Hello everyone, I'm writing this to ask for some suggestions because I really don’t know what to do.
I had my first L5–S1 microdiscectomy in March 2025. One month later, I had a relapse with a herniation of the same disc. In July 2025, I underwent another microdiscectomy, and this time they placed an Aspen device at the L5–S1 level. Everything was going well, but in September I had another relapse at the same level.
Since then, I’ve been experiencing tingling, a “sleepy” foot, and sciatica in my right leg. I underwent a periduroscopy, which helped a lot with the symptoms. I tried to go back to work, but I only lasted two weeks (I used to work as a courier for Amazon).
The symptoms have remained more or less the same since October 2025. Last month, my neurosurgeon told me that a TLIF procedure could be the solution to prevent further relapses. I’m scheduled to have it on June 19.
I’m very scared about undergoing another surgery. However, in the past 10 days, my symptoms have improved: my back pain has significantly decreased, and now I only have some spasms and tingling in my foot. The sharp sciatic pain only appears if I intentionally arch my spine to trigger it, if that makes sense.
So now I really don’t know what to do. Should I still go ahead with the procedure? Should I wait? I feel like I’m in limbo and unsure about the right decision.
I’ve already lost my job, and I was planning to move to another country and look for a less physically demanding job in the future. But leaving my country with this uncertainty scares me. On the other hand, I don’t know if going through with the surgery is the right choice, especially now that my symptoms have improved.
Any suggestions?