MESSAGE to those preparing for ACDF surgery

We are also facing same problem C3-C6 for my father @75years age . Any recommendations please?

We are also facing same probleC3-C6 for my father @75years age . Any recommendations please?

You mention that you need a recliner after the surgery
what kind of recliner did you get
what brand
what did you look for in the recliner my daughter is having that kind of surgery and a couple of weeks we'd like to prepare for it

How did it go? And congrats on quitting smoking!!

I'm scheduled to have ACFD the week after next. I'm scared to death over some posts I have been reading. Terrifying part for me is the not being able to swallow, some have even said they have a persistent lump in their throats for months and trouble eating.

Thanks for posting this, I was just told today by my neurosurgeon that I will need to have this done. I am freaking out! I have read through these comments and they have lessened my anxiety some about it..So many things running through my head.

C 5/6 6/7 ACDF , it needed 3 titanium plate to hold, am I right? I too am thinking about this surgery, I have C5 C6 C7 burlging disc. I am a chinese so my english may not be good, Hope you understand my post. Thanks you.

JLC135741 over a year ago

MESSAGE TO THOSE WHO ARE ANTICIPATING ACDF SURGERY...
I read a lot of these posts before my surgery a month ago and they scared me half to death! I had a C-5/6 6/7 ACDF four weeks ago.The surgery was a complete success and most of my numbness/tingling/arm pain is resolved. I am SO glad I had it done! My energy is still low and I am sore, but one would expect this after major surgery. I feel very fortunate that I had a problem that was fixable and that it was successful. Please do not let all the negative posts scare you. Most of the people who have had successful surgeries and good recoveries (like the majority of patients) are not still at home looking for support on sites such as these. We are out living again and getting on with things.

A COUPLE OF TIPS that I have discovered through my experience in the past month:

1) USE A RECLINER!!! It was nearly impossible to sleep in bed the first two weeks. I had heard/read this, so we bought a recliner. It was a godsend.

2) HEATPACK! The muscle spasms/pain in upper back and shoulders was the worst part for me. I got an "elastogel" neck wrap that can be heated in the microwave. It feels GREAT and is very helpful in relaxing those sore spots. I still use it.

3) SOFT FOODS and BENDYSTRAWS- for the first couple of weeks it is hard to swallow. You will also have limited range of motion in tipping your head back. Stock up on stuff like applesauce, pudding, mac and cheese, soup, etc. The bendy straws were also an essential.

Those are my best tips. Again, remember that most of us have great outcomes from this surgery! Keep a positive attitude and expect that things will go well-odds are that they will!
Blessings~
JLC

How many metal plate was use for c5c6 and c6c7? Thanks I am going for surgery soon. Quite nervous.

I am 47 years old as of yesterday. The pain started when I was 28, 1998, it was a lot of nerve pain in my shoulder blades and neck. It went away but still had sore and stiff shoulders and I never worried about it. Then when I was 36, 2006, I woke up with a stiff neck and pain with nerve pain down my left arm, and shoulder blades, I did everything possible to get it to go away. I finally got a MRI and they said I had some degenerative disc in my neck and nothing they can do about it. I was in pain for a whole year, couldn't use my left arm. I went on a construction job and did lots of labor work, the pain went away, but still had some muscle stiffness in my shoulders and neck, but was doable. Then in 2016 I got the pain again after keeping my head tilted back to much, had the bad nerve pain through my shoulder blades, back of my triceps. This lasted for about 2 months, then did some overhead labor work lifting, then the pain went away again. I then seen a neurosurgeon and said he could help me out and my C3-5 was bad. I put the surgery off until I started hurting again this spring, 2017. After losing about 20 lbs the pain went away again. All 3 times when the pain went away, I had a weight loss prior. Dr. said the weight loss had nothing to do with it. Well now I am 6 days out of surgery. Neck hurts still, throat is not to bad now, sternum hurts sometimes, I am only taking extra strength tylenol, no pain meds, I think I am doing ok. I don't wake up with numb hands anymore. I had a level 4 done, C3-7. I hope I can go back to my regular outdoor activities when I am healed. I am still scared of this outcome of this surgery. Thank you all for your post, this helps me relax and understand what I am looking forward to.

My Neurosurgeon said I have Cervical Radiculopathy C5, C6, he said I have 2 options go for ACDF surgery or live with the pain and numbness, I want to know will the paid and numbness get worse if I don't get the surgery

To all who have had multi-level acdf surgery. I am 12 days post-op from 3level Fusion and am down to a pain level of about a 2 from 10. I had all the symtoms, (numbness, tingling, arm pain, neck pain, headaches, migraines etc.) I suggest a good diet with plenty of protein for bone healing, as much exercise (walking, stretching ,breathing) as you can tolerate and plenty of icepacks for pain and swelling. Hope this works for everyone. Here's to quick healing!

Call Dr. Alexander Vacarro of Rothman, he is both and is one of the top five spinal surgeons in the country. He is Philadelphia and he is a rock star!!!
Good luck :)

Hello, I am reading your comments 10/7/2017. How long ago was your surgery? I would like to follow up with you to see how you are doing now. I don't know if I will be able to find your reply on this website once I leave it. My name is Rita. I am considering having ACDF surgery January 2017, and like you, I have been reading about all the negative posts and now feel afraid to do it. I have afraid to have this surgery even before I read these posts. I was rear-ended in a car accident 2011 and had debilitating headaches after that. PT made it worse, chiropractor helped a lot but not enough so then had cortisone shots in 2013 which helped the headaches even more. However, the shots never completely got rid of a headaches that occurs when I sleep on my back. I had to reconstruct my pillow to make it work and be able to sleep w/out headache or pain meds, and no other pillow will work. I also have a pinched nerve from the accident so I can't sleep on either arm. I was managing with the pillow reconstruction (have to tie the pillow at the end w/ a shoelace to make a round pillow) until earlier this year when I damaged my neck further when I went to the hair salon and my neck was in the wash bowl. My neck got damaged further and so the headaches returned when I layed down to go to sleep on my back. Also then started having pain in my right arm and worse neck pain that I didn't have before. I had another cortisone July, 2017 and the arm pain went away and the neck pain, the headaches when I lay down to go to sleep didn't get alleviated and so I have been taking a tiny dose of Advil in order to be able sleep w/out headache. I have a pill cutter and I take 1/4 dose of Advil. I have seen a neurosurgeon recently, and he suggests ACDF surgery. He is a top doc in my area of Virginia Beach, VA. I have asked him many questions over several visits, and I call his office about once a week to ask new questions. He feels the surgery will help my headache upon sleeping and fix the arm problems from pinches nerve. I have had 2 other opinions from other docs, both orthopedic docs who are top docs as well. One doc agrees w/ the neurosurgeon that it will help the headache. Another doc said he is 100% certain the ACDF surgery will NOT help the headache, and he suggested I get a nerve study test. He told me that the measure of whether surgery would help is if cortisone fixed the problem. He said if it does, surgery would help, and that if it doesn't, surgery would not help. This now has thrown me a curve ball, so I scheduled a nerve study test end of November 2017 was their first available. I have not heard this about cortisone previously and neither of the first two docs mentioned this. ~ What I am interested in knowing from you is how your headaches are many years after your surgery. The other negative posts that you also read say that they started to have worse headaches 3 mo. after their surgery, and since your post was only 1 month after your surgery, it would be helpful to me to know how you are doing now. We could also speak on the phone if you prefer. I am hoping you get this post but not sure since you wrote it so long ago, and it's not going to your direct email so I don't know if you will even see it. Thank you, Rita.

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Hello, I would like to follow up with you to see if you had the ACDF surgery, and if so, how are you doing now. These negative posts are very frightening, I am considering having ACDF surgery in a few months due to a headache I get when sleeping on my back from car accident in 2011. A neurosurgeon will do my surgery. What kind of doc did you use? Thank you so much, Rita.

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Hi Michael, please let me know how you are doing 4 months post-op. I am considering ACDF surgery for headaches I get when I sleep on my back. Thank you, Rita.