Agreed! That's what threw me off. I wasn't expecting to see disc material resting on that nerve root again.... Frustrating!!! I just don't really want to get sliced open again, that was no fun....

I looked it up, apparently it is common to only remove the part of the disc that is causing issue. There fore it is possible to have that issue at that site again.

oh, i know that... it just pains me to see that apparently the surgery was all for naught... having the same exactly problem with bilateral leg pain/numbness when i only had it in one leg two years ago is frustrating! oh well.......

They never take ALL the disc material or else you'd have bone on bone. They'd otherwise have to put something in there to replace it.

Correct. I understand that they don't and weren't going to remove the disc but I'm just thrown off by the issue popping back up worse than it was before after 2 years of being EXTREMELY cautious with my back... I'm a young person at 30 and am obvi not ready for non step bed rest or having to act like and 80 year old that can't pick up a grocery bag....

Do you guys think I should try to get this fixed considering the severe nerve pain and numbness/reflex issues in the opposite leg? Need advice bc I don't want to get pushed around by the doctors like last time.

It is important NOT to feel pushed around by a doctor. It happend to me and I was older. I walked out. Find a doctor you can truely talk to. Any surgery is serious and you want to be absolutly sure it is the right thing to do. I wish you all the best. ginnie

Thanks! And I agree. I got a call from my neurosurgeons assistant today calling me in for an appointment tomorrow, I guess my neuro called him after reading the MRI report... I'm going to give him a shot as he's widely respected as the best in our area... I'm just nervous that he will recommend fusion since a discectomy was already done at that level.... Fusion has always been a fear of mine...

If you do consider fusion, just know that they too can turn out OK. My first at C6-7 did not. I did the domino thing. Now fused C3-7, and he did a good job. This surgery was successful, so it can turn out OK. Believe me, I was freaked too. I sought multipal opinions before I agreed to it. It was Leesa, who helped me understand my own MRI when I came here. I wish you all the best. ginnie