Do not let Dr. Nottingham touch your back! I had surgery from Dr. Nottingham 2 years ago, specifically a lumbar discectomy for my L4-L5. I am only 43 years old and pretty fit. This was my 2nd lumbar discectomy on the same L4-L5 disc. The first surgery was 2 years prior to the 2nd one. In non-medical speak, a lumbar discectomy is where they make a small incision in your lower back and clean out the ruptured disc material that has spilled out of the disc and presses on the nerve that goes down your leg. In both situations, there was no injury just simply a degenerative disc problem and when the pain started it got progressively worst and I couldn't walk at all within a 3 week period. Both situations required immediate surgery once the MRI revealed that the disc material had ruptured and was pressing on the nerve that goes down the leg. After both surgeries were done, you get immediate relief because the disc material is no longer pressing on the nerve.
Let me first say that Dr. Nottingham was very sloppy not only in reviewing the MRI, but worst, the surgery itself. When I got the MRI and took it to his office, he held it up in low light and declared that it was a different disc that was causing the problem (I think the L5-S1). He was wrong and later corrected himself.
The operation went poorly. Dr. Nottinham showed up extremely late to the surgery after the anaesthesiologist had started to put me under. My husband and I could tell the anaesthesiologist was getting nervous that Dr. Nottingham had not showed up yet. The anaesthesiologist told my husband that he could go. My husband was starved and went to the John Muir hospital cafeteria. He ran into Dr. Nottingham who was there having lunch. Can you believe it? My husband just glared at him in disbelief that Dr. Nottingham was having lunch while his wife had already been put under and was awaiting the doctor's arrival in the operating room.
The surgery did not go well. Dr. Nottingham nicked the dura. In non-medical speak, that means when he was removing the disc material he accidentally cut into the casing that protects the spinal cord. Spinal fluid leaked out. Fortunately, he caught his error before closing up my back. Still the danger is that the fluid can cause severe spinal headaches. As a result, I had to stay in the hospital for a whole week flat on my back and not allowed to lift my head above my body. This is done as a precaution if the spinal fluid leaks. I attribute "nicking the dura" to the overall sloppiness of Dr. Nottingham. Also, I woke up in the operating room which probably was a result of the anesthesia wearing off early than it was suppose to. As my husband says, he will not let Dr. Nottingham touch my back again. I'd rather be in agony before I let him do the surgery.
Why did I even pick Dr. Nottingham? Unfortunately, the awesome Dr. Hieu Ball who did my first surgery is no longer affiliated with John Muir Hospital and my HealthNet HMO would not allow me to see Dr. Ball. I must say that Dr. Ball rocks and in the future, I will switch to a PPO so he can do any back surgery. He is so brillant!
It has been over 2 years (Nov 19, 2006) since I had Dr. Nottingham do my surgery and I have not gotten the feeling back in my toes and the side of my leg between my ankle and knee. Very disappointing as when Dr. Hieu Ball did my first surgery, I got the feeling back in my toes and leg within a year. Again, I suspect this issue is a result of sloppiness on Dr. Nottingham's part in the operating room. read more