What should I expect from Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion?Tips?

Hi Everyone,

 

I'm having 2 discs removed and replaced on 5/2 with fusion. I have to wear a brace for two weeks but the doctor thinks I should be back to work after the 2 weeks. Is that true? Does anyone have any advice about the recovery time for this (realistically)?

 

Thanks!

Joy

i had a car accident in feb. 2012. hit my hea HARD on side window. migraines for 6 weeks and tingly pin prickly in left hand and arm. went on for several months, finally got mri. heniated c6/c7. DID NOT SHOW UP ON EXRAY AT ER!!!!!!!!! dont believe ER doctors.I had the cervical fusion with a donor disc in june. i am now  95 percent and back at work in a factory.  I couldnt function before the surgery, severe pain behind my shoulder blade, so much weakness in the arm. Dr Robert Berkowitz in sheffield ohio. i love him

I spent the nite after c6/c7 fusion at he hospital.the worst part was the feeling in the front of my throat, like they left surgical gauze in there. And  that lasted for like 6 weeks!!!! But it did slowly fade. I never had a hoarse voice like they said.The post surgery pain was a little worse than i was led to believe. I was taking 2 percs every 6 hrs for 3 days but it was so worth it. 3 months later i am back to work and very little lingering pain. oddly my original pain was in my left arm and hand and now i have post surgery mild tinglies and numbness in my RIGHT hand and shoulder. Told it could be scar tissue from surgery. so far its very minimal and i can live with that. If your pain is intrfering with life, HAVE THE SURGERY !!!

 

 

I am having c5/c6 fusion on Dec. 6th, 2012. I have had 6 injections dating back 3 years. They are not working, so now it is time to fix this mess. Tired of constant pain and physical therapy. My question is one of semantics. Is there a pillow that is better for post operative comfort?

I had c5/c6 fusion 2 yrs. 8 months ago. I only took 18 days off of work and went back working 6 1/2 hrs. a day. I recommend taking 6 weeks off. I used a "U" shaped pillow I bought at Wal-Mart. The surgery took care of the zings of electricity I would get and some of the burning in my back. I still have hand pain, but holding an ice bottle helps. I kept a towel under my neck so I could pull my head off of the pillow after surgery. I took naps each afternoon when I came home from work and took muscle relaxers as my shoulders would get tight. I function pretty good now, just need to rest my neck. I take Gabapentin each day and it helps a lot with my hand pain. I am glad I had the surgery because I could barely function before it. Now I work full-time and keep very busy. God bless.:)

I had my surgery 1/18/13.

I have had weakness in both legs and numbness in hands and feet.

After my surgery, it feels pretty much the same, but not quite as bad. 

Hopefully, it will improve. I was told that I was facing permanent paralysis in my legs if I didn't have the surgery.

Has anyone else had the same leg problem?

I just had anterior cervical discectomy done 3/3/13..I was in hospital for 1 day. The incision is only about 1". Tips after surgery, TAKE IT EASY...even if u think u are able to do stuff...RELAX and take it easy....My husband is taking off till the 19th of March to help me out...Dr. says I am UNABLE to go back to work for at least a month...any questions email me at 

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thanks

I just had my c-6 and c-7 anterior cervical discectomy done 3-3-13. I say Deffinately NOT to return to work after 2 weeks. My doctor says I will be off of work for at LEAST 1 month. you don't want to mess with situations like this, especially with your back..take it easy and relax and if it takes 1 or even 2 months before u get to go back to work, so be it...you don't want to end up paralyzed, or even worse..

HelloNiello everyone! I am on my way to have a discectomy and fusion on c6/c7. I'll let you all know how it goes!

GOOD LUCK!

I just had this surgery 1/18/13.

I would say cautiously that I am doing O.K. now.

At first, I was cursing and angry at the world.

 

I am walking more steadily, with less pain than before, and I don't need steroids to manage the pain.

The Norco is no longer needed. I take Advil 200 mg twice a day for the pain, and i am fine.

The surgeon fused C4-C6. My arms and legs are stronger. The numbness and cold in hands and feet are still there, but less so.

I have been told that I was one of the strongest patients after the surgery, at the age of 57.

I have a narrow cord, and they surgeon suspected MS, so they hesitated to do the surgery. 

It took me 3 months of agonizing symptoms to convince them that this was a "mechanical" problem with my spine.

I almost was paralyzed in the process. If your MRI says "signal changes," look out! These changes, if left too long, become permanent and there is nothing anyone can do.

 

Stay on top of your care. Get opinions from at least 2 neurologists and 2 or more surgeons before you decide. The teaching hospitals may not be the best place, either., Too much "red tape" and holiday OR shutdowns. Beware.

Go for the best surgeon, no matter where he or she is.

 

Ask a lot of questions. How soon can I have my surgery? What are my options?

This surgery needs to be done at the last resort, but if you need it, you need it.

I didn't read this whole thread and I know the question was posted long ago but i wanted to share my recent experience to give people some positive information about this surgery.

i am at 2 weeks and 3 days from my 3 level surgery. I had 4/5 5/6 and 6/7. Two were herniated in a car accident in sept of 2011 and the middle one had degeneration. Honestly thos of us who do well with the surgery just get busy living life not here on the boards but I was glad for the info so I want to contribute and maybe someone will be helped.

I feel great. I read a lot of posts before I went in because I was TERRIFIED off this operation! I'm healthy 48 yr old woman but the last year and a half of my life has been really really hard. I got symptoms right away in the accident with back neck stiffness and pain and numbness down th arms then it settled to the left. And there it stayed.

i did a year and a half of twice or thrice weekly pt, epidural cortisone shots chiropractic massage Rolfing etc..all to no avail.  Then my legs started to get heavy and "weird" my legs were restless jumpy and soooo heavy. I started to stop doing all thi so in my life and couldn't do the basics like event laundry, shopping, cooking, etc. I have 4 kids and a business. It was rough!so alone come dr Todd Albert, thankfully in Philadelphia where I live and I had surgery with him April 3rd. he is the chairman of The Rothman Institute and one of the top surgeons in the world for this procedure. It was performed at Thomas Jefferson University Hopsital In Philly. If it can be arranged a trip here to him for this surgery would be great. Anyone within a 3 hr drive should consider getting Dr Albert to do the work. I was first up and had a 515am timers time. 

they put you out very nicely at this hospital, a little shot of something to relax you then they wheel you down. After you get to the OR it's a little mask thing to take a few breaths and that is all I remember. They then cover you with pins and sensors on the nerves to keep track of everything while he works, this way if they lose signal to a nerve someplace (foot, arms, whatever) he knows to adjust. They aren't flying blind. 

The surgery took 3 hrs and I woke up in a recovery room at 2 or 3 in the afternoon felt fine. I asked for anti nausea medication so they gave me that along with surgery. I was in some pain but really not that bad. This pain was like soreness and spasm and yes it was intense enough to need the narcotics,but  it's different that's the kind of pain and suffering we have BEFORE the surgery. I'm not sure if this makes sense but its a pain that you know is on the way to healing and will get better every day vs the kind that keeps getting worse like before the surgery. The throat pain and swallowing was excruciating BUT to be honest I do t even remember it now, it hurts really bad to swallow the first few days but it works out ok somehow. The first day and night I  hit the button every 5 minutes and you doze off throughout the time at hospital. They take great care of you and the next day they get things going with trying to get you swallowing, I ate some pudding and they gave me thickened drinks because I couldn't swallow water, it's weird it sort of drowns you unless thickened up some, also they get you off pain pump the next day. They crushed my pills up and gave me in pudding and that still works great for me I'm not great with pills.

first few days at home is this:pain pills every 4 hours. They gave me oxycodone 5mgs and Valium for muscle relaxing the spasms in shoulders which are THE WORST but normal. You eat a little pudding and soft stuff and just lay around and sleep and watch tv, I can't remember much about the first week really. Dr Alberts protocol is two weeks on soft collar and a hard collar for showering which works fine. I slept in the bed from day one though many do the recliner. I also napped about 2-3 hrs a day and got full nights sleep waking once for pain pills. I recommend writing down times and doses and you won't be thinking straight. You can get around fine, but taking a shower and getting dressed takes an hour and then you have to lay down and rest.

I thought I could work week one and I really couldn't. Even desk work was tough to focus. Really I should have done two weeks off and then start back 4 hrs a days for anther week and then ease back To more work Hours at week 4. You are just exhausted and drugged.

i stepped down the heavy duty pain killers each day doing half narcotic and half Tylenol and that worked great. 

At two weeks I was cleared to get off collar, get a massage, travel, drive, lift 15lbs and that's great! In three more weeks I can ride a bike, ride a scooter, etc.

 

in addition it's I portent for me to say I had a lot of people praying for me, and I am a positive person so I stay hopeful when things get scary and painful. It all worked out well for me. I'm hoping I fuse well and that the feeling come back in my left hand. 

Good luck everybody...to me. It sounded a lot worse than it actually was!

It hurts bad and I'm still on half time But I think it will heal well. hoping...lol so far so good!

 

 

 

hi everyone, im now 3 days post op from acdf  at c5/6 with cage for fusion. I have to say i was scared as hell about this op.  I had my op at Kingsbridge hospital in Belfast N Ireland, staff here were absolutely fantastic and put me at ease straight away. Everything went well, pain in my shoulder and neck has gone, still have some tingling and feel weak in left side but i expect this to go with time. I obviously still have neck pain which came from the op but again this should soon ease. My biggest problem is resting,  i was always on the go pre op ,  because i actually feel so good. I have been told i can go back to work after 6 weeks but as my work is quite strenuous im willing to wait 8 to 10 wks. I have to go for a review and x ray in 6 wks . I will write again after that, in the meantime i would say to anyone who needs this surgery to go for it, i cant wait to get going fully again.

Good luck all, Jim B,