Why has the back pain not subsided after having a fusion with discectomy to compress an exiting nerve?
Patient: had fifth back surgery last week. Last dec had fusion at L4L5 with discectomy due to compression on exiting nerve. my pain continued as it did prior to surgery. there was no change in pain even though dr had found a piece of disc 5 centimeter in length by 1 mm to 5cm in width on nerves. it was recently found that there was still a far lateral flattening of the L4 nerve, partial disc and scar tissue-it was removed. questions:wouldn t the fusion surgery have dealt with this issue and is it normal to have severe femoral learned pattern and other parts of leg hurt? burn, constant twitching-same as last years surgery. Is this the nerve repairing or most likely its been compressed too long to come back? l4 I had a fusion last year at L4L5, with continued pain that had not changed with this surgery it was then discovered that the L4 nerve was flattened (even though they found that it was already compressed with a far lateral herniation at the fusion surgery) evidently, it was flattened even more lateral as well, my question now is I am having a lot of femoral nerve symptoms, could this be just nerve rejuvenating (this did this after fusion as well), a lot of pain and constant twitching and burning along all L4 learned pathway as well as other parts of the leg, is this normal? and after a fusion why would there be a compressed nerve when this surgery was to correct this? Doctor: HiI think if the full discectomy was done which used to press the nerve, then after decompression your pain should have disappear gradually. But as yet you have pain you should try with short course of steroid along with methylcobalamine and pregabalin tablets for temporary solution and should get a fresh mri lumbar spine with whole spine screeing done...then consult good spine surgeon.Get well soon.Thank you.