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Post surgery burning pain
Hi everyone,
I have been suffering left C6/C7 nerve pain for 12 months as well as degenerated facet joints in the neck which were adding to the pain.
I didn't want a fusion, therefore I opted for the minimally invasive laser surgery.
Last week I have had laser neck surgery in the US for:
Laser Disc Repair Left C5-C6, C6-C7;
Bi-Lateral Approach Rhizotomy C5-C6, C6-C7, C7-T1
After the the surgery I felt a massive increase of pain.
Where they burned the Facet joints nerves I feel hard lumps in my neck, extreme 24/7 burning pain in the left end side but not as bad in the right. 2 weeks have gone past but still feeling a lot of burning pain. Before the surgery I didn't have this left sided burning pain.
The surgeon told me that this has to do with the tissues and muscles in the neck being inflamed and deconditioned by the procedures.
I am finding it extremely hard to sleep despite medication, walking is painful and the neck muscles have become weak.
I am doing daily gentle neck exercises to strengthen the SCMs and trapezius.
I would appreciate some comments in regard to this.
Thank you
Best regards
Alfred
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Hi, so sorry. Are you in the US? If so, I would suggest Rothman Institute (FL, NY or Philly) or Mayo Clinic MN. I had C 3-6 ACDF in 2022. Just found out (second opinion for the constant pain) that C4-5 were never fused. Woo hoo. Now I know why all the continuous pain, headaches, muscle spasms and nerve impingement but it also means another spine surgery. Find (gentle) neck stretches from physical therapy to add to your daily regimen to see if that’ll help. Also if it’s an option, massage therapy. Best of luck.
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2 ReactionsThanks mrsr1234 for your advice.
Sorry that they forgot to fuse the C4-C5 segment,
This must be very disappointing for you.
I am not in the US but in Melbourne Australia.
The neurosurgeons here told me not to get ACDF after getting laser surgery last year in Florida which compromised my neck even further,
I am suffering from chronic neck pain, which means day and night.
It is very hard to sleep and relax. Constant stabbing inside the neck on both sides, Bad spasms, muscle contractions, nerve pain etc.
Best regards
Alfred
Why not go to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN? I know you are in Australia but you did travel to the United States for your spine. You have a lot going on with your spine and being seen at Mayo might help you.
Hi bernese53,
I did go to Florida in 2023 but I was in a much better condition before Dr Deuk's surgery.
I had proper head tilt back even though I had neck pain.
After laser surgery my neck has been deteriorating.
It's been nearly 12 month since the laser operation and the C5-T1 rhizothomies and I am finding it hard to walk, do things like before,
The pain is extreme despite me taking some opioids, anti-inflammatories.
I feel the sharp pain to the sides of my neck at the rear.
I halso have pain caused my cramping muscles, I can feel hard knots in the my rear neck muscles. I am geting neuropathy, pins and needles of my feet and toes, calf muscles pain. I do not have diabetes.
Sleep is nearly impossible, walking is hard, sitting is difficult.
After the Deukspine laser surgery I am $72000 USD poorer with a lot more complications than before. I wish that I never went there, I got butchered by the neurosurgeon.
I do not think that I could fly to the US again considering it took 3 flights totalling 33 hours to get to Melbourne Florida.
The pain is too much than before the neck surgery.
The removal of disc material probably destabilised my neck.
I don't have the money anymore. My pension is just $1100 USD per month.
Unfortunately this is my situation.
Best regards
Alfred
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2 ReactionsAlfred ..I'm terribly sorry for all you've gone through.i feel your pain as I have so much too and I'm a patient at Deuks Spine, and I watched your surgery the last time I believe it was yours from Australia..This sounds horrible for you . A month ago I had bilateral both sides done C2-T1 RFA's ..not the permanent Plasma Rhizotomy....BUT I have been seriously contimplating Deuks Plasma Rhizotomy..cuz I believe in Dr Deuk ..what has he said to you Alfred after all this pain is so awful for you .? Oh my ...this is terrible and so not right ... I would love to write to you personally Alfred , if you'd like. If I were you .I would definitely get and of Dr Deuk if you haven't already .....You had alot done and even your lower back . Do you have a Dr you see there ? I'm sure you do ..If you want to speak personally to me please write.
Hey Alfred, I saw your earlier post about having the nerve procedure at Deuk Spine. Since it's 2025 now, I’m wondering—have you had any lasting relief from the surgery, or has the pain come back over time? I’m looking into similar options and wanted to hear how it’s held up for you in the long run.
Hello,
I have the exact same issue. I began to have intense burning behind my neck. I had one very successful ablation. The 2nd and 3rd were horrible. Desperate, I decided to fuse C/3 C4. It made little difference. I saw two other highly respected nuro’s both cannot explain why. Both agree there is no compression however the radiologist report
from the post surgical MRI indicates the the decompression surgery is incomplete. I’m kind of desperate for a diagnosis other than connective tissues and preform PT. I have to say mentally it just wears you down so I’m very sympathetic. Best of luck on your journey. The drug lyrica works great if you don’t have any side effects from it.
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1 ReactionHi jfist,
I truly feel for you.
It has been an up hill battle for me since August 2022. Before August I had no symptoms.
I can't take lyrica, gabapentin and amitriptyline because of horrible hallucinations and ill feelings.
I manage my pain with light exercise and some opiods occasionally mainly buprenorphine 200 micrograms sublingual. It doesn't always work for me. It is a daily struggle mainly when I go to sleep when my symptoms are the worse.
Two neurosurgeons in Australia (this is where I live) told me not to get operated. This is only required in extreme cases such as no bladder function or incontinence.
I was told that the ACDF may stabilize the neck but they could not guarantee that I would be pain free because now the CNS has become too sensitized and a lot of pain may be nociplastic rather than nociceptive. I try to walk, superlight gym exercises and exercise bike.
Twice I tried to get nerve blocks here through pain management but they denied their services saying that my case was too complex.
I made a big mistake in 2023 going to see neurosurgeon Dr Ara Deukmejan at the Deukspine Institute in Melbourne Florida. He performed a decompression laser surgery on my left C5-C6, C6-C7 discs and bilateral C5-T1 rhizotomies. This surgery left me with a dropped head for over a year and bump at the rear of my neck that I did not have before surgery. His surgery has severely restricted the neck tilt back. If feels as if there is something blocking the backwad movement. I paid heim $72K USD. What a ripoff. Also he has made me worse than before. I wish that I never went there.
Anyway it is like water under the bridge.
This is my latest cervical spine MRI from July 2025:
Report
MRI - CERVICAL SPINE (Dates are in australian format IE Day/Month/Year)
Clinical:
Neck pain and shooting pain to right side.
Technique:
T1, T2, fat saturated and oblique sequences of the cervical spine with comparison made to patient's prior study of 19/04/2024.
Findings:
Generalised straightening of the normal cervical lordosis is noted and is unchanged from prior. No fracture nor aggressive marrow signal abnormality.
Craniocervical junction is within normal limits. Mild degeneration of the atlanto-odontoid articulation. Foramen magnum is capacious. Flattening of the ventral thecal sac at C4/5 but no site of significant cord compression or cord signal abnormality. Mild curvature towards the lower cervical spine convex towards the right, however, this is associated with a more
prominent appearing thoracic curvature towards the left which is incompletely imaged though I do note presence of a thoracic scoliosis towards the left side on prior MRI study of 21/12/2022.
T2 hyperintense lesion in the left upper thoracic paravertebral region measuring approximately 24 x 20mm, which is similar in size and location to the MRI thoracic spine from December 2022 and overall is most favoured to reflect a nerve sheath tumour at this location. This is also not significantly changed in appearance comparing to the more recent MRI cervical spine 19/04/2024.
C2/3:
No canal or foraminal stenosis. Mild facetal degeneration.
C3/4:
Uncovertebral joint disc-osteophyte complexes noted bilaterally, slightly more prominent on the right side and there is also mild bilateral facetal arthropathy. MOderate right and mild left foraminal stenosis.
C4/5: Moderate bilateral uncovertebral joint disc osteophyte complexes. Minor facetal degeneration. No canal stenosis, however, moderate bilateral foraminal stenoses are noted, slightly more pronounced on the right side with compression upon both C5 nerve roots.
C5/6:
Minor uncovertebral joint osteophytosis. Facetal degeneration is also noted, more so on the left side. No canal stenosis. Moderate left and mild right foraminal stenosis. Mild compression upon the C6 nerve roots, more so on the left side.
Patient Study Date/Time
30/07/2025 10:13
C6/7:
Uncovertebral joint disc-osteophyte complexes noted though larger on the right side. Mild facetal degeneration. No canal stenosis. Moderately severe right and moderate left foraminal stenosis. Compression upon the right C7 nerve root.
C7/T1:
Moderately advanced bilateral facetal degenerative arthropathy and borderline anterolisthesis of C7 upon T1. Uncovertebral joint shallow disc osteophyte complexes are noted. No significant exiting nerve root compression.
Comment:
Generalised straightening of the normal cervical lordosis and multilevel degenerative spondylosis and facetal arthropathy are overall similar to the study from 19/04/2024. Multilevel uncovertebral joint disc-osteophyte complexes resulting in multilevel foraminal stenoses are also similar to prior. Left upper thoracic T2 hyperintense ovoid rounded lesion is again noted and is overall similar to prior, most consistent with a nerve sheath tumour.
Best regards
Alfred