For a herniated back disk, is a discectomy or disk replacement surgery better?
I’m in early 30′s, diagnosed with a significant L5-S1 herniated disk, with left leg sciatica symptoms that hurt all the time and make it very difficult to walk…it’s been five months now, physical therapy seems to have been ineffective, as well as my first epidural, and it is recommended now that I not get any additional epidurals. Two weeks ago, could lift leg 1 1/2 feet straight up, now it’s about 6 inches. Only way to get through the day and do some work, is to take percocet with about 3 pain patches on the worst pain areas. Have my second neurosurgeon appointment shortly, expect a recommendation of ASAP surgery, or latest in two months. Thoughts appreciated
i would think a disk replacment…depending what disk. L5-S1 tends to take alot of pressure. your L disks are really big because they bare most of your weight. If you remove that completley it could put pressure on the others and could cause more problems with the others.
its also leading to your S1 so thats kind of more your sitting bones, and im no doctor and havent seen much of this (im a nursing student in my clinical rotations) but it would make sense it could affect alot when you sit.
i wouldnt suggest a discectomy, i would go with the disk replacment…Talk to your doctor though. I just shared my thoughts on it and that L5-S1 area is pretty significant. if it were something like T3-T4 then maybe.
hope that helped 
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