James’ Laminectomy Patient Story
Starting in late January 2024 I wound up getting sciatica in both of my legs and buttocks. I chalked it up to my doing a lot of different things after Christmas, taking down decorations, going up into my attic to get the boxes for them, and then culling through a lot of items throughout our house to donate or throw out.
In the past when I would do too many physical things, the sciatica would only affect my right leg, but this was the first time it occurred in both legs.
I assumed it would go away on its own, as it had many times before, but by mid-March 2024 the sciatica in both legs remained. At this point I saw my local Doctor, who wanted an MRI on my lower back. Once he reviewed it with my wife and I, he prescribed physical therapy. I did 36 sessions here in Amagansett spread out from May 6th to Sept. 12th. At that point my Medicare Insurance wouldn’t cover anymore P.T. sessions and the physical therapist suggested I should see my wife’s back surgeon, Dr. Girardi.
We started the process with him in mid-December 2024 that led up to my surgery on Feb. 6, 2025. (I’m sure you can look up what surgery was specifically performed on my lower back). Dr. Girardi removed one badly damaged disk and trimmed 3-4 bulging disks, at least.
My surgical experience at HSS was very good, as it was for my wife and both sons over several surgeries, over the years.
The best part of the post-op experience was when Dr. Girardi visited me early the morning, after the surgery, in my hospital room. He asked me if I noticed any change in how I felt, since the surgery the day before. I told him that the sciatica in both of my legs/buttocks was completely gone overnight, and it hasn’t returned to this date.
I’m doing well since the surgery. I did 20 P.T. sessions from April to early June 2025, until the Therapist felt I was doing really well, and didn’t need P.T. at the time. I’m back to doing all of my exercises, plus the ones the Physical Therapist gave me, every morning again. I have good range of motion doing various tasks around my house, and elsewhere.
James, East Hampton
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