I recently had an emg to check nerve damage 2 years after lumbar fusion. ?

Question

burning, tingling numbness and loss of movement. the test showed signifigant nerve damage obviously where the fusion is but the dr said it's indacative of another bulge still pressing where it shouldnt. the originall surgery was to remove all bulges and stabalize to prevent this from happening. is it possible that the dr missed some disc peices or could it happen after surgery for no other reason than just a botched surgery.

Answer 1

The major problem with lumbar fusion, you are welding two vertebra together. Vertebra are supposed to work independently, so fusion means a larger area is solid. That in turn places the other discs, especially the one above the fusion under additional stress and strain, so chances are it is this disc that had now bulged. Best of Luck