Cervical fusion of C3-C7 after L4-L5 and S1 - What to expect?

I'm putting in questions and comments. I've posted in the past about L4L5 potential fusion surgery. I also have issues in the cervical spine, osteophytes and various stenosis from C2 to 7. I'm trying to determine if the cervical issues could be the cause of abdominal discomfort, but my PCP and first neurosurgeon say that it would not likely cause that. I'm seeing a gastric surgeon that did laparoscopic gallbladder surgery a year ago, on Tuesday. I'll ask him if he thinks there is a correlation, or if my abdominal discomfort could be abdominal adhesions. I'm putting off the L4L5 fusion until I find out about the abdominal issues. I've had two neurosurgeons review my MRI's, one says L4L5 fusion, the other says that fusion wouldn't help and that if I were his father he still would not recommend fusion. I'm getting a third opinion, in the works don't know when it will be.
Questions for upstatephil, janagain, and coachdavid: Any of you had any abdominal discomfort (cramping, sometimes pins/needles, sometimes feels like a strained ligament or muscle). Bowel is functioning fairly normal, but I'm not sure what "normal" is any more since before and after the gallbladder surgery. I just can't see a fusion surgery recovery time you all talk about given the abdominal issues I'm having.
I have a feeling that the cervical issues could be causing things, but trying to get an answer from any Dr. isn't easy.
From what I'm reading, the cervical surgery is a bit easier recovery than lumbar, but as others have said each person's journey is unique. Try to get the best advice and answers that you can with a Dr that you trust in a facility you also trust.

@birdiemomma - I had my 4-level ACDF as step one in a three-step process to address the real symptom: Complete leg numbness happening with fearful frequency. My objective was to address my lumbar area to reduce the likelihood of causing permanent and irreversible nerve damage. Wheelchair?

I know you asked about my ACDF not my lumbar work. But they are connected in my case. The neurosurgeon explained that the twisted body positions required during the lumbar work necessarily placed significant strain on the cervical spine. A weak cervical spine might lead to spinal column damage as a side-effect of the lumbar work. So, fix the cervical spine then work on the lumbar region.

Long story short: I did the ACDF to prepare for lumbar work rather than to manage any cervical spine related symptoms.

With that said - I would consider my ACDF work a complete success. No pain. No symptoms. The titanium plate impinges on my neck twist-range...but the underlying stenosis had about the same effect...

How can I help you?

@kremer1 - Somewhere along the line I saw a great diagram of the spine, the nerves branching out, and a description of where those nerves went in the body. What I recall is nerves from the cervical area didn't have much to do with any aspect of gastro-function. More likely related to your L4-L5 issues?

These are questions for either a solid neurosurgeon or a physiatrist.

Upstatephil:
I have seen diagrams that show what you are talking about. There have been posts that I've read that have seemed to indicate that indicated cervical were related to issues in abdominal. I've appointments with Dr.'s that might be able to clarify this for me, and I'm trying to get an appointment with a neurologist too, the neurosurgeon says no connection. Someone has to have answers, I hope?
Thanks for your reply

@kremer1 @upstatephil The diagram is called a dermatome map. Here is a link to an explanation of dermatomes.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK535401/figure/article-29335.image.f1/

This is useful, but it only describes the nerves that exit the spine at nerve roots between vertebrae in the space called the foramen. This predictable map applies if there is impingement of a nerve in the foramen from bone growth, extruded disc material and possibly narrowing if the disc height has been lost or vertebrae slipping in a way that narrows the space between them.

Consider the situation where there is compression of the spinal cord inside the central spinal canal. Do you know what nerve functions will be affected? It's anybody's guess. The spinal cord is also mapped in the body. All of the nerve cells are arranged in a specific path from the brain to the organ, and these join together in a huge bundle, and that bundle can float and move inside the spinal canal as you move. It has to be able to move for flexibility of the spine. If the spinal cord is impinged or "tethered" at a particular level inside the canal, it compresses a big bundle and you don't know specifically what will get squeezed more. This can also compromise the blood supply to the spinal cord itself. If this spinal cord compression happens in the neck, it can affect anything below that level, so anything in the body. Typically it can cause gait imbalances (walking with a limp), and bowel or bladder dysfunction. It gets more confusing when a patient has both nerve root compression AND spinal cord compression.

I have noticed that many surgeons tend to focus on the predictable and think in terms of the dermatome map, so they may tell a patient that their leg pain is NOT related to the cervical disc that has collapsed, and would therefore be a lumbar spine problem. This is the misinformation that was given to me by several surgeons. When I saw the 6th surgeon (because the first 5 would not help), I asked for MR imaging of my entire spine, and there was no compression of nerve roots that would affect my legs, but I did have cord compression at C5/C6. I found my answer in medical literature that described my condition as "funicular pain" or what they call tract pain that originates in the tracts of the spinal cord. Here is the link to that medical literature.

@birdiemomma - I had my 4-level ACDF as step one in a three-step process to address the real symptom: Complete leg numbness happening with fearful frequency. My objective was to address my lumbar area to reduce the likelihood of causing permanent and irreversible nerve damage. Wheelchair?

I know you asked about my ACDF not my lumbar work. But they are connected in my case. The neurosurgeon explained that the twisted body positions required during the lumbar work necessarily placed significant strain on the cervical spine. A weak cervical spine might lead to spinal column damage as a side-effect of the lumbar work. So, fix the cervical spine then work on the lumbar region.

Long story short: I did the ACDF to prepare for lumbar work rather than to manage any cervical spine related symptoms.

With that said - I would consider my ACDF work a complete success. No pain. No symptoms. The titanium plate impinges on my neck twist-range...but the underlying stenosis had about the same effect...

How can I help you?

I have problems all up and down my spine, including my SI joints. I have such high hopes for the upcoming ACDF surgery that I don't want to be let down by continuing to have symptoms. I'm desperate and looking for any reassurance from anyone who has experienced the surgery.

I will be having cervical neck fusion soon. My neurosurgeon told me that my lumbar spine looks awful and that he is sure I will be needing the same surgery there later on. He then told me that this cervical neck fusion will be much easier than the lumbar spine surgery I will probably be having later.

I believe you cut to the chase!

After a year of problems following my L-4-5-&S-1 fusions I want a guarantee that my neuropathy of my right foot will go away, that my balance will return, blah, blah.

The reality is there are no guarantees with any surgery, especially spinal surgery.

Thanks for taking the time to respond. ☮️