Column Treatment Progress Report No.116：A Patient Who Had Recurring Pain 10 Years After Undergoing Endoscopic Surgery at Another Hospital
June 10, 2024
The patient
A male patient in his 70s
Treated in July 2023. Approximately 1 year has passed since treatment.
Symptoms and treatments to date
This patient had spinal canal stenosis in the areas indicated by the red frame（L2/3,3/4,4/5）.
Pre-treatment medical history and treatments to date
Ten years ago, the patient fell down a staircase and was hospitalized. He was diagnosed with lumbar disc herniation and underwent endoscopic spine surgery.
For approximately 3–4 years after surgery, his condition remained stable; however, around 2022, low back pain gradually reappeared.
In April 2023, while caring for his wife, he experienced a sudden onset of severe low back pain. Since then, his symptoms have fluctuated between improvement and exacerbation. Although nerve root block injections were administered, the pain repeatedly recurred.
The patient visited our clinic seeking to improve her symptoms.
Post-treatment progress
The table below shows the results of the patient’s own evaluation of the pain in each body site on a scale of 0 to 10.
No pain at all is rated as 0 and 10 as the maximum possible pain.
| Lower back | Lower limbs | Numbness | Buttocks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before treatment | 10 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 1 week after treatment | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1 month after treatment | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 3 months after treatment | 1 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| 6 months after treatment | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
The following is feedback from the patient when contacted for follow-up.
1 week post-treatment: Pain had decreased, but a sense of heaviness remained in the lower back.
1 month post-treatment: Symptoms appeared intermittently; numbness was often felt upon waking.
3 months post-treatment: Pain was still present at times but was tolerable. The patient reported any 80% improvement as compared to before treatment.
6 months post-treatment: Overall symptoms had significantly improved. Only mild residual sciatica remained.
This patient presented symptoms of lumbar spinal stenosis, including periods of difficulty walking and intermittent claudication prior to treatment.
Although mild pain persisted in the right ankle after treatment, overall symptoms were substantially reduced.
The patient was highly satisfied with the improvement and reported that engaging in appropriate exercise and rehabilitation contributed significantly to symptom relief.
* Results vary among individuals. Please be aware that identical outcomes cannot be guaranteed.
* It generally takes 3 weeks to 3 months for treatment effects to appear.
Our Treatment Method
Supplementary Information on the Cellgel Method
Cost of the Cellgel Method:
¥1,320,000 / 1 site (tax included)
to ¥1,760,000 / 5 sites (tax included)
Risks and Side Effects:
Temporary pain may occur after treatment.
Nerve injury is theoretically possible due to the nature of the procedure, but no such cases have been reported in our own experience or in published studies.
Extremely rare risk of allergic reaction to local anesthetic.
Symptoms may temporarily worsen for 1–2 weeks after treatment, believed to be due to decompression effects of the implant pulling on surrounding tissue.
If the disc is severely collapsed or nearly gone, treatment may not be possible.
The physician will discuss suitable treatment options with each patient depending on their condition.
For more detailed information, please refer to the following links:
Blog page explaining the Cellgel Method in an easy-to-understand manner
The Cellgel Method on our treatment methods page
This article was written by the administrative Director of our clinic
