What can I expect after a Post op laminectomy?

What can I expect after a Post op laminectomy?

You can expect your back to feel stiff or sore after surgery. This should improve in the weeks after surgery. You may have trouble sitting or standing in one position for very long and may need pain medicine in the weeks after your surgery.

How long does it take to recover from laminectomy?

After a minor (decompressive) laminectomy, you are usually able to return to light activity (desk work and light housekeeping) within a few days to a few weeks. If you also had spinal fusion with your laminectomy, your recovery time will likely be longer — from two to four months.

What are the side effects of laminectomy?

What are the potential risks or complications of laminectomy?

• Bleeding.
• Infection.
• Medical or anesthesia problems.
• Blood clots.
• Nerve damage.
• Spinal fluid leak.
• Bowel or bladder problems (incontinence).
• Worsening back pain.

How long do you have pain after laminectomy?

It is very common to experience lower limb pain 2-‐4 days post surgery and again after 3 weeks. Usually this pain is less than the pain you had before surgery but in some cases it can be severe and quite stressful.

How much walking should you do after laminectomy?

Walking is the best activity you can do for the first 6 weeks after surgery. You should start out slowly and work up to walking 30 minutes at least twice a day.

How much should you walk after a laminectomy?

How do you sleep after a laminectomy?

Just like sleeping on your back, sleeping on your side helps reduce pain and pressure. Try to alternate between sleeping on your left and right side to distribute the pressure and benefit your spine’s alignment. Right after surgery, you can also place a pillow under or in between your knees.

Why is a laminectomy so painful?

In some cases, despite performing a laminectomy, patients experience pain because the spinal column itself is narrowed in a condition called spinal stenosis. Sometimes, there may be a small fragment of the disc still remaining following the laminectomy which can irritate the spinal-cord causing pain.

How do you sleep after laminectomy?

Do you need physical therapy after a laminectomy?

In general, you should expect to start physical therapy 4 to 6 weeks after your lumbar laminectomy or discectomy. If there were any post-operative complications like infection or excessive bleeding, then you may need to wait a bit longer.

How do I know if my laminectomy failed?

Patients with failed back surgery symptoms may experience the same pain as before surgery, and/or discomfort of a different kind (such as numbness, weakness, stiffness, sharper pain, or more diffuse pain), or in a different area of the body.

Can I sleep on my side after laminectomy?

What is the best sleeping position after a laminectomy?

How do you sit after a laminectomy?

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.

How much should I walk after back surgery?

By the sixth week following your surgery, you should be walking for 30 minutes twice a day. And that’s a good habit to continue even when you’re fully recovered. Remaining active aids your successful recovery from back surgery. At the same time, you need to take care not to reinjure your back by overdoing it.

Can you mess up a laminectomy?

Failed back syndrome also commonly happens after a discectomy or laminectomy to treat herniated disc in patients with degenerative disc disease (DDD). Even after the surgery is perfectly performed, degenerative disc disease can affect multiple locations in the spinal column.