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C5-6 ACDF with L4-5 Laminectomy
My 75 year old Dad will be having C5-6 ACDF with L4-5 Laminectomy at the same time on July 2nd. Has anyone done both of these at the same time? What can we expect as far as pain and recovery?
Medical Summary:
Symptoms are mostly a seeming lack of both strength and coordination of legs and my right arm/hand. Walking is much affected as with also a lack of balance. Limbs have a mild “burning” sensation after almost no effort. Limbs stiffen when bent for long periods. Can drive OK and feels “normal” (for his age) when lifting weights or on a stationary bike. That combination of symptoms intuitively makes little sense. It seemed to come on within just a few weeks, but with hindsight, probably more like a few months. On one earlier occasion, while walking with my mother, he mentioned he felt like he was “stumbling” rather than “gliding” with each step, but otherwise ignored the feeling.
He has had several Xrays and three MRIs which show severe spinal stenosis and other damage (a break and misalignment) to vertebra.
“Multilevel spondylosis characterized by disc osteophyte complexes, ligamentous thickening, and facet and uncovertebral arthropathy. Findings are greatest at C5-C6 where there is severe canal stenosis and mild mass effect on the ventral cord.” For this they will do a C5-6 ACDF.
“Lumbar spondylosis with degenerative disc and facet disease. There is a prominent, grade 1-2 spondylolisthesis of L5 over S1 secondary to bilateral L5 spondylolysis. There is a mild, grade 1, retrolisthesis of L4 over L5”. For this they will do an L4-5 laminectomy.
Thank you so much for your feedback!
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@spicykiwi748
I almost did cervical and lumbar spine surgery at the same time but glad I didn’t. They prioritized my cervical spine ACDF on C5-C6 in 2022 and then had decompression and fusion of L3-L5 in 2024. The cervical spine surgery was much less painful and an easier recovery than my lumbar spine.
Based on your father’s MRIs, I would question why they are only doing a laminectomy on his lumbar spine when it clearly shows his L4 vertebrae slipping backwards over L5 and his L5 vertebrae slipping forward over S1. A laminectomy only cuts away lamina bone to give space to the spinal cord and nerve roots. It does not provide stability and may cause more instability.
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2 ReactionsThank you for your feedback!
I assume they will also fuse things in his lumbar after the laminectomy, but that's a great question for me to follow up with.
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1 ReactionYour father‘s condition sounds exactly like mine. I did the surgeries eight weeks apart. The neck first. Since they went in through my throat and thus did not cut through any muscle recovery was relatively easy. I am glad I did the neck surgery. It is what doctors wanted to do 35 years ago and I managed to avoid. However, the situation had deteriorated so much that a fall or a blow to the head of any sort could have caused me to be a quadriplegic. Eight weeks later, I did the lumbar surgery. It was mainly to clean out the stenosis. Recovery from the lumbar surgery was very difficult because they went through muscle. I think it has set me back. In retrospect, I might not have done the lumbar surgery. I certainly would not have done them at the same time. I think the main setback for me was the doctors did not want me doing exercise for a couple of months after surgery. So I became even weaker. Thank God for my Pilates/PT Friend who via Zoom had me work with small balls on my feet and on my hands. I would say I’m still in recovery. My balance is terrible And I am trying to get stronger. I am throwing the kitchen sink at it. I wish your father all success. Prayer helps.
I'm 63 and had C4-C5 ACDF in 2020 to try and correct compression the doctors thought was causing my problems, but in 2022 my symptoms rapidly progressed. I was seeing a physician monthly to address my deterioration, and by the time I was referred to a surgeon, I could no longer use my legs.
January 2023 I had L4-L5 Laminectomy that removed the cord restriction and allowed me to regain some use on my legs. I can walk, but limited; short distances (in the house) I can make it from one room to the next slowly with a cane, and longer distances like walking to the mail box I use elbow crutches.
If I do a lot of activity on one day, I pay for it the next day (sometimes 2 days to recover). When going up or down steps, I always say my mantra, "up with the good, and down with the bad", because my left legs is weaker than my right.
This condition is always progressing, so I get yearly MRIs to track when further surgery will be needed. I have good days and bad. Like your dad, I just keep trying to live my life and avoid getting too discouraged (not thinking about all the things I use to do).