bsemmens

16 weeks post op and still some very minor pain in my lower right leg, more to the front right side. Could this be from scar tissue still pressing on the nerve ? Any suggestions ? This is in no way debilitating or stopping me from doing what I want.

Good luck on your recovery. I was told it takes 6 weeks for all the connective tissue to heal and another 6 weeks for all the soft tissue inflammation to heal. Keep active and follow you physiotherapy recommendations. I waited the full 12 weeks before attempting any sports activities and so far, so good. I still have not made a skydive, but hey, It's winter up here. Maybe in March or April.

I am now 13 weeks post op and doing very well. I still have some very minor pain in my leg but it is intermittent and tolerable. It is there in the morning but seems to disappear as I become more active during the day. I saw my surgeon recently for his 12 week post op assessment and I was told that any pain I am still experiencing was due to soft tissue inflammation and this should disappear over time. I had "open" back surgery and not a microdiscectomy but my incision is still only 2 1/2"long. That being said there was probably more soft tissue trauma from the larger incision and therefore a longer healing time. I am also 55 years old and a slow healer historically. The surgeon said the full healing cylce is about 16 weeks but that I could return to my usual activities as I saw fit. I am back playing hockey (non contact) and skiing with no issues at all. I will resume skydiving this spring. The weakness and tingling in my right foot is all but gone and the pain I was experienceing through my hips has disappeared completely. Everyone is different and will experience varying results. I believe the key to a full recovery is staying active and following the recommended post op physiothereapy regimen to the letter. Good luck. I hope this helps. Bob Semmens

Thank you for your input. It is very much appreciated. The surgery was not done with the aid of a microscope, however the incision is only about 2 1/4 inches in length. I had an L4-L5 right sided open decompression. While the surgeon was digging around in there he found some bone spurs pushing down on the nerve from the top, which he also removed as well as cleaning up some arthritis. He removed only the herniated portion of the disc from my understanding. I am having another MRI today and will see the surgeon next week which will be six weeks post op. As I live in Canada I won't be jumping again until the spring so I have plenty of time to fully heal.

I recently had decompression surgery to remove a disc herniation and bone spurs at L4-L5. Fusion was not done, nor is there any metal in me. Has anyone out there had a similar surgery and returned to skydiving ? How long was your recovery and how are you coping with jumping ?