In 2008 I had a discectomy at L5 and during surgery my physician severed my Thecal Sac which is noted in my medical records. It states the doctor thought he was in one place in my back and was surprised to be somewhere else in my back when he was using a Penfield #3 to get into my disc.
After surgery my right leg from the knee down and on the front side is numb and I find that the entire leg feels weak. My right leg also has pain down the back side. My lower back also has severe constant pain. I take 20 mg of Oxycontin ER 4 times a day, 1800 mg of Neurontin a day and 300 mg of Tramadol a day for the pain.
One of my physicians stated I have nerve damage post surgery and given the medication side effects and my pain I was awarded Disabled Social Security.
Does a doctor or anyone know if my situation could be the result of my Thecal Sac being severed during surgery? If so, can I file a malpractice suit or can I approach the hospital myself and try and settle my claim? I am a 40 yo male who can never work again and I just feel that the doctor and hospital is liable.
Richard C
I am truly sorry for what you are going through! The thecal sac is the nerve root and if it has not come back by now or at least there should have been some noticeable improvement in your leg by now it is not going to come back. Nerve recovery takes about 1 inch per month and in your case it is a long distance from the root down to the foot. There should have been some improvement along the course of the nerve by now and you are not stating any. At this point all of this depends upon you. Suing the doctor is not going to make things change and it was done by accident. On the other hand you are suffering and in constant pain. So if you talk to a lawyer they are going to encourage you to sue and talking to the hospital is not going to make any difference as they were not the ones doing the surgery. So it all comes back to you. How do you feel about the doctor and what has happened. At some point you are going to have to make a decision as to what to do about this as in most states there is a 2 year statue of limitations on suing for malpractice. As to whether or not all of your problems are a result of the severed thecal sac you are most likely going to have to undergo further examination to find out. One way of knowing is from an EMG. This would be able to specifically link the root damage and the problems that you are experiencing. I will say that most back problems are involving multiple levels so in your case you want to find out if the damage that you have is associated with that level.
Orignal From: My Thecal Sac was severed during surgery, can it cause permanent disability?
Post a Comment