Medical Questions » Back Problems Questions » Question No. 121
| Question: | I have had a laminectomy after I was told it was an operation that would help my severe sciatica. After the operation I still cannot walk and I am in severe pain. The neurosurgeon tells me nothing can be done. What would you suggest? |
| Answer: | A laminectomy stiffens the vertebrae in the back and often helps people with severe back pain caused by discs in their back that have degenerated. Unfortunately no operation can ever be guaranteed, and although a laminectomy is not a major operation, it involves an area when many tissues can interact to cause nerve pain.
It would be very rare for the operation to make the situation worse. The majority are improved and a small number remain the same. It seems that you are one of the unlucky ones. If your present neurosurgeon says there is nothing more that can be done, you should obtain a second opinion from another neurosurgeon.
If it is not possible to help you further (and some unfortunate people cannot be cured or adequately helped by even the best surgeons) then you should be referred to a pain clinic at one of the major teaching hospitals. Doctors, physiotherapists and nurses can teach you how to cope with your pain and should be able to make it bearable for you. |
|
|
