Back surgery after transplant

[kellyt]

Has anyone had back surgery after having a kidney transplant?  Today is my 1 year kidney anniversary and I'm seriously wanting to discuss with my doctor the possibility of having back surgery sometime soon.  My herniated disc is just getting worse and it is really reducing my quality of life.  It hurts now more than ever at night when I go to bed.  I'm getting very little sleep due to it.

I have a herniated L4 S1 (I think) and it's super low in the back (the lowest disc I think).  But my problem is not just that it's herniated, but the spine where the disc goes is partially collapsed.  They would have to go in a place a "cage" and faux disc.

Anyone?  Help please!!!   I know Donnia's surgery on her hip caused her major problems, but I think that was more due to the medication they screwed up.  I want to talk to my post transplant doctor and have him work with me and the surgical team to make sure that doesn't happen.

Thanks.

[monrein]

Kelly,  several years ago I had back surgery for a bone spur that was pressing on my sciatic nerve and causing crazy pain.  They did a laminectomy, (removal of the lamina, half of the little roof shaped thingy on the L4 vertabra) and a forenectomy to relieve pressure on the nerve.
I also had a bulging disc but my surgeon felt that to intervene surgically there could make things worse.  Prior to the surgery I could'nt stand for more than a few minutes at a time without pain.  Post surgery I had trouble sitting.  I was off work for almost a year and a half and did a lot of physio.  The first place I was sent was useless so I called worker's compensation and said that their money was being wasted so they sent me to a different clinic where they worked with me on exercises to strengthen my core abdominal muscles.  They involved Kegal like exercises and small movements, not hard to do at all, and I also did a lot of pool exercises with foam dumbbells for resistance. 
My surgery was extremely successful but I also had a lot of work to do myself to get rehabilitated.  I also purchased my own TENS unit and wore it constantly as a distraction from pain.  Didn't cure anything, just distracted me. Your situation sounds different especially the partial collapse piece and I have no advice really.  I will say that this was the hardest time I can remember in my life and the pain was not excruciating but it was ever-present and it ground me down as if I were slowly being grated.  I think I might have been clinically depressed also but once I got hold of the exercises I at least felt I could do something.

I think I'd get a couple of medical opinions about what options exist and the pros and cons of each.     

[okarol]

My hubby (not a kidney patient) had back surgery for a herniated disc at L4 L5. Actialym he had a laminectomy hwich failed, a partial laminectomy which caused even more instability, and then a fusion with hardware and cadaver bone graft. He's never been out of pain. He says he thinks many people have similar surgeries succesfully but he was one of the unlucky ones. I know, looking back, he wishes he had tried other avenues before having surgery. We have a friend who had a similar surgery and she is now taking horseback lessons, so go figure. My husband is disabled and dependent on pain meds.