Cervical disc. Looking like surgery. Ouch.

January 13, 2020, 09:26 PM

slabsides45

Have a torn disc at C5-6 with extruded disc material, chronic degenerative issues to boot. Got a lovely cervical epidural about a week ago, got no relief at all from that.

I go see the spine surgeon tomorrow am, discussion to center on how to expedite fixing this. I cannot feel my left pinky and ring fingers, and have shooting/throbbing/burning that emanates from my shoulder and runs down my arm to my hand. Cannot sleep b/c can't find a position for more than an hour that doesn't irritate the nerve.

This sucks. I am the surgeon at my practice that does all the in depth heavy hitter surgery, so I'm out of the game until they figure this out....

Anyone know a top notch surgeon in Memphis??

January 13, 2020, 10:24 PM

12131

Good luck.
So, who will be covering for you, while you're out of commission?

January 14, 2020, 07:15 AM

NK402

quote:
Originally posted by slabsides45:
Have a torn disc at C5-6 with extruded disc material, chronic degenerative issues to boot. Got a lovely cervical epidural about a week ago, got no relief at all from that.

I go see the spine surgeon tomorrow am, discussion to center on how to expedite fixing this. I cannot feel my left pinky and ring fingers, and have shooting/throbbing/burning that emanates from my shoulder and runs down my arm to my hand. Cannot sleep b/c can't find a position for more than an hour that doesn't irritate the nerve.

This sucks. I am the surgeon at my practice that does all the in depth heavy hitter surgery, so I'm out of the game until they figure this out....

Anyone know a top notch surgeon in Memphis??

Being a surgeon yourself, you should know how to find the best one in Memphis, ask the OR nurses.

January 14, 2020, 07:35 AM

molachi

Good luck and hope you have a speedy recovery.

January 14, 2020, 07:42 AM

Steve in PA

Good luck, my wife has had two cervical operations. She is also going to her third back surgery. She has degenerative disease in her spine. The nerves in her legs are shot. We are hoping the surgery will stop or slow down the need for a wheelchair.

January 14, 2020, 08:55 AM

El Cid 92

quote:
Originally posted by slabsides45:
Have a torn disc at C5-6 with extruded disc material, chronic degenerative issues to boot. Got a lovely cervical epidural about a week ago, got no relief at all from that.

I go see the spine surgeon tomorrow am, discussion to center on how to expedite fixing this. I cannot feel my left pinky and ring fingers, and have shooting/throbbing/burning that emanates from my shoulder and runs down my arm to my hand. Cannot sleep b/c can't find a position for more than an hour that doesn't irritate the nerve.

This sucks. I am the surgeon at my practice that does all the in depth heavy hitter surgery, so I'm out of the game until they figure this out....

Anyone know a top notch surgeon in Memphis??

hit me directly on my profile email...

Hell... andrewwatson at comcast.net

I know most of the Neurosurgeons at Semmes Murphy who are the best in Memphis period!!

No offense to ortho... but spine surgery is best left to Neurosurgeons. And Semmes is ones of those clinic that "wrote a lot of the books".

had them do my L5/S1 microdisk. 10days later - bonefishing in the Bahamas.

Andrew

January 14, 2020, 03:26 PM

slabsides45

quote:
Originally posted by NK402:
quote:
Originally posted by slabsides45:
Have a torn disc at C5-6 with extruded disc material, chronic degenerative issues to boot. Got a lovely cervical epidural about a week ago, got no relief at all from that.

I go see the spine surgeon tomorrow am, discussion to center on how to expedite fixing this. I cannot feel my left pinky and ring fingers, and have shooting/throbbing/burning that emanates from my shoulder and runs down my arm to my hand. Cannot sleep b/c can't find a position for more than an hour that doesn't irritate the nerve.

This sucks. I am the surgeon at my practice that does all the in depth heavy hitter surgery, so I'm out of the game until they figure this out....

Anyone know a top notch surgeon in Memphis??

Being a surgeon yourself, you should know how to find the best one in Memphis, ask the OR nurses.

True, haha, but I'm a veterinarian, so the veterinary surgeons get all squeamish when I ask them to cut on me. Weenies...

January 14, 2020, 03:28 PM

slabsides45

quote:
Originally posted by El Cid 92:
quote:
Originally posted by slabsides45:
Have a torn disc at C5-6 with extruded disc material, chronic degenerative issues to boot. Got a lovely cervical epidural about a week ago, got no relief at all from that.

I go see the spine surgeon tomorrow am, discussion to center on how to expedite fixing this. I cannot feel my left pinky and ring fingers, and have shooting/throbbing/burning that emanates from my shoulder and runs down my arm to my hand. Cannot sleep b/c can't find a position for more than an hour that doesn't irritate the nerve.

This sucks. I am the surgeon at my practice that does all the in depth heavy hitter surgery, so I'm out of the game until they figure this out....

Anyone know a top notch surgeon in Memphis??

hit me directly on my profile email...

Hell... andrewwatson at comcast.net

I know most of the Neurosurgeons at Semmes Murphy who are the best in Memphis period!!

No offense to ortho... but spine surgery is best left to Neurosurgeons. And Semmes is ones of those clinic that "wrote a lot of the books".

had them do my L5/S1 microdisk. 10days later - bonefishing in the Bahamas.

Andrew

I will do that in a few, and thanks! I actually just came from there this am, decided if I'm getting cut I want Semmes Murphey to be the ones.

Looks like I'm getting a 3 space fusion surgery done on the 24th, so y'all will be rid of me for at least a day.

January 15, 2020, 07:08 PM

urbanwarrior238

Wishing you success and a speedy recovery.

January 18, 2020, 10:06 AM

Jeff Yarchin

I’ll handle the dog food threads for you during your absence.

Seriously, best wishes for a rapid recovery. I’ve got S1 L5 fusion pending next month.

January 19, 2020, 05:52 AM

400m

I wish you well. I was in an auto accident that left C5-6 issues. It was a year of hell from the shoulder to my fingertips.

January 19, 2020, 09:45 AM

walkinghorse

"...Looks like I'm getting a 3 space fusion surgery done on the 24th, so y'all will be rid of me for at least a day. ..."

Does the fusion involve a bone graft? If so, your bone or donor bone? If yours, that hurts worse than the fusion!!!!!!!
C-5/C-6, C-7/T-1 many years ago. Graft, my bone, did not take the first time, so had to be done a second time! Second time the orthopedic surgeon had a neurosurgeon involved as he wanted his consulting on scar tissue and stenosis of the area. Initial issue was similar to yours, loss of use of last 2 fingers on right hand, pain in shoulder down right arm, and beginnings of right arm function loss.
Second time healing period was about 1/2 of first. Get twinges still due to scar tissue and stenosis, ice pack helps to minimize when it occurs.
Best of Luck!

January 19, 2020, 10:50 AM

P220 Smudge

I hope it goes smoothly, perfectly, and you recover quickly with a minimum of pain.

January 20, 2020, 03:46 PM

slabsides45

I officially turn myself in tomorrow am at 6:30 for surgery.

walkinghorse, they are not using my own bone, it's a synthetic that he said is clear on radiographs so he can more easily monitor bone regrowth on follow up.

He mentioned in passing that, while it feels like my sternum is low enough upon palpation, sometimes they must crack the upper sternum to gain access for that C7-T1 space. If that ends up being the case they will recover me and schedule another surgery for later to allow a thoracic surgeon to be on hand. This I do not want to do.

Gonna be a party, y'all.

January 20, 2020, 09:57 PM

walkinghorse

Again Best Wishes!!!!!!
For what it's worth????, I have a nice 3" horizontal scar on my lower neck, no sternum messed with!
Fingers crossed that they do not need to me with your sternum!

January 20, 2020, 09:58 PM

walkinghorse

quote:
Originally posted by walkinghorse:
Again Best Wishes!!!!!!
For what it's worth????, I have a nice 3" horizontal scar on my lower neck, no sternum messed with!
Fingers crossed that they do not need to mess with your sternum!

January 20, 2020, 10:00 PM

walkinghorse

Duplicate

January 23, 2020, 12:14 PM

slabsides45

Well, I'm alive. Three level disc fusion done, they were able to reach that bottom one without cracking the chest.

Great surgeon, great staff, great experience, if one can associate greatness with surgery. I am in much less pain now than prior to surgery, though the numbness remains.

So far I've walked at least 2 miles a day since the surgery, so I'm doing my part to get better. Thank you for all the well wishes!