Spine surgery: Sharing experiences and support

I’m looking for anyone who has (unfortunately) gone through cervical disc herniation surgery to share their experiences here.
Which neurosurgeon in Washington, D.C. is considered the absolute best in this field?

If you really want to track down "him," you should probably go asking around some of those surgical circles at Johns Hopkins.

Whenever I see stuff like cervical spine surgery on my schedule, I always make sure to throw a few warnings in there—basically, proceed with caution. Even when these neck procedures seem straightforward, they carry way more risk than anything happening further down the spine.

Most of the posts in this thread have vanished, so I’m asking the member who shared those details about the specialist in the suburban area—the one helping with spinal issues—to please DM them to me again. 😘

I was hoping I could pick your brain about minimally invasive surgery... just had a few questions...
So, I've got some issues going on with my spine... basically at the L5/S1 level. The scans show this pretty significant bilateral dorso-medial disc protrusion, plus there's a left-sided dorso-lateral and foraminal extrusion. It's compressing the dural sac and the nerve root, which has completely obliterated the lateral recess and reduced the perirenal fat. On top of that, the bone diameter of the spinal canal at that level is only 9mm, which points toward absolute canal stenosis...
So, here’s the takeaway from the MRI: at the Route 66 level, there’s some bilateral protrusion on the inner side, plus a left-sided protrusion that’s pushing out toward the side and the nerve opening. It’s actually squeezing the dural sac and the nerve root on my left side...
I'm really looking for some honest input here. Would a minimally invasive procedure actually do anything for someone in my situation? Has anyone here actually gone through it... any real-world experience at all? Please, I need some advice. I haven’t even been able to get off my couch for two weeks now. I'm honestly terrified to even stand up. I've heard nothing but horror stories about spinal surgeries, and you guys are pretty much my only hope right now... the only light at the end of this tunnel. Should I go through with the surgery? Or should I just head out to San Francisco... maybe see a chiropractor... or just stay stuck on this couch indefinitely? I don't know how much longer I can do this...

Thanks in advance...

Thanks...

I honestly don't have any sage advice to give you, but hey, I'm sending nothing but good vibes your way regardless!

I just felt like I had to chime in, mostly because your username totally caught my eye 😍

Andrew Evans2 said:I honestly don't have any sage advice to give you, but hey, I'm sending nothing but good vibes your way regardless!

I just felt like I had to chime in, mostly because your username totally caught my eye 😍

🙂 Every kind word counts... 🙂)

Thanks, Andrew Evans2... from jadebison99... 🙂)

You know Dr. Smith over in the suburban area near Washington, D.C.? He operated on my mom—she had three severely damaged vertebrae and those disc issues—and honestly, I don't fully grasp the medical jargon, nor do I really get your diagnosis, but whatever. Long story short, the guy is one of the top spine specialists out there. He handled her surgery and everything turned out amazing, even though the damage was extensive and the procedure itself was incredibly risky. I’d definitely recommend him. Good luck.

Perhaps if you focus on reducing that visceral fat just a little more, surgery might actually become unnecessary.😕

steelangler88 said:You know Dr. Smith over in the suburban area near Washington, D.C.? He operated on my mom—she had three severely damaged vertebrae and those disc issues—and honestly, I don't fully grasp the medical jargon, nor do I really get your diagnosis, but whatever. Long story short, the guy is one of the top spine specialists out there. He handled her surgery and everything turned out amazing, even though the damage was extensive and the procedure itself was incredibly risky. I’d definitely recommend him. Good luck.

thanks... steelangler88...

Emily Gonzalez51 said:Perhaps if you focus on reducing that visceral fat just a little more, surgery might actually become unnecessary.😕

I don't get it... why on earth would you think surgery wouldn't be necessary???

I wouldn't dream of recommending a minimally invasive procedure over in San Francisco. First off, they aren't actually fixing the root cause of your pain; they’re just trying to mask the sensation itself, and frankly, they’re terrible at it. During my initial consultation, they gave me this whole pitch about how they'd eliminate my pain entirely, but the second I actually shelled out the cash, they handed me some fine print claiming the success rate was "roughly" 70%. Well, fast forward six weeks, and I can tell you my personal success rate is sitting at a solid 0%. It’s infuriating. They spend all day running ads online claiming they fixed the pain for 200 patients back in April, but I’d love to see those actual statistics posted on a real forum where people can call them out. And calling this an "operation" is a joke—it’s nothing more than a quick little procedure where they poke you a few times with a needle, jam two electrodes in, and give you a little heat treatment. The whole thing takes maybe 10 to 15 minutes and then $2667. Total zero. Honestly, I feel completely ripped off.

I was wondering if anyone here has any firsthand experience with minimally invasive spine surgery on the cervical vertebrae?

Hey guys, I’ve already gone under the knife twice, and now they’re saying it's time for round three. They want to do a disc fusion-insertion and screw everything in place, and honestly, I'm pretty terrified. Anyone here dealt with this before?

guys help!!!!!!!! please help me! i'm freaking out

Hi Jeffrey Sullivan11. I don't have the exact same situation, but I'm in the same boat as you—I've had two surgeries myself. So far, I'm managing, though the pain can be pretty intense sometimes, but I just push through it. If you're from a small town, then we might actually be neighbors; I'm from a different part of the country. We might have even seen the same doctor! I can't offer much advice, but I just wanted to reach out and say hello. Wishing you all the best.

Anonymous said:Hi Jeffrey Sullivan11. I don't have the exact same situation, but I'm in the same boat as you—I've had two surgeries myself. So far, I'm managing, though the pain can be pretty intense sometimes, but I just push through it. If you're from a small town, then we might actually be neighbors; I'm from a different part of the country. We might have even seen the same doctor! I can't offer much advice, but I just wanted to reach out and say hello. Wishing you all the best.

My first surgery was with Smith, but for the second one, I headed to Washington, D.C. to go to the Mayo Clinic. Honestly, I had such a bad experience at the local hospital that I wouldn't even send a mouse there. When did you have your surgery? And did you ever try visiting Saratoga Springs?

So, I’m one of those people. Been living with a disability since my first spinal surgery at 15. I'm 19 now, just waiting on a call from the hospital to schedule my third one. There are tons of us out there, but honestly, you don't hear much about our lives here in the States. That's why I figured I'd start this thread. Feel free to share your stories or whatever you're going through. If you ever need advice, hit me up—I'm active in three different disability advocacy groups, so I spend a lot of time at seminars and meetings and know my rights pretty well. Just ask if you need anything. Also, please jump in and share your highs and lows, how you're holding up, or how your family is coping. Not sure if I covered everything, but the main thing is just to join the conversation. Thanks, everyone.

Oh, also totally forgot to mention—if enough people are down to team up, I’d love to start a disability advocacy group in Washington, D.C.

Hey Jeffrey Sullivan11, just checking in... So, here’s my situation: I had my first surgery back in 1998, and then a second one in 2004. Both times, I was treated at Saratoga Springs. Honestly, I don't quite get how you qualify for disability; because of my spine issues, I’m on early retirement from my career, but I don't actually have an official disability rating, even though two of my discs are gone. Apparently, they won't grant disability status based solely on spinal issues. The only thing that counts is when I had my uterus and ovaries removed in 2007—that gives me a 60% impairment rating—but even then, I don't receive anything for it. They tell me I don't have any special rights, no medical cards, and not even a single extra cent added to my pension (which is currently $327). I'm basically stuck with nothing. If you happen to know anything that could help, please let me know—I would be so incredibly grateful. Best regards.

Anonymous said:Hey Jeffrey Sullivan11, just checking in... So, here’s my situation: I had my first surgery back in 1998, and then a second one in 2004. Both times, I was treated at Saratoga Springs. Honestly, I don't quite get how you qualify for disability; because of my spine issues, I’m on early retirement from my career, but I don't actually have an official disability rating, even though two of my discs are gone. Apparently, they won't grant disability status based solely on spinal issues. The only thing that counts is when I had my uterus and ovaries removed in 2007—that gives me a 60% impairment rating—but even then, I don't receive anything for it. They tell me I don't have any special rights, no medical cards, and not even a single extra cent added to my pension (which is currently $327). I'm basically stuck with nothing. If you happen to know anything that could help, please let me know—I would be so incredibly grateful. Best regards.

Look, you don't get a disability percentage just for the surgery itself, but if you have nerve damage in your legs—like foot drop or something—that counts. I had paralysis in my right leg, which I still deal with, plus a brain lesion, so I managed to get some benefits from those. If you really do have that 60% rating, take those papers down to the nearest local disability association. Once you get a membership card, they can file a request so you can get half off your phone bill and stuff. As for the actual cash benefit for physical impairment, you can't claim it yourself, but whoever takes care of you—like a spouse or kids—can. That usually comes out to about $200 depending on the percentage. Some things take forever because they try to stall, but seriously, DON'T GIVE UP. Let me know if any of this is confusing, hope I covered it all.