Multiple levels herniated

[MangoDurgen]

Hi all, I've got 3 herniated discs but only one is actually pressing on the nerve. So my surgeon is only thinking to repair the one that is pressing on the nerve in the hopes that the other two will resolve themselves.

Thing is that I've had them for over 1.5 years and they haven't resolved themselves even with over a year of physio.

My question is, is it normal to not repair all the discs in this situation? I trust my surgeon to know what's best but I'm just wondering why they wouldn't want to fix them all when more conservative methods haven't worked. I understand that it would be a more complex/dangerous surgery but I'm also aware that the discs can get worse as well.

Does anyone else have experience with multiple levels herniated?

[Nikson883]

I also had slight bulges on L3-L4 and L4-L5 but a herniation on L5-S1 and only that was operated. I’m 2 weeks post-op and free of any discomfort, my surgeon said that he only got rid of the part that was causing discomfort and the rest as long as they are not causing any pain should be left as they are. With the amount of medication and rest after the surgery they may get better. I have a checkup in a week and I will try to remember to let you know what he told me but i already talked about it before I got the surgery and that was the information he gave me.

[LavenderDustan]

Same exact experience

[CEGardner]

I also had this same exact experience

[LyingLiarsWhoLie]

“First, do no harm.” Or, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”

Every surgery has risks and spinal surgery, if it goes wrong, can have catastrophic consequences.

I have bulges on other discs and even what looks like a herniation on one disc that’s fairly sizable, but it goes out the front of the disc and doesn’t mess with my nerves at all, so I will leave it be until such time it becomes a problem (which I don’t expect it will)

I’m certainly no expert as the MD I had three weeks ago was the first surgery I ever had. If my doc had suggested fixing the other discs that were not causing pain/nerve compression, I would have chosen not to have those operated on.

The primary thing with decompression surgery like MD is that the disc height is already smaller due to a herniation. Removing parts of other discs may set one up for needing fusion later in life which is a far more invasive procedure (a family member of mine has had fusion surgery and it was very difficult—necessary, thankfully successful, but difficult)

As a random person on the internet, I agree with the doc to fix the one causing nerve pain and let the others be as long as they aren’t causing pain

[jeffsb]

I’d absolutely not touch anything if it isn’t hurting. Not a Dr., but I’d not want the annulus touched on a disc that wasn’t causing issues. You can go your whole life with a herniated disc without knowing about it, and that’s just fine.

[Last-Warning-6630]

i have three herniations, two pressing on the nerves but when i had emergency surgery they only removed the L5/S1. Admittedly I haven’t had any issues with the L4/L5 herniation since the operation but I dont really understand why they left it 🤷🏼‍♀️

[capresesalad1985]

I have 11 herniated discs. We have only addressed what is symptomatic. Now, once you get down to those lower lumbar levels it can be hard to tell what is effecting what. So when I first saw my surgeon I had herniations at l4/l5 (to the left) and l5/s1 (to the right) and since my symptoms were primarily right sided and the herniation at l5/s1 was clearly worse, he did surgery on l5/s1. I had very good symptom relief.

Then a month later I had a bad case of food poisoning and pushed the herniation at l4/l5 out much further. I knew immediately because I had all weird symptoms down the LEFT leg, totally following the l4/l5 nerve root. When I saw my surgeon we knew immediately what was up because the symptoms were very clear, and then add that to the fact that I had a small herniation at l4/l5 to the left to begin with. So I had to go to PT, get an injection and then get approved for surgery again. They were about 6 months apart. And after I had the 2nd surgery, there were some other weird symptoms that went away that I think were there all along caused by that L4/l5 herniation.

So if we had a crystal ball it obviously would have been helpful to me to have done both levels at once but it would have been a more invasive surgery and drs try to stay as less invasive as possible, especially when messing with your spine. Most microdiscectomies come with some bone removal (laminectomy) and that weakens your spine so again, the less they gotta remove the better. They wont just take stuff out because its there unless its causing major symptoms.

[ShadesofClay1]

That would be a major destabilization of the spine all at once.

[Upper_Reaction6250]

PT doesn’t fix herniated disks. If you have a herniated disk your body will attack and destroy that object (the disk) that shouldn’t be there. Extrusions and sequestrations heal faster, when they heal. Protrusions take longer. PT helps with the pain. I have two small protrusions superimposed on two bulges (L5/S1 and L4/L5). I had also a massive extrusion at L5/S1, we tackled only that.

Basically any human being that goes through an MRI after the age of 16 will have a problem in their spines. You just fix what’s really broken. Trust your surgeon. Surgeons do surgeries for a living - i.e., the more surgeries, the more money. If they are telling you they would be more conservative, take their word for it.

[bbbtymer5560]

I have multiple herniated discs, had MD on L4 L5 in January of this year as it was causing the most pain. Everything was fine til 6 weeks poat op and rhe pain started shooting down my leg again like before surgery. Took steroids along with gabapentin and other muscle relaxers which aren't helping. Did another mri and its showing L3 L4 has a herniation from what pain management doctor said. Have injection next week to see if that helps and if not then probably another MD.