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

@bonnie111 Hello and welcome to Connect. I know it’s a tough choice when you don’t really understand what you’ve been offered for surgery. Autograft and Allograft refer to where the bone comes from to replace the space after a disc is removed. One is donor or bone bank bone which is the hard mineral matrix that all bone cells have been removed from. The other is your bone that a surgeon removes from your hip and carves to put it into your spine. It comes with living bone cells in it, but also can leave your hip with pain the rest of your life. It is best to get other opinions from good spine surgeons which will help you decide. On Connect, there is a search bar at the top where you can type keywords and find other discussions and posts from other members. My experience is that I had a fusion of C5/C6 at Mayo done without hardware and with donor bone. I stayed in a Neck brace until fused for 3 months.

Jennifer, how old are you? I am still new to all of this. I am so old to be having this done. (73) Do you know if it is possible to have this type of surgery done endoscopically? I keep reading about it. My surgeon never mentioned it. Maybe it is not an option. I am have C4-C6. I am getting a second opinion soon from a neurosurgeon. I am not sure if it is better to use a neurosurgeon. I. also have a 30 minute meeting onFriday to talk with my doctor. He seems very a very nice and sensitive man. I love his bedside manner. I am just a nervous wreck.

@bonnie111 You are not to old for surgery in your early 70's. I am just a few years behind you, and my spine surgery was done in my very late 50's. I'm glad you are seeing your primary care doctor who will help you make sense of all of this. Endoscopic surgery isn't an option for everything, and with 2 levels needed, it may be better as an open surgery where the surgeon can easily see what he's doing. With minimally invasive surgery, they operate through small tubes so the field of vision is very small. They also need to put something in place to fill the space after a disc is removed, and that can't be pushed down a small tube because of the size of it.

Both neurosurgeons and orthopedic spine surgeons can do his surgery. I saw both specialties when I was getting an opinion, and ultimately I gave the job to a neurosurgeon who also had orthopedic fellowship training in spine deformity. Find the best surgeon who has a great track record and who is well respected by his peers.

I understand the fear too. Facing spine surgery was my biggest fear in my life. I had to do a lot to comfort myself and understand the fear and why it had such a grip on me. That was a journey that changed my life completely. I know how disabling fear can be and it does help to talk about it and work out your own plan of how to cope with it when the fear is rising up in your mind.

You may want to look at this discussion about facing fear.
Just Want to Talk - "How can I defeat my anxiety about medical tests and surgery?"
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/how-can-i-defeat-my-anxiety-about-medical-tests-and-surgery/
I'll be interested to know what your primary doctor advises. Would you check in after your appointment?

@bonnie111 You are not to old for surgery in your early 70's. I am just a few years behind you, and my spine surgery was done in my very late 50's. I'm glad you are seeing your primary care doctor who will help you make sense of all of this. Endoscopic surgery isn't an option for everything, and with 2 levels needed, it may be better as an open surgery where the surgeon can easily see what he's doing. With minimally invasive surgery, they operate through small tubes so the field of vision is very small. They also need to put something in place to fill the space after a disc is removed, and that can't be pushed down a small tube because of the size of it.

Both neurosurgeons and orthopedic spine surgeons can do his surgery. I saw both specialties when I was getting an opinion, and ultimately I gave the job to a neurosurgeon who also had orthopedic fellowship training in spine deformity. Find the best surgeon who has a great track record and who is well respected by his peers.

I understand the fear too. Facing spine surgery was my biggest fear in my life. I had to do a lot to comfort myself and understand the fear and why it had such a grip on me. That was a journey that changed my life completely. I know how disabling fear can be and it does help to talk about it and work out your own plan of how to cope with it when the fear is rising up in your mind.

You may want to look at this discussion about facing fear.
Just Want to Talk - "How can I defeat my anxiety about medical tests and surgery?"
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/how-can-i-defeat-my-anxiety-about-medical-tests-and-surgery/
I'll be interested to know what your primary doctor advises. Would you check in after your appointment?

Bonnie, I had my neck surgery (C6-T2 laminectomy with fusion) five months after a knee replacement. My symptoms came rapidly, neuropathy head to toe with little to no balance. With no neck pain, it took time for anyone to notice my condition. By the time I consulted with a neurosurgeon, I was just about in a wheelchair. My surgery had to be done posterior. I had a two day hospital stay, a month recovery, and pool therapy. I feel this was not a hard surgery with reasonable discomfort. I use a cane & a walker at times but my symptoms are so much better. I had my surgery when I was 76. If you can avoid my situation by having your surgery done before it becomes an emergency, that’s your best bet.