I have had several back surgeries and am only 41. I have had laminectomy, disectomy and then had to have a csf leak repair surgery done. I have a lot of pain and am very discouraged with the physicians that I have seen so far. I have been in pain for several years since my last surgery and it has brought me to the point of perm nerve damage. None of the Dr's that I have seen really know about the TC and I keep being told that it is not the cause of my pain. If it is't that is great but what is. I was tested for autoimune disease and results came back negative.

Karen,

Can you post the results of your MRI or CT Scan? Where are your Tarlov cysts located? The problem with the Tarlov cyst is that most docs only know what they have read about them in a text book. For that reason they tell patients that they are not symptomatic. In most cases, they probably are not. If you do not have a communicating cyst it probably is not a source of your pain. Communicating meaning it fills and empties with fluid. You would only know that by going through testing at Hopkins. I think they are still doing testing for that at Hopkins.

Though I have not had a good outcome with the surgery for the TC I would not discourage anyone from moving forward with the surgery. I think Donlin Long at Hopkins is having the most success with his surgery and you would do best to contact him. I, at one time, told people to contact both him and Henderson at Georgetown, but I do not think Henderson is having the same success as Long. Of course, I have not been reading any data lately on the surgeries.....I have to go refresh and look at the data...
so you might want to look at both docs....

The problem with back surgeries is that they are only as good as the doctor performing them. I have been very fortunate in that I have had excellent surgeons. I used Dr. Fabien Bitan for my lumbar fusion, L1 to S1, and have had excellent results. I am also fused in the cervical spine and though I am now having problems with my cervical fusion, I have no regrets. Dr. Bitan did not do that fusion though he may do some corrections for me.....

You may be in pain because you have failed surgeries....