What is the average recovery time for a discectomy?
The recovery time varies from 1 to 4 weeks depending on the underlying disease treated and your general health. You may feel pain at the site of the incision. The original pain may not be completely relieved immediately after surgery.
How long after discectomy can I bend?
Restrictions on bending, lifting and twisting are common after lumbar discectomy, typically for six weeks.
How should I sit after discectomy?
After surgery, avoid sitting in soft chairs and on couches where your hips drop below your knees. If a chair is too high for you, place your feet on a small stool or box to help maintain correct sitting posture. Take frequent breaks by standing up and stretching every 30 to 45 minutes.
What is the recovery time for a l4 l5 Microdiscectomy?
You may have relief from your symptoms right away, or you may get better over days or weeks. In the weeks after your surgery, it may be hard to sit or stand in one position for very long. You may need pain medicine. It may take up to 8 weeks to get back to doing your usual activities.
What is the best position to sleep after back surgery?
The best sleeping position to reduce your back pain after surgery is either on your back with your knees bent and a pillow under your knees or on your side with your knees bent and a pillow between your legs.
Why does my leg still hurt after discectomy?
Most patients notice that it is much improved but there is still some aching in the leg because the nerve has a “memory” for the pain and remains slightly irritable. This usually resolves within a matter of weeks. The numbness usually resolves over weeks or months as the nerve recovers.
Can you have a second discectomy?
Recurrence of a Disc Herniation If the disc does herniate again, a revision microdiscectomy will generally be just as successful as the first operation. However, after a recurrence, the patient is at a higher risk of further recurrences.
How long does it take to recover from a discectomy?
The recovery process after surgery is typically gradual. The healing process varies depending on the procedure performed, the type of anesthesia, your overall body health, age, and other factors. The entire recovery period generally lasts between 6 and 10 weeks.
How to manage pain after a lumbar microdiscectomy surgery?
Successful pain management involves strictly following the surgeon’s instructions for medications, activity restrictions, and walking as tolerated. During the first two weeks after a lumbar microdiscectomy surgery, the following common activities are restricted: Bending.
Which is better for recovery, Microdiscectomy or open surgery?
The microdiscectomy procedure typically provides faster recovery than open surgical practice, with minor infection and side effects such as pain may occur. Surgical materials are passed around the body structure instead of making an incision, as in an open surgical procedure.
Do you have anxiety about a microdiscectomy?
Whenever you find yourself facing the possibility of surgery — even a minimally invasive procedure such as a microdiscectomy — you can experience some anxiety. Not only do many patients wonder about what to expect from a microdiscectomy surgery, they also worry about just how long spine operation recovery may take.