So, last week, I had surgery on my herniated disc at T7/T8, which was compressing my spinal cord.
They dug an entrance through the ribs and in the side of my vertebra through my back to the herniated disc, and dug out the herniated portion that was pressing my spinal cord.
Now, it's been several day, and i'm having muscle spasms in the right side muscle just slightly below the incision. AND, Saturday, a full 3 days after my surgery, I began to have pain in my ribs under my right arm and to the front under my chest.
Here's what I don't understand. The pain in my ribs is not in the place where the ribs in my back were opened. It's the bottom most rib, and the muscle under and around that which is hurting.
I have to grab my side to cough, yawn, sneeze, and it is hurting mostly all the time even when i'm not doing anything but sitting there in my chair.
Now, I wasn't having the pain until 3 days after my surgery. And, I didn't do anything that I know of that could have made my ribs sore there. It just kind of showed up one morning when I woke up. But, I didn't sleep wrong or even on that side all night, so that's not the cause.
So, since I have this pain in my ribs now, I wonder how it could have happened, when, like I said, it was not that rib or even close to those ribs that the surgery pulled on. This is the very bottom most rib itself and underneath slightly and around to the front.
My main question is how long does a sore rib like this normally last? Is there anything to do that would help it stop hurting, as my pain pills and muscle relaxers aren't helping there at all.
Davtim...
Hello and welcome the boards.
You are pretty fresh out of surgery and will feel pain for some time, ESPECIALLY the muscle pain. You have to understand that although you described it as a fairly easy procedure, there is alot of pulling and pushing of parts of your body around when they are in there, so your going to be sore in places you didnt think you would be or that doesnt make sense. Its all apart of surgery and is a normal part of healing and recovering.
Most people dont realize how much they use they're chest wall muscles until they've been cut open, such as breathing in and out, which we never think about because its so natural, but that all changes when your muscle has been cut, poked and prodded at. Things that you normally dont think about and take for granted are going to hurt you and be painful for awhile.
I personally wouldnt be too concerned being so fresh out of surgery until another few weeks have gone by. Unless its constant, causing you to not be able to breath, sharp, burning ect... then I would expect this is normal.
Sneezing and coughing are going to be hard and painful for awhile.
This has nothing to do with the type of surgery that you had, but when I had my implants put in, they were placed underneath my chest muscle and it took about 5-6 weeks before I was even remotely comfortable with taking deep breaths, sneezing and coughing. The muscle is a very tender and super sensitive area and when its cut open, pushed aside. lifted, poked at and stitched, it HURTS like H***.
Just thought I would give you my 2 cents in that I personally believe you still have a ways to go my friend.
If your meds are not working as well as they should be, then I would call your surgeon and let them know this and maybe they can switch you to something stronger or increase your dose with what you are taking. Being that your only a week out, I cant see where this would be an issue.
Hope you feel better soon and get some relief.
Lisa
Thanks, Lisa. I about had the same idea, but, as this surgical procedure is new to me, and I cannot seem to find anything on the web concerning Thoracic disc herniation surgery, like you can with cervical...which i've had a triple fusion...or lumbar...which is going to eventually happen as I have degenerative disc disease, and they are already on their way all the way from head to tailbone.
I know when I had my cervical fusion, they cut my throat and did 3 fusions with the plate. I had trouble swallowing, drinking, and even talking for quite a while. In fact, at times, I still find it a little difficult to raise my voice very loud.
I can tell you that this surgery wasn't fun. They had to lay me on my stomach, and was suppose to be a simple procedure. But, once they opened me up, they found a good bit of calcium deposits and the disc itself wasn't open enough for easy access.
The surgeon had to use...his words now...a chisel and a dremel like tool to open the rib space enough to pass through to the disc area. And, still, the vertebra were not open enough, and the calcium deposits were quite extensive, although the CT scan and MRI didn't show so. So, once again they had to do a little chiseling and dremeling to open the vertebral pathway enough to reach through to the disc area itself.
Then, as the disc had herniated quite extensively into the dura covering the spinal cord, which was pinching my spinal cord, as well as the spinal artery itself some, some manipulating and forcing open the ribs more, as well as the outside muscle on my right side, had to be done just to get his device in to remove the portion pressing against the spinal cord.
I have watched several videos on the ******* website, but they only show the cervical and lumbar disc herniation surgeries. Thoracic disc herniation is not very common.
When the neurosurgeon removed the discs in my neck and now in my thoracic spine, he found the discs themselves to be hardened. They are not soft anymore, and are actually deteriating pretty bad throughout my spine. So, I imagine I will have to go through this procedure again on many levels.
I have such severe degeneration that, although he only did the T7/T8 discs this time, and the C3/C4/C5/C6 discs in my neck, xrays, MRIs, and CT scans show that all my discs are starting to leave their regular area, and already there are 7 more that are on their way to herniate and close to my spinal cord from my neck to my tailbone.
Anyway, thanks again. I just wanted to know more about all of this than they will discuss with you. You know how surgeons can be, as they use too many big words and don't talk in layman terms enough for me.
Good gracious!!!!! Your a pro at this with all you've had done prior to this and what you've just had done, but I understand completely about wanting to find out more about what you've just gone through. Many of us like to come home and search the web for what we are suffering from.
I wish I could tell you a little something related to your situation but I cant because I know nothing about it. Hopefully someone from here will come along and be able to post and tell you something.
Regardless, welcome to the boards and best of luck in your healing process.
Thanks, Lisa. A pro....I hope from now on I lose knowledge.
And, thanks for the welcome. I'm looking around and learning a lot of things I didn't know about a lot of conditions.
I also notice that any links of any sort are ** out. Too bad. I had a link that would be great for anyone interested in watching some procedures as they are done.
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