Have Bowel Symptoms After Lumbar Fusion Surgery. Could Compression Be Detected On MRI?

Brief Answer:
Yes Compression can be detected by MRI

Detailed Answer:
Hi,


I am dr XXXXXXX and I will try my level best to address your concerns.

1) Yes the compression can be detected by MRI

2) Yes the bowel symptoms may be a side effects from surgery.

Here is an explanation, their is condition know as "paralytic ileus".Paralytic ileus is a common side effect of various surgery. It can also result from certain drugs and from various injuries and illnesses, e.g. acute pancreatitis. Paralytic ileus causes constipation and bloating.

Traditionally, nil by mouth was considered to be mandatory in all cases, but now it is recognised that gentle feeding by enteral feeding tube may help to restore motility by triggering the gut's normal feedback signals, so this is the recommended management initially. When the patient has severe, persistent signs that motility is completely disrupted, nasogastric suction and parenteral nutrition may be required until passage is restored.

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If not other major issues are present the function of intestine will come back to normal in few days. But in case of prolonged issues chances are their might be some underlying complication may be present like nerve injury or formation of adhesion around intestine ( something similar as we look on skin when the wound is healing it heals with scar which is know as adhesion, which is stronger but may disrupt the function of intestine)

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3) Inflammatory lesion can be caused by various reasons like infection, autoimmune response, normal body's response to bacteria or virus, prolonged irritation by foreign body.


Thanks for the query, please feel free to contact me incase of further concerns.

Dr XXXXXXX XXXXXXX

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Brief Answer:
Yes the lesion in c6,c7 does radiate the pain

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

Welcome back, yes the lesion in c6,c7 does radiate the pain to shoulder blade.

Here is how it works, the nerves originates from the spinal cord , which is located in the vertebral column. Now to reach the different areas of body the nerves comes out from the gap between the vertebra and goes around the part of body in semi-circle fashion, (like if you hug some one your arms can be considered as nerves and it will cover the opposite person's body in semi-circle fashion, and the covered area is limited to the thickness of the arms) . In the same fashion the nerves exiting out at, vertebra c6 and c7 comes around the shoulder region and can lead pain if they are compressed at the site of coming out from vertebral column.

C6,C7,T1 and T2 are the vertebra which are named so that its easy for physicians to convey messages.

C= CERVICAL BASICALLY MEANS NECK REGION.
T= THORACIC BASICALLY MEANS RIB CAGE/CHEST.

So your lesion is at junction of neck and beginning of chest, and as I explained the nerves spread and cover the body as you hug a person so the pain is felt at shoulder blade due to that lesion in disc. Disc are the cushion between the vertebra which are blocks of bone what protects spinal cord which is part of nervous system. Now the nerves exit out from the space between the vertebras but the lesion of discs will reduce the space between the upper and lower vertebra leaving little space for nerves and in some case it compresses them too.

Thanks, please let me know if you need more information or you have any difficulty in following what I mentioned.

Dr XXXXXXX XXXXXXX

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