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Experience with C3 to C7 Fusion... feedback please

Spine Health | Last Active: Nov 22 3:17pm | Replies (17)
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@ckmerc

Yes thanks…. Indeed they may have to remove the plate and install longer one to c7. Not sure..

I am hoping to get a surgical appointment scheduled real soon…(Dr. Thomas Wascher- WI Neurospine center)

This was my dr. From last two surgeries on both my back and neck….he is very good (considered one of the best) and I trust him.

That said…I would love to go with an artificial disc c6-c7 but not sure I will be a good candidate for CDR due to the stress on that area.

So looking forward to discussing options.

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Replies to "Yes thanks…. Indeed they may have to remove the plate and install longer one to c7...."
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Oct 19 8:52pm

You may also be interested in this related discussion:
- ACDF surgery recommended for C3-C7 - is it worth it? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/acdf-surgery-recommended-for-c3-c7-is-it-worth-it/

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Jennifer, Volunteer Mentor | @jenniferhunter | Oct 19 10:03pm

@ckmerc Artificial discs have to be qualified to use next to fusions, and I have not heard of any that can be used next to a 3 level fusion. There is also the issue of instability that will disqualify use of artificial discs. When I was reading about clinic trials, the cutoff for disqualification was 4 mm of slipping. I could have had an artificial disc, but I wasn't a great candidate because I had 2 mm of vertebrae slipping past each other.

It sounds like you have an excellent surgeon in Dr. Wascher. I looked at his website that talks about his statistics. I was hoping to see a picture of him, but didn't find one.

I don't know what your surgeon would say, but a single level fusion can be done without hardware if you stayed in a neck brace until fused. That is what I did, and it was a great choice for me. I know you have concerns about possible removal and replacement of your current hardware.

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