Has anyone heard of this? I went to my MD today and she said she was worried that a piece of the disc broke off and is pushing on a nerve. I have never heard of this. I could see if my disc protrusion became a full blown herniation but the breaking off of a piece? Anyway I am having a MRI done on Saturday so I will find out what is going on for sure.
I have heard of this happening. It happened to my Dad several years ago. In his case it wrapped itself around the nerve and he had to have it surgically removed. Some 15 years on he is fine and suffers no side effects other than those brought on by old age
I've heard of this before also and wish you much luck, depending on how big and where it is how serious it is, also if they choose at this time not to do anything you will have to follow it closely as they will move.
Linda
I just had a piece of disc taken out on Monday, along with some other decompression. I had surgery a few months ago and this piece broke off since then. The surgeon flushed it out. It was in a spot he could not see during surgery. I think it is pretty common.
There are some instances where, yes, in a general sense this happens. Sometimes, if the person is really lucky, the body seems to absorb the fragments of the disk and the pain eventually resolves.
I wish there was more to be done immediately to give you answers and results!
How painful is the surgery for that? I read stories about surgery for fusion and diskectomy and they sound horrible with the back spasms and all. I don't know if I can tolerate more pain then I have already had to deal with.
Not sure what sort of procedures are used today to remove disc fragments. It may only require key hole surgery. I did notice one person stated that they had it flushed out, what that entails im not sure. Dont be afraid to ask questions of your gp/specialist.
Disc extrusions and/or sequestrated discs are fairly common. It is true that often times the fragment wil be absorbed. However, if that fragment comes in contact with spinal nerve roots it can be very painful. Irrigation or surgical removal is sometimes necessary. Location of the fragment is key.
Was it outpatient or did you have to stay in the hospital for a couple days? I am just trying to get an idea of how serious it is to have that done. Did you get a lot of pain after such as muscle spasms. How long would you say it took to recover from the surgery before you had very minimal pain? If I had to take care of myself after the surgery would I be able to do that without any help?
I hope it turns out not to be that but just to prepare myself in case. The MRI Saturday will let me know and I find out the results on Monday.
Kari, I had a micro-d about 7 months ago. My incision is about 1 inch long. I was allowed to leave the hospital that day, but opted to stay for one night. A microdiscectomy is considered ambulatory surgery and should not require more than a one night stay. The scar is so small because the doctor uses a microscope to view the disc and guide him as he performs the surgery. I was in a lot of pain for about 2 days, but was able to be off most pain meds within 4 days. I returned to work full time (teaching) after 5 weeks and have not missed a day since. I have had a few setbacks along the way and as a result have gone through 3 rounds of pt (6 weeks each time), but overall, my recovery has been nothing compared to the hell I went through prior to surgery. I hope you can find the answers you are looking for.
Re: Piece of disc broken off? 
