Yesterday my stepfather had his THIRD back surgery in 7 years

[TZ]

He has a condition called spinal stenosis http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/spinal-stenosis/DS00515

I have another friend who also has this condition and has had two surgeries and needs a third. Apparantly its not if you need surgery for this condition but HOW MANY surgeries you need. I really thought that the disc fusion he had with the second surgury would help and it did...for a couple of years. The surgeon told me mom that he didn't see any damage in the lower discs YET. This means its possible he could need yet ANOTHER surgery in the future.
I'm curious if anybody else has experience with this condition seems a little common in men older than about 55 or so from what I can gather. I would like to hear if other people have had multiple surgeries and or how many...
Oh and my stepdad is gonna be fine for now..its just he's such an active person these longish recoveries make him insane..:(

[HamdenRice]

1. I had surgery for this about 11 years ago

My condition had advanced beyond stenosis to cervical spondylotic myelopathy. In other words, instead of just having shooting pains and numbness, I was losing nerve function from the neck down and my prognosis was that if I did not have surgery, I would be paralyzed from the neck down.

Here's my take away. I went to two different surgeons and did a lot of research with the assistance of a doctor who is a relative. What was very scary was that the first doctor's proposed surgery had, according to the literature, little effect in the long term of alleviating the condition. You'd be amazed at how many surgeries that "look logical" to surgeons have never had rigorous cost benefit analysis applied to them. All sorts of surgeries, on being studied this way, turn out not to do much good.

The first doctor wanted to do a spinal fusion. The second recommended a laminectomy. Research showed that the laminectomy would be more likely to be effective, and that's what I had done.

I regained all my nerve function, although on bad days I can get wobbly in the knees. Mild back pain is pretty constant, but I don't really mind it. Overall I'm satisfied with the outcome, although it was very painful surgery and recovery.

Also, I would say the one thing I was displeased about with the surgery was after surgery care. I was very incapacitated in terms of arm strength and upper back strength. That can caused bad posture, muscle atrophy, more deterioration, and further loss of function, requiring more surgery. After the almost non-existent rehabilitation, I hit the gym really hard, and it may be anecdotal, but I credit my own work out and weight training regimen (light weights of course) with reducing the damage done by surgery and helping me recover fully.

That said, I would not have had the surgery if it had been only for pain -- and I had had back pain for at least 15 years before the surgery without anyone diagnosing what was going on (which is why it progressed). It was, however, worth it to avoid being in a wheel chair or worse. The pain after was less than the pain before, but all of these surgeries are pretty drastic, and I'm not sure all or even most surgeries reduce pain; they enhance functionality or prevent loss of functionality. If the patient is looking for pain reduction, he or she can get into an endless cycle of surgeries. Obviously that's not what's happening in your step dad's case, which has to do with function.

But I would say that the wrong initial surgery can also cycles of surgeries. Just be sure to look for peer reviewed cost benefit analysis of the surgery that is being proposed. Get a realistic picture of what the surgery is supposed to accomplish and what it can't accomplish.

Hope this helps and good luck to your step dad.

[Tektonik]

2. back conditions are scary

I'm most likely going to have to have surgery later on my life because of my scoliosis. The day I start getting weird back pains, etc. is likely the day I schedule surgery.

[libodem]

3. I have it

in my lower back at L-4, just above my fusion. My understanding of it is that the central canal and the openings on either side of the vertebrae calcify in making the circumference smaller and smaller. That narrowing puts pressure on the nerves. When a person with spinal stenosis leans foreword it takes off some of the pressure. Thats why you see some old people leaning over their shopping carts in the grocery store. Bike riding or the stationary bike is a good exercise because of the foreword leaning posture. I've heard that surgery is not always very effective.

[TZ]

4. In all three cases he literally had no choice.

He could barely function because of the extreme pain. Only pain medication (ibuprofin) was helping at all..but it was getting to the point where just walking up a flight of stairs was becomming extremely difficult....

[Cabcere]

5. Oh man...sorry your stepdad has to go through that again, TZ.

:( I don't have any personal experience with spinal stenosis, but I do know firsthand that back injuries SUCK. x( Sending good vibes to your stepfather - I'm something of a couch potato, and even I got kind of stir-crazy when I had to be cooped up for six weeks to recover from surgery (for my ankle & wrist, not back...but same basic principle). :hug: Peace.

[siligut]

6. Back surgery in general is unpredictable, as you know.

Laminectomy tends to be the preferred method for treating stenosis that has advanced beyond what medication and exercise can do. I am glad to hear he is only taking ibuprofen, as drug addiction is major problem with back pain sufferers.

It is not uncommon at all to have repeated back surgeries. In fact HamdenRice’s case is rather unusual. Good luck to your step dad, I hope all goes well.

[TZ]

7. The laminectomy was the first surgery.

The fusion the second. Not sure what was done this time...