Quote:
Originally Posted by flavioarg
I have a serious stenosis L4-L5 and a significant stenosis L3-L4.
This is clearly documented by CT and MRI imaging. My back pain is still moderated but I have leg weakness, some leg pain and right leg loosing functionality (loss of some muscles use). In addition I have cold lower legs and feet practically all time and especially at night numbness in my feet.
I am evaluating what possibly to do and I need help from people with similar experience. I have seen 3 neurosurgeons here in Italy offering different approaches to my problem.
The first just collected data and diagnosed the situation but is not actually suggesting action a part from wait and see.
The second is suggesting a decompression doing a two levels laminotomy (fenestration) of the lamina (total anesthesia procedure).
The third one is proposing a surgery (epidural anasthesia) with not predefined end point (in due course he will decide accordingly to the situation he sees on fenestration alone or laminectomy with fusion and instrumentation.
I know a couple of patients recently treated by the last one and both ended with fusion and instrumentation.
No one of these surgeon gave me a clear review of the risks and of the probabiblity of negative outcomes.
Could anyone suggest me a minimal risk strategy to proceed from this point ?
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Flavioary, Have any of the doctors mention a Laminectomy, I had one L4-L5 and had some success. It was not a major surgery, the do put you under and I believe it was one night in the hospital. All and all not to bad recovery. This is a good site to get helpful hints and view points from people in similar situations. But I would not get medical advice from someone other than a doctor. And I would not have anyone interperat mri images who is not a radiologist.