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Cervical Posterior fusion from C-3 thru C-7,
Spine Health | Last Active: Jan 21 1:04pm | Replies (53)Comment receiving replies
@erdocsmom
Hello,
If you haven't already I would recommend getting at least 3 opinions from reputable surgeons. Many surgeons don't do many procedures this big or they only go through the front. My surgery was 6+ hours. The first 3 weeks were not fun but the main pain generator for me was the rigid brace hitting right on the incision as well as the pressure it put on the shoulders and deltoids. Evidently the positioning for the surgery cause much of the pain in the neck, shoulders and upper arms. I ended up using 3 different braces before finding the most comfortable one. ( I found the Breg Pinnacle was the best for me) I was on about 60 mgs of hydrocodone as well as gabapentin and Robaxin(muscle relaxant for about 3-4 wks. After the tenderness wore off it was mainly Tylenol. No NSAIDS for the 1st 6 weeks as my doctor said they inhibit fusion growth. I did sleep in a recliner for several months as it was much more comfortable. All downhill after that and am very pleased with the outcome. If you have any questions just let me know.
Replies to "@erdocsmom Hello, If you haven't already I would recommend getting at least 3 opinions from reputable..."
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@orloffjr The brace is one of my main concerns. I have a short neck and can barely tolerate a soft collar! Also, I allergic to hydrocodone. Tramadol is about all I can take. I am in Boise, ID I don't have access to as many surgeons as I did when I was in Northern California. There are two good ones here and I'm getting an opinion from both. I don't have a real opinion from the second one yet because he wants a nerve conduction study first. An epidural did nothing. I am clumsy but no one has mentioned myelopathy. I have severe tingling and pain down the back of my arm to my first three fingers. No real loss of strength yet. It would definitely have to be posterior because though they could do C5 through C7 as you know, once they get to the thoracic area, it has to be posterior. Mine is actually only a three level fusion, at this point at least.