Status of the Back Surgery

Jim's surgery lasted about an hour.  It took much less time than the fusion which was done two years ago.  Oddly enough, it was two years to the day.  Anyway, they lopped off part of the vertebra and then used a dremel tool (kidding, just kidding) to remove the bone spurs and widen the foramen so the nerve is not being pinched. 

Here is Jim, pre-procedure, demonstrating that he has a sense of humor.

The surgery was not without incident.  While the surgeons were working on the foramen, they nicked the dura.  The dura is the membrane that covers the brain and spinal cord.  They were able to put a stitch in the nick and close it, but some spinal fluid leaked out. 

The most common cause of intracranial hypotension, or low cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure in the brain, is CSF Leak. ... When the volume of CSF becomes low, the brain will sag inside the skull, causing headaches that worsen when the patient is in an upright position (sitting or standing up).

Jim had to stay on his back, with no more than a 30% incline to keep the headache down.  So far he's had no pain, but he's also been laying flat.  It's really difficult to eat when you're on your back and really flat.  This could last up to 10 days to resolve.  So that was kind of a bummer. 

He's spending the night in the hospital.  Coming home tomorrow is very much desired, but not guaranteed.