Anterior Cervical Discectomy Surgery

Rick over a year ago

Hi - i was hoping to get some advice.

i had a severely pinched nerve C7 in my neck. i went and had a MRI and seen a surgeon. he told me I have 3 severely herniated disks in my neck and that i should have the surgery and fusion. I also have nerve damage in my right arm.

my surgery is scheduled for June 14th.

my question is now that i have been waiting 4 weeks so far for my surgery date. the pain has stopped. i can turn my neck without pain.

Do i still go throught the surgery? Did the disk just move a millimeter over and now its not being pinched but could move back at any time and id be back in pain again.

should i just go ahead and get it done since I will probably have to have it done eventually .. since i have it all set with my work and insurance company.

Im 47 years old.

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KD over a year ago

I just had c3 ,c4 four weeks ago and feel 100% better than before! I was having numbness in right leg and arm and severe burning in right foot and my balance was way off ! I'm glad I had surgery as surgeon told me after that not only was disc putting pressure on spinal cord but damage had gone on so long that bone spurs had developed and caused damage to spinal cord. He said I was a trip or traffic accident away from being paralyzed ,! The longer you wait the more risk I'm glad I had it ! Good luck! Also they say it could take 12-24 months tonregain whatvwas lost.

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Guest over a year ago

Rick, I was 47, three years ago when I had my anterior cervical fusion, I was in more pain post op than pre op. By 2010, I had what is considered a failed fusion in C4,5,6, and needed a complete reconstruction with cadaver bone and fusion is now from C4 down to C7. Now I have permanent nerve damage, and I am waiting on getting C1 C2 reconstructed and fused. But then my diagnosis is degenerative disc disease.

I know that it doesn't answer your question, but I would certainly get another opinion or two, or three..... It might be something that will have to be done eventually, but if you have a severely pinched nerve at C7, you could end up with permanent nerve damage. I personally have only seen approx 1out of 10 that had a successful cervical operation.

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