Laminectomy cervical, with fusion and Instrumentation , 1-4 levels

@janagain
Your cervical spine issues may be behind some of your arm/hand/finger issues. I have what they call “double crush” which is disc herniations/compression in neck and carpal tunnel in both wrists/hands. I now have had 2 ACDF cervical spine surgeries (c5-c7) and my right hand carpal tunnel release surgery. I am supposed to have my left hand done and I will delay that as long as possible (I am right-handed and prioritized my right hand due to moderate carpal tunnel and my left is mild at this point.). Many of my symptoms improved but I still have some numbness in left hand and weakness in arms. Before surgeries, I hurt my thumbs multiple times because I couldn’t really control their movements and there wasn’t much strength. My right hand is better now but need to get physical therapy for my whole body due to de-conditioning with congenital spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, cervical myelopathy and neurogenic claudication.

Jennifer, my apologies for calling you Jessica. I have no idea why I suddenly went to Jessica?
My brain isn't functioning either. You've been such a big help along the way for me, Thank you Jennifer!
HUGS, Jan

You are welcome. I don't know what the root cause is for your cervical problems, but I have DDD it affects almost 30 discs in my back. I know that the choices I was left with were chronic pain in many places. When I became inoperable, my doc offered me the option of a morphine pump or stimulator. I am not sorry for the operations I had they were all part of the journey dealing with DDD and pain. Just don't give up. Good luck!

I wish you all the best Jan. You are quite courageous.

I'm 70 y/o and very active/fit. In the gym 7 days/week. But I suffer from osteoarthritis. Both big toes have been fused (bunionectomies). both knees replaced, one hip replaced, and my left shoulder will be replaced in two weeks. I have a lot of metal in my body.

All of these surgeries have been a great success, and I actively participated in my recovery/rehab.

I also have a lumbar spine that looks like a disaster area - stenosis, scoliosis, listhesis, disc degeneration and arthritic spurs. I have had laminotomies at S1/L5/L4 - basically holes drilled in those vertebrae to create space and remove a partially ruptured disc. That was 10 years ago. My spine guy tells me if I have a reoccurrence of sciatica, fusion will be his only course. I don't have any metal in my spine. He also said my lumbar spine is currently protected/held together by a very strong set of core muscles.

Fusion is one surgery I don't ever want to have. As your story describes, even good surgeons can make tiny mistakes with huge repercussions when it comes to the spine.

Again Jan, all the best to you. I hope you have a complete recovery and regain the strength in your arm.

Joe

Thankyou Joe. It's been a little bit of hell going through this. I have no other choice but surgery at this point and hoping for the best outcome. I don't want to feel like I am on a deserted island full of Neuroligists and no one is asking me how I feel when they are aware of the images taken of my spine and it shows...

A 2 to 3 mm circumferential disc bulge is seen at C3-C4 that along with focal thickening of the ligamentum flavum causes severe spinal canal stenosis with complete effacement of the CSF and mass effect on the cervical spinal cord at this level without evidence of abnormal signal
Small circumferential disc bulges at C2-C3, C4-C5, C6-C7 and C7-T1 that indents the anterior thecal sac. Facet arthropathy and uncovertebral osteophytes are seen from C2-C3 through C7-T1 causing severe bilateral neural foraminal stenosis from C3-C
C2-C3 through C7-T1 causing severe bilateral neural foraminal stenosis from C3-C4 through C7-T1.

Was this too much for the previous Neurologist to handle? Why did he tell me, "I can't help you anymore?" What a nightmare. And I waited 4 months to get the surgery. 4 months?! I feel really stupid. I didn't even want to post my issues but I knew I would get support here. My spine is a disaster area also. Now that I'm 68 as of July 19th, I'm going to try and take back my life if possible. My paralysis is getting worse each day and it's a bit depressing but I have so many good things in my life and support, I'll be ok.

Hi @janagain you are in great hands at the orthopedic department at Ucsd! As far as I’m concerned, the best place to be. I was in the neurology department for years, which was not where I should have been and then when the neurologist gave up on me, they sent me to orthopedics, which is where I should’ve been years before I got there.
There is a lot of things, I can see, you are not quite understanding yet. What you are going to need is someone to break it down and explain it better to you. You are going to need to almost become your own doctor to understand what’s going on in your body. Our bodies are different to some extent and the reasons we get to cervical spine Surgery is different. Sometimes the doctors can only guess with the information we provide on our lifestyles and work as to why we are there. some of it is hereditary.
UCSD Dr. Zlomislic in orthopedics there is a magician! I have seen him for years. He has given me my life back with lumbar spine surgeries, fusions,, and cervical spine surgery.
I understand entirely why a doctor would tell you that they can’t do any more for you. You have to realize these are all specialty departments and they only work within their specialty. But you have to push them or go back to your primary care doctor to push them to refer you to other departments. There is a kinesiology department with an excellent doctor there who also helps to identify where pain may be coming from. In my case, I had a cervical spine surgery, which was anterior and it was AMAZING! It gave me like my life back From the time I was in an auto accident at seven years old. Unfortunately, the hardware did not hold because my bones were too soft and I had to have a posterior surgery three weeks later. that was unfortunate as the posterior surgery meant I was right back to the lack of mobility I had had right before the first surgery. Nothing lost nothing gained. In my case, I have inherited a musculature and an occupation that has made my muscular body compromised from long hours of commercial art, graphic design and illustration. So the my muscular part of my body was not healed in the surgery. That was a huge disappointment. And the fact that I lost some mobility and the pain was still there because the source of the pain wasn’t the cervical spine at all. It was the myomusculature. So now I go for MFR myofascial deep tissue release at an outside therapist who does wonders I go twice a month. I will probably go for the rest of my life and I’m 68 years old. Right now I choose to pay out of my pocket because the guy works wonders and he doesn’t take insurance.
In my case, I have complications because I am round shouldered, so it’s taking me a couple years for my bones surrounding the spine in my shoulder and shoulder blades to reposition themselves to be straight like the rod. There are a couple things I have to keep in mind as positives to my recovery. In my case, my doctor KNEW the surgery wasn’t clear cut and was not sure that all my pain would be alleviated. But by the time I got to surgery- I could not raise my arms, change my linens or do one more day of movement with the pinching. All of that is gone. However, the structure of my neck and shoulders relies on musculature that is unfortunately glued together. That’s where the MFR comes in to break down the Bluey substance that makes the muscles move as a group and pulls on my neck and pulls everything out of sink. It’s a multifaceted approach. I am exactly 2 years out from surgery and I am still in recovery mode. I still have to do the exercises. I still have to break down the scar tissue. I still have to get the muscles broken down. I still have to watch my posture and I still go see my wonderful doctor every 3 to 6 months to keep tabs on things. Another thing to know about Ucsd is that the doctors have a wonderful nurse team. Before and after surgery, they are there to carry information back-and-forth between you and the doctor so rely on your nurse team when you are not sure about any little thing. Arleta there is great. All the surgeons in orthopedics are great. They can’t predict 100% of your outcome because they don’t know 100% of your body. And if they aren’t sure you have to believe them. I didn’t and I pushed for Dr. Z to do my surgery because I had such success with him doing my lumbar fusion and because I wasn’t functioning well with my neck anymore. But he warned me and he was right. BUT, there are so many positives about my surgery. My posture is incredible now. All my neighbors see me walking my dog and they say I look 10 years younger because I’m not standing all hunched over. I have that dang rod in my back! Another positive I just felt two days ago was in a fall. I took over a gap in the sidewalk. The rod in my neck back held my head up so that I didn’t smash my face on the concrete! I did break a tooth, but it would’ve been so much worse. I would’ve fractured my face and have a subdural hematoma if that rod wasn’t in my cervical spine to keep my head lifted during the fall! like @heyjoe415 I have degenerative bone diseases and all the rest and I’ve had many joint replacements for the last 12 years 15 years. They begin to be not as successful at a certain point because our bodies are in deterioration at the same time. But you take the gains you can get.
Dr. Z and I had this discussion last time because the bones around my lumbar spine are in decline and will probably have surgery within a few years. But you just can’t do surgeries all the time so you have to rely on your doctor and you have to do your part.
I am kind of used to a lot of pain by now and I take a small amount of opioid every day and I go about my business with my body in deterioration. I am fortunate to have observed my ancestors acutely. They all suffered with the same degeneration, arthritis, gout all the rest —pain. I am so much more active than they. Some days, some seasons some whatever can be very taxing, but I have my passions, my joys and activities which sustain me. The key here is to find a sage Dr. that you can rely on, hopefully for life that gets to know you, your body, and will provide you with the remedy or direct you to what you need. I probably should be in constant rehab or PT, but it doesn’t suit my lifestyle so I’m sitting here on my stationary bike at home doing an hour before I go for a walk and then begin my day. If you have any questions about Ucsd or orthopedics, I’m happy to share what I know!