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Suggest Treatment For Synovial Cyst

Posted on Wed, 1 Jun 2016

Question: I have been diagnosed with a synovial cyst below my L4 - I had surgery last March to treat a problem with the L3-L4 area and the surgeon had to fuse that area with a small titanium brace. After 5 or 6 months I redeveloped left hip, glutes, and calf pain which has not gotten much better with P.T. and an attempt to asperate the cyst and a steroid injection. Is there anything else that I could try so as to not have to get this cyst surgically removed which I do not want to do.

Answered by Dr. Dr. Naveen Kumar Sharma (43 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
You might get epidural steroid injection

Detailed Answer:
Hello,
I have studied your case. i think this synovial cyst is compressing on nerve and that is causing burning pain in whole leg. There are very few option apart from surgery. Most effective is steroid injection along in spine.You can get it dome by pain specailst doctor.
Apart from synovial cyst there is chanded od recurrence of disc at previous surgical level also. So I would sugggest you to get MRI to confirm the level of compression. In that case you might need exploration of previols surgical site also.
So I would sugggest you to try epidural steroid injection and if it does not work go ahead with surgery.
I hope this answer will be useful for you. let me know if there is any other followup questions. thanks

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Naveen Kumar Sharma (5 minutes later)

I mentioned that I have had an epidural injection and that it afforded minor relief after 48 hrs at best. I do not want to go back in the hospital after having a major operation last year ( my opinion of the back surgery is that it was fairly major as I had a 3 day stay in the hospital and then a 4 week period where I could not drive or do a whole lot of anything, then 2 months of P.T. ), I just cannot fathom having to go through that again just to have a cyst removed ? Would this operation be less invasive ?

Answered by Dr. Dr. Naveen Kumar Sharma (45 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Yes this surgery is not as big as last one

Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Removal of cyst is not as big as last surgery . Mostly you can walk from next day and there is no need of bed rest. At XXXXXXX doctors can advised you to avoid forward bending or travelling. Also there will not be bay need of screws so this is not a very major procedure.
If steroid injection has not worked then there is no harm in getting done this surgery. I do not think you are left with any other option as some time cyst can enlarge and can cause weakness in leg or foot.
thanks

Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar