Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Posts: 701
Re: :confused: Please Help With Clarification of MRI Results!
Hi there -- So sorry for your experience!
Someone mentioned that orthopedic surgeons don't have the same training as neurosurgeons regarding spine surgeries. There are some orthopedic surgeons who are fellowship trained in spine surgery. (Of course, you shouldn't see a knee surgeon, but you also wouldn't want to go to a neuro who does only brain surgeries.) If you are unhappy with your NS during your next appointment, I would recommend locating another neuro and an orthopedic surgeon, who practice only spine surgeries. Each of them is likely to have a different opinion, but it is best to have all information.
Discs can heal on their own, and you can have epidural steroid injections which may speed up the recovery and reduce the inflammatory processes from the body reacting to the disc damage. However, you will have to wait until your fusion is solid before you can have an epidural.
Since your doctor has given such little feedback, I also want to mention not to take any NSAIDs, as they interfere with the fusion process. Tylenol is okay, but no Advil or Aleve. Good luck on Wednesday!
Re: :confused: Please Help With Clarification of MRI Results!
Thank you Thank you SweetPeainSF! I'm calling the Spine Center at WVU in Morgantown WV tomorrow to get an appt. They are in the same group as the pain dr. and work with a great rehab facility that specializes in spines...I'm also scheduling with orth who spec. in spine next week as well. I was supposed to follow-up with the NS who performed the surgery next week as well...but if I get these appointments somewhat quickly, then I think I push my appt with him back a couple weeks. I would rather see him AFTER I've gotten all the info I can get...and like you said, from a couple of different spine specialists. I really dont know that I would trust what he says at this point unfortunately.
Thank you for the pain-relief info...my doc and his office didnt tell me not to take advil or aleve, and I've been taking both pretty often to avoid the pain pills :-(
I will keep you all posted! It's nice to be able to chat with people who have and/or are going through this...thanks again!
The following user gives a hug of support to shawnr: SweetPeainSF (04-29-2012)
Re: :confused: Please Help With Clarification of MRI Results!
Quote:
Originally Posted by NJ Ldy
It really does sound like the NS released you to do anything rather quickly. That's what is so baffling, the more people you talk to the more confusing it gets. You would think there would be a universal code for what can and cannot be done after surgery. I hope your NS gives you the time of day at your next appointment, and you can get to the bottom of what is going on. If you don't get the results you want, I would go for a 2nd and 3rd opinion. This is just not right.
Thanks NJ Ldy!...I assumed there was more of a universal code than there is apparently, and that's so frustrating. I'm scheduling with 2 different spine docs tomorrow to get their opinions. I'm firmly convinced he did release me waaaaay too soon, hopefully the "new" damage will be reversible!
Re: :confused: Please Help With Clarification of MRI Results!
I agree with all the information everyone has given you. I hope you get an appointment with a spine specialist that can help you.
I was given a long list of what I could and couldn't do, and all of my recoveries were excellent, never had any problems right after surgery. I had issues from the discs above and below herniating after the initial surgery, but once they were fixed, I felt immediate relief after surgery.
Re: :confused: Please Help With Clarification of MRI Results!
Quote:
Originally Posted by NJ Ldy
I agree with all the information everyone has given you. I hope you get an appointment with a spine specialist that can help you.
I was given a long list of what I could and couldn't do, and all of my recoveries were excellent, never had any problems right after surgery. I had issues from the discs above and below herniating after the initial surgery, but once they were fixed, I felt immediate relief after surgery.
Your in my thoughts and prayers.
NJ Ldy ~ did you have to have an additional surgery to repair herniated discs above and below the original surgery site? If you did...how long was it after the original surgery?
I've done a lot more digging and many others have complained about his failure to provide enough info, lack of time spent counseling paitent before and after surgery, etc.
Anxious to hear what the other docs say..hopefully I wont have to wait too long to get in to see them!
Re: :confused: Please Help With Clarification of MRI Results!
My first surgery was Dec 2006--C4-5; C5-6; and C6-7. Was great after the surgery, then about 18 months later, I started to become symptomatic again. Toward the end of 2008, had another MRI which showed a severe herniation at C2-3 with cord compression and flattening of the thecal sac, so another surgery in Jan 2009; then, again, became symptomatic about Nov/Dec of 2011, MRI showed a very unstable disc at C7-T1 with all the same symptoms as before, so I had surgery in January of this year. After my last surgery, I was told by my pain management doc and my NS that I was not allowed to herniate anything ever again....LOL
I just had another MRI for the lumbar spine about 2 weeks ago. There are a couple of herniations as well as some cord compression, flattening of the thecal sac, etc. I see my NS on Tuesday and I'll find out how we handle this.
I did a lot of research prior to my first surgery also; I wanted to know what I needed to ask the NS, how serious my situation was, and just to satisfy my own curiosity. I'm always online researching something or another.
I hope you have a great result after meeting your new doctors. Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers....
Re: :confused: Please Help With Clarification of MRI Results!
Hi Friends!
Just received some news and would like your input!
The Spine Center phoned today, they have reviewed all of my records and placed me one of their Neurosurgeons. He said he sees moderate to severe Spinal Stenosis :-( He said he was "expediting" a CT scan and expediting my 1st appt with him (the Spine Center) hopefully the same day as the CT scan. Once they have the CT scan ordered they will call me back with all the info...I did ask if surgery was the only way to treat Spinal Stenosis and they said my new Spine doc will discuss all kinds of options with me when I see him...
I'm really worried ~ I know nothing about Spinal Stenosis at this point..can anyone out there help? Does it continue to worsen through the years? Can it be reversed? Stopped? And one of my biggest questions is...I've had 5 MRI's since December of 2011 ~ why on earth was this not mentioned before? Would it just "show up" within the past 4 months? Is it called something else that might be in my MRI Report...?
I've never had a CT scan ~ what will that possibly show? Do you all have any suggestions for questions I MUST ask the doctor to ensure I'm getting all the info I need?
I'm really scared at this point and I dont want to let my recent surgical experience interfere with new treatment...
Thanks for all of the help you guys!! I really appreciate it!!! :-)
Re: :confused: Please Help With Clarification of MRI Results!
Stenosis just means "narrowing". With regards to your spine, you can have stenosis of the spinal canal (which the cord runs down) and/or you can have stenosis of the foramina, the openings in the side of the spine where the peripheral nerve roots are. I suspect that when they say Spinal Stenosis, they are referring to the former.
Spinal CANAL stenosis can be hereditary, that is, you just have a canal that isn't as wide as it optimally would be. This doesn't cause a problem until you get old enough for things like bulging disks and osteophytes to intrude into the canal. if you have a stenotic canal, then there's little/no "leeway" in the canal for the cord to escape from those intrusions.
This is something I suspected when I first read your MRI. The radiologist says you have a "mild" dorsal bulge of the fusion process which nevertheless is indenting the cord. I would GUESS that a MILD bulge could only indent the cord if the canal were too narrow to start out with.
As for the CT, I don't know why you are getting one, or what it might add to the MRI. If you start a separate thread with that question in the title, someone might have an answer.
Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Posts: 701
Re: :confused: Please Help With Clarification of MRI Results!
Hi there -- I was just re-reading through the questions about spinal stenosis. WebDozer's explanation is perfect, but maybe clarification that stenosis is not in and of itself a disease process might be helpful. So, you may have, as mentioned, a narrower than normal spinal canal. By itself, this is not usually problematic, but it can predispose you to problems down the road. (Congenital narrowness is why the oldest Manning brother stopped playing football after high school.)
In most cases, stenosis is caused by something else pushing its way into the spinal canal's space. Osteophytes, bulging discs, anything that is intruding into the area. At that point, the focus is on removing the intruder or enlarging the overall space or both. Sometimes this can be done through the body's natural healing, sometimes oral steroids, sometimes surgery. If your stenosis is caused by the bulge in the fusion process, then you might need surgery, but you might be eligible for something less invasive than a spinal fusion.
I hope you get an appt some. It's so tough when they give you major news over the phone, then leave you hanging...
Re: :confused: Please Help With Clarification of MRI Results!
Thanks for the clarification!! It's nice to hear that alternate, non-surgical approaches might help!!! I'm hoping I get a phone call today about an appointment...you're right, news over the phone is so hard!!
Re: :confused: Please Help With Clarification of MRI Results!
Hi HB Friends!
I wanted to update everyone with the latest development(s).
After getting the latest MRI I decided not to go back to the original NS ~ he just wasnt responsive when I told him something was wrong and the pain was very severe...so I made an appt at a great facility here in WV. My new NS has a Fellowship in spine surgery from Cleveland Clinic. Met with him yesterday and he was actually "with" me for 1 hour and 45 minutes! I couldnt believe my appt lasted that long ~ but it did and he didnt rush AT ALL! Very refreshing! He had me gat a CT scan prior to the appt.
Now for the bad news. When I went to the original NS I told him I have osteoporosis/osteopenia (depending on the test & where) and asked if he needed the dexa results ...he said he didnt. As it turns out the cadavar bone that was put in the disk space is severely compressing my spinal cord and needs to be removed asap....and the vertabrae werent in very good condition to begin with apparently..and the screws have damaged them to the point that the new dr feels strongly that there isnt enough bone mass to "screw" into and it have any chance of holding. Also he feels the cadavar bone was a bad choice because it is harder than "live" bone that would be harvested from my hip..and the titanium plat is too hard as well.
The new NS is suggesting going back in the front removing all harward and cadavar bone...then removing the front portion of the damage disks above and below the fusion site...taking a piece of my hip bone and putting that in place then putting a "cage" around the front...then turning me over, and because the vertabrae will be missing their front portions, and continuing the cage on the back of those 3 vertabrae as well for added support. Apparently its quite a lengthy surgery...lots of pain :-( lots of rehab and he said the pain I'm in right now is not the #1 concern...it's getting the hardware & cadavar bone out so there is not more damage done to the spinal cord. He said the damage to the cord is irreperable and I'll be treated for chronic pain, likely, for the rest of my life...ugh...
He also is encouraging me to get a 2nd opinion at the Cleveland Clinic..which I'm going to do after I have my Flouro Myelogram next week. He said he wants me to hear what another dr says because he feels I was really mis-guided initially. He also said if I felt more comfortable at Cleveland to have the surgery performed there...he feels like I was misguided by my original doctor..
So, there it is..and I am TERRIFIED! If you all could weigh-in...I don't know what to expect yet. He said we'd discuss it more after the Myelogram. He said there were several "scarey" things on the CT & MRI...that word really freaked me out but he said they really were scarey and needed attention ASAP. Does anyone know what this procedure might be called? He said the name but I was so stunned I think I just failed to committ it to memory...
Help 8~[
Thanks so much everyone!
The following user gives a hug of support to shawnr: kenzibenzi (05-22-2012)
Re: :confused: Please Help With Clarification of MRI Results!
I'm gonna let more experienced people chime in on this. I just wanted you to know that I read it and am praying for you. Do keep us posted on this. I hope things go smoothly for you.
~Hugs, Kenzi.
Re: :confused: Please Help With Clarification of MRI Results!
Quote:
Originally Posted by kenzibenzi
I'm gonna let more experienced people chime in on this. I just wanted you to know that I read it and am praying for you. Do keep us posted on this. I hope things go smoothly for you.
~Hugs, Kenzi.
Thanks for the prayers and support kenzibenzi! I appreciate both so much!
