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Cervical Stenosis

Spine Health | Last Active: Mar 10 1:01pm | Replies (45)

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@dmp19651989

My husband had neck surgery in 2021. He has weakness in his arms and legs. It is getting difficult for him to even open a door. He is 61 and is on disability for degnerative disc disease, ankylosing spondolytis, spinal stenosis. He has been seeing a pain management doctor and has had several injections. This is not the same doctor that did the neck surgery. He is sick of seeing doctors. This is the results from his last Cervical WO Contrast-CT in 2022. Can someone help me out? The doctor who did his surgery says there is nothing wrong and even though his arms felt better for about six months, he says there is nothing else he can do.

Neck and bilateral arm pain with weakness.History of ACDF in March 2021. COMPARISON: None TECHNICAL INFORMATION: High resolution thinsection CT imaging was performed through the postoperative levels and adjacent transition levels. Highresolution coronal and sagittal reformatted images were produced. Bilateral artifact reduction imageswere also obtained. INTERPRETATION: Digital scout radiographs show anterior screw and plate at C5-6and C6-7, status post ACDF. Lung apices appear clear. Craniocervical junction structures areunremarkable. Congruent occipitocervical and C1-2 articulations. Adequate space available for the cordat C1. C2-3: Mild central stenosis, 1 mm spondylolisthesis, right hypertrophic facet degeneration andmoderate to severe right foraminal stenosis. C3-4: Central disc protrusion contacts and indents the cordwith mild central stenosis. Right hypertrophic facet arthropathy and severe right foraminal stenosis. C4-5: 1.5 mm spondylolisthesis, osteophyte and bulge abut the cord with mild central stenosis andadvanced right hypertrophic facet arthropathy. Moderate to severe right foraminal stenosis and patentleft nerve root canal. C5-6 and C6-7: Interbody fusions appear solid. Anterior screws and plate are intact without loosening or fatigue. Mild recumbent kyphosis at C6-7 and mild residual central stenosis at each level. Left greater than right facet degeneration at C5-6 and right greater than left facet degeneration at C6-7, severe chronic bilateral foraminal stenosis at C6-7 and severe on the left at C5-6.C7-T1: No disc herniation or central stenosis, hypertrophic facet arthropathy and patent foramina. CONCLUSION: 1. Solid interbody fusion at C5-6 and C6-7 with residual facet degeneration and foraminal stenosis, as reported. 2. Central disc protrusion at C3-4 contacts the cord, mild central stenosis and severe right facet degeneration/severe right foraminal stenosis. 3. Right hypertrophic facet degeneration and foraminal stenosis at C2-3 and C4-5. 4. No fractures identified.
Thanks in advance

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Replies to "My husband had neck surgery in 2021. He has weakness in his arms and legs. It..."

@dmp19651989 Hello and welcome to Connect. I am a cervical spine surgery patient. There is a significant list of issues on your husband's report and problems listed as severe. I can understand your husband's frustration with doctors and it doesn't sound like his doctor wants to help address the issues causing pain and nerve compression. I think it would be worth it to see a different surgeon for an opinion. I would suggest a doctor in a different medical facility because if he sees a doctor who knows his surgeon, they wouldn't want to interfere with their patent.

Do you have another good surgeon in mind?

Jennifer

Unfortunately we do not. He has had two EMT and they say tell us there are no pinched nerves causing the weakness in his arms. Really frustrated.

A disc in contact with the cord and "severe" stenosis sounds serious. Does he have a good neurologist?

The radiologist doesn't use the word severe lightly. The cord is being compressed. Find someone else asap. I too am tired of doctors, but this is not something he should fool around with.

He has not went to a neurologist. Has only doctored with an orthopedic doctor as he was doctoring with his lower back and then had arm pain so they did the CT of his neck to see if he had a pinched nerve and discovered the degenerative disks. I’m my opinion, the doc who did his neck surgery was only concerned about the hardware he put in and blew off anything else this scan indicated - very unhappy with a few choice names for him.

Hello @dmp19651989 - I combined your discussion with another recent discussion titled "Cervical Stenosis" - https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/cervical-stenosis-3/.

I did this so you could meet other recent members posting about their experiences with cervical stenosis as well, like @otavares and @johnnoregon.