I am finally having a consultation Wednesday with the back surgeon I chose , after workmanscomp sent me to a surgeon over a year ago,who said I needed surgery L4-L5. I have been waiting for 2 years for treatment and the pain down the legs, the numbness and the back pain is getting pretty tough to live with. However, my attorney made a comment that a surgeon may not want to operate on me because I developed localized RSD after surgery on my wrist injured in the same incident. Has anyone ever been turned away from a back operation because of that diagnosis?

Mel you might want to check this out on the RSD board. Good luck.

so sorry you have this too mel,really.i do know what it is like to need surgery on an affected RSD extremity.i went thru this with my RSD knee.it can still be done but the surgeon just needs to be very knowledgable in what they are dealing with.i gather your RSD is just in that wrist area but NOT in your back where the actual surgery would take place?if this is the case,all they have to do is give that area(the RSD area) a block first to try and keep it from spreading.my biggest concern was the actual bilateral spread of the RSD to my other knee,which can and does happen when a surgical procedure is done on one extremity,mostly becasue they share the same part of the sympathetic chain.i just had a femoral block done by the anesthesiologist about fifteen minutes before my actual surgery and everything was fine.your main issue here is finding an actual ortho who has had experience in doing surgeries on RSD patients in order to get the best treatment and he or she would just know what any real risks to you would be.i was very very lucky with my knee guy.he did know alot about RSD.we held off on this badly needed surgery(for about five seperate things that needed to be fixed in there)just because of the risk factors involved,but when i went and tore the menicus,well we didn't have too much choice in doing it.but he took every precaution and things worked out okay.i actually ended up needing two surgeries within 19 days of each other after my leg spasms(caused by a seperate issue,SCI) caused my inner stitches to tear out actually on the very same day he had placed them there.but that went okay too and i have absolutely no sign of spread to anywhere after over a year now.so it can be done,and very successfully too.just finding that right surgeon is key.i wsh you lots of luck with this and hope things go well for you mel.please keep us posted,K? marcia

Thank you for answering my question. I am glad your surgery worked out for you. I supposedly have the rsd in my ankle too but I want this back surgery so badly. The numbness down my legs is making me nuts. I am very anxious to ask the surgeon what the grating sound is when I move a certain way. It is gross, almost like it is cracking.
The block you referred to, is that like an epidural? I will never have another one of those again. It not only raised my sugar, it didn't work and I have osterporosis. I am scared but I am looking forward to having the surgery.

i am not too certain just what actual type of block this was but i do know for certain it was NOT just an epidural or just a sympathetic type block.this was done by my anesthesiologist(about fifteen minutes before my surgery)at the groin area and he had to use some sort of small type of machine(and a needle).i couldn't really see what the heck he was doing but a nurse had to assist him.i guess i can look it up in my medical records from the surgery.i ALWAYS obtain all my medical records from every doc and hosp and procedure done on me,that way if i need to know something i have my stuff here.this also helps keep you,the patient,much more in the 'loop' of your ongoing care and helps in making decisions regarding it too.if i can find the records i will let you know.but a good ortho with better than average knowledge and understanding of RSD is really the most crucial part.the type of block i had at the groin would work with your ankle too.i felt absolutely nothing from the groin on down it was all blocked.i will see if i can find it.marcia