Outpatient Spinal Surgery (back pain, prescription, exercises, recovery)

[Djkingman]

It sounds a bit like a George Carlin routine, Jumbo Shrimp, Military Intelegence, Outpatient Spinal Surgery...

I am going under the knife at the end of the month for a bilateral Laminectomy of L4-L5.

Anyone have any experiences to share? Mainly interested in experiences about recovery time, pain, etc.. Please no links to WebMD et al., been there and have read that stuff.

Thanks in advance,

Dave

[Djkingman]

Oh, okay. No replies. Well, I will post my experience with it if anyone does a search on Laminectomy in this sub-forum.

I had the surgery on the 30th and am going to my first follow up appt. tomorrow. The heavy duty drugs "hang over" from surgery lasted about two days. The pain med they gave me was Percocet. After about 5 days the pain had shifted from where the incision was to where the pre-opp.

With the surgery meds and the Percocets combined I was pretty out of it mentally. I don't recommend doing this as outpatient surgery without a buddy, wife or other family member. If you can't float the cost of a hospital stay, and don't have a friend to watch you(I am not recommending this) get a pill minder box for a week and don't take more than what was prescribed. With he drug you are taking, it gets fuzzy when you took the last dose.

Not sure if it is a result from surgery or the pain medication but have been getting muscle spasms. Also falling out of bed dreams.

If you are going through with this type of surgery PM/DM me if you want to. I would be happy to share my experience or answer any questions.

Dave

[Djkingman]

It has been almost a month since the surgery. I am off the pain meds, mostly. I am going to physical therapy twice a week. I am still experiencing pain equal to or more than before the surgery but it has been getting less and less. I was able to walk the length of our local mall up and back last weekend.

[TFW46]

Thanks so much for your posts. I'm sure they will be very helpful to anyone who might need them in the future. Congrats on your recovery to date and prayers for continued recovery.

[Djkingman]

Originally Posted by TFW46

Thanks so much for your posts. I'm sure they will be very helpful to anyone who might need them in the future. Congrats on your recovery to date and prayers for continued recovery.

Thanks for responding

Status update, a little over six weeks since surgery:
I have completed 6 visits to the physical therapist and he has cut me loose.
I am able to do the PT exercises without prescription pain meds but taking Motrin or Alieve daily.
I am up to 3 miles on the treadmill (trying to loose all that election/post opp weight gain).
Gluteus Maximus/hip area still aches. The aching is subsiding at a glacial pace but is subsiding.
After 3 or 4 PT sessions the pain migrated from the pre-op chronic area, left hip, to area of surgical incision, upper low back.

They say six weeks after surgery I can do most any activity I did before surgery. The aching prevents me from wanting to do much after the PT exercises and 3 miles on the treadmill.

[AZgarden]

Good luck to you for a complete recovery.

Back surgery is not something I would ever do because of all the horror stories I have heard. Many people come out worse than when they went in. No thanks. I will keep my back pain and osteoporosis til the day I die.

Best wishes to you.