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Dr. Andrew Rynne
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Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Lower Back Pain. MRI Showing Herniated Disc. Suggested Surgery For Vertebrae Fusion. Second Opinion?

I have been having lower back pain for 5 yrs , had MRI in 2007, showed herniated disc between L4&L5, Dr suggested therapy , had therapy for the last 5 yrs, last couple months, gotten worse, another MRI, Dr Suggested surgery to fuse vertebras together, I Can t decide what to do, is fusion safe, will it deteriate other discs, because of more stress . I need some help to what to do?
posted on Thu, 17 Jan 2013
Twitter Thu, 17 Jan 2013 Answered on
Twitter Fri, 18 Jan 2013 Last reviewed on
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Orthopaedic Surgeon,  's  Response
hi ,

there are basically two kind of surgery done for chronic disc problems i.e. only decompression -when the leg pain is more than back pain and decompression with fusion when backpain is equal or more significant than leg pain

Any chronic disc problem should treated with surgery only when all option of conservative management are exhausted i.e.

taken lot of analgesics continuously for more than 6 weeks , exhausted with physiotherapy.

It is true that other disc are at increased risk but it takes quite a long time for the other discs to degenerate.

fusion is more of concern only in young age and obese individuals
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Lower Back Pain. MRI Showing Herniated Disc. Suggested Surgery For Vertebrae Fusion. Second Opinion?

hi , there are basically two kind of surgery done for chronic disc problems i.e. only decompression -when the leg pain is more than back pain and decompression with fusion when backpain is equal or more significant than leg pain Any chronic disc problem should treated with surgery only when all option of conservative management are exhausted i.e. taken lot of analgesics continuously for more than 6 weeks , exhausted with physiotherapy. It is true that other disc are at increased risk but it takes quite a long time for the other discs to degenerate. fusion is more of concern only in young age and obese individuals