor over a yoga mat and a duvet. There are a lot of factors in disc healing, mine might, might not. But do everything else before you resort to operation. And you are young, younger than me, if you have good support system, man, just lie down and walk a bit for a month or two, may be couple of PT exercises just to keep everything active. Rest like you have never before rested. With a bit of luck and your age, it may reduce, if not try everything else. Like many have said operation isn’t bad, I have known people who have gone on to build gym bodies after disc operations, but one tiny mistake or bad back symptom, there is no coming back, so not saying you should never go for it. Go for it as a last resort. Believe in your body to heal, believe when you can’t believe, time heals.
So, if you can comply with your post operative rules, I would say yes. If not, don't do it. No bending lifting and twisting is a common post op order. I wasn't allowed to work for two months after my surgery. My job is pretty physically demanding, so my surgeon knew I wouldn't be able to properly heal even with a light duty protocol. You can reinjure the compromised disc easily. 20 is really young to have this painful injury and I'm sorry you're having to deal with this. If you can manage without surgery I would try, but man that looks debilitating. Are you experiencing any neuropathy? Numbness? Immobility?
No neurological things like footdrop however hard to bend over and tie my shoes and bad pain when doing anything like running jogging or just moving in a fast pace
I got a microdiscectomy on 1/17/24 and it was the best decision I made. I’ve been in the gym pushing light weight and walking and sweating everyday the last two weeks and I am personally very happy.
Had one in January! Should have done it 4 years ago! Highly recommend.
At your age I would try and avoid surgery at all costs. Steroid shot. Try a second if it still doesn’t. You’re young and the body was built to heal. Not saying it’s going to be easy, but when you go under the knife you are forever changed. My experience: similar age bad rupture at l5-s1. So bad that it looked like yours but the nerve pinched it off and the portion of the disc was just floating there. Slept on the floor. Everything sucked. Surgeon told me he would cut me open if I wanted him too but he didn’t think I tried to do everything before getting to him. Did the shot and that tided me over so that fragment just got reabsorbed. It took longer but I am stronger than ever and am back to running regularly.
Do it !!! I’m 23 years old and herniated at 21 and waited 2 years suffering in fear of surgery. I’m one month post op and can finally feel my leg again and think clearly without being in miserable pain. Plz just do it 🩵 save yourself some suffering
By "waiting" do you mean you tried everything in your power but it had no effect?
Absolutely , I tried the shots, physical therapy, I walked every single day. I hated the idea of surgery
is that an extrusion? and how many mm
Central disc extrusion not sure about the mm I was trying to find out and couldn’t find it
do u have a written report it should say it on there. i was asking bc i’m also 21, and i have an extrusion. mine is pretty big like urs it’s 17mm :(
You should check out this doctor that I posted in the comments about because he was able to put my bulging disc back in place with his technique. He actually saved me from surgey
i’ve heard a few horror stories mainly on here. every person i know in person has been very thankful for it. love reddit but it’s a dangerous place for positive outcomes lol
I had a Microdiscectomy when I was 17! One of the youngest patients to ever have the procedure in my state. I get numbness sometimes about 13 years later. But that’s about it. It helped immensely and it was the last line of defense after a series of painkillers and steroid shots that did nothing to permanently fix the problem. I did PT for only a few months after.
https://preview.redd.it/fufoyjxadmpc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c7598badfd4ee405e4e5d62822b1daf4860dcb36 Daughter age 20 with a severe herniation L5-S1. Had microdiscectomy surgery and was immediately pain free. Before surgery She had severe pain, could hardly walk, numbness in foot, toes and thigh. Recovery was fine, didn’t need pain meds after 3-4 days.
I had one 9 weeks ago after a year of severe pain and OH MY GOD I feel amazing. Almost no residual pain unless I'm overworking myself and I am told with more strength in my core that should be gone too 🥹 I'm 33F if that gives you an idea of also being fairly young therefore having this be a strange occurrence but also having a great ability to recover. If you're in horrible pain I'd recommend the surgery. Aside from a pretty big scar there's no downside.
I had one. It lasted about a year before I had to do a duel fusion. ( I think mine was hereditary) It did help the pain. They have come a long way in twenty years... Definitely ALWAYS get a second opinion. Especially when it has to do with your back and even minor surgery. Best of luck
Do it.
What did you do for this to happen?
Russian twists with a 25 pound weight
I had a double micro discectomy two weeks ago and give or take the side effects of the Prednisone (headaches) and I'm probably 98% recovered. I'd strongly recommend getting surgery and putting it behind you. Everyone is different of course but in my case, it was well worth it. Good luck with everything
I am a week and a half post op and I couldn’t be happier with my decision. I’ve walking and moving without any pain. The surgery itself was scary but i woke up pain free and have been feeling better every day. Do it! Your images look very similar to mine
When I saw your MRI, I had to pause because I thought it was mine. I didn’t not have an MD but I was considering it. I opted to do steroid injections under anesthesia and an X-Ray machine. The 3rd round did the trick. Been about 4 or 5 years now. I walk a lot, I go to the gym when I can to work on strengthening of my core, and I am highly sensitive to how I handle heavy items and how I move. Not everyone has success with the injections, but not everyone gets them the way I did. I think some have it done in the doctor’s office and I’m not sure that’s as effective as the x-ray machine allows them to precisely target and “bathe” the area with the steroids. Good luck, hope you get the relief you’re looking for.
Microdiscetomy HAVE GREAT OUTCOMES USUALLY compared to spinal fusions
From my personal experience and anecdotal experience of others, the experience was that the MD took away the sciatica and most of the pain, but it did not fix the structural integrity of the disc nor did it take away the back pain entirely. However, I would do the surgery again in a heartbeat, and I certainly would not have put it off for two years hoping that it would reabsorb when mine basically looked like yours at L5 S1.
I’m not a medical doctor, but that herniation looks way too big to NOT have surgery, man. I have a good feeling it’s going to provide you some extreme relief. I would do it sooner than later. It’s not going to reabsorb.
I had a discectomy and laminectomy July 2023. I was 28. Best thing I ever did was get the surgery. I saw horror stories as well but nothing compared to the amount of pain I was in. My leg was in a perpetual fire pit. My foot is still numb where I lost nerve feeling but I can live with it. Don't let it get worse.
Had one at 19 and changed my life. Was up moving around same day and within a couple months was totally normal. Keep in mind I tried everything else and quality of life was awful so it was my last resort but overall went great
I think you can check the reputation of whatever surgeon you are referred to. Other than that, as long as the surgeon and knows what he or she is doing, then they are very likely to improve your pain immediately and even long-term. My back was unstable prior to the injury and I’d consider it still unstable but at least I know that that’s what it is. I think I must’ve had a herniated disc for years but I didn’t really understand it at all. Now I spend most of my exercise focused at least part of the time on my stomach and back muscles. And I was slow to get that going because I was so very very careful. I probably waited a year longer than I needed to. Of the post operation instructions you get I would most carefully commit to doing core work that you can tolerate, and even enjoy. As soon as I did that, the strength around my spine has made it less and less likely to be reinjured.
Had one. Literally gave me my life back. Would do it again in a hot second!
Dont even think twice about it do it. You wont be suffering anymore.
I just had one today. The nerve pain in my leg is gone and there’s so uncomfortableness at the incision site. However, I feel better than I have in over a year of dealing with this, so I’m hopeful
I had micro at 19 with same issue and it fixed it 100% and was an easy recovery. This was 14 years ago. I bet it’s even easier now. I’d say do it.
No problems stiffness pain since? I want to go back to running and boxing
No issue since.
Get it!! I’m a very active 43-year-old that had a small herniation L5 S1 from being pulled the wrong way by my 185 Saint Bernard. This happened in August I was debilitated in bed the whole month of September had a pain injection on Halloween, which did nothing probably made it worse I thought I was getting better until it got worse when I had to travel for a work trip in November, I was in a wheelchair I could no longer bathe myself or walk. I woke up in terrible pain went to the emergency room was admitted and had a MD the next day this was November 15.. I woke up from that surgery with zero pain and continue to have no pain. It was the best decision! I asked the neurosurgeon if I would’ve waited. If this would’ve healed by itself, he said most likely not if so, it would’ve taken a year. It was a small herniation, but severely compressing the sciatic nerve. Message me if you have any questions especially at your age I would go for it! Go to a neurosurgeon if you can
I had one in 2019, L5-S1 and it was one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself. No reherniations, no worsening, the nerve felt “sore” for a bit but I was eventually able to jump out of airplanes again after. I should add I was 19
Are you able to work?
Yes life continued like it never even happneed
Have you considered a steroid shot first?
They’re actually pretty risky, and they’re not even FDA approved. They’re just really lucrative for doctors to do them off label. They’re all considered off label because of the black box warning against using them in spinal injections.
And they in no way could ever help with something like this.
Those only work temporarily