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Originally Posted by brwnneyedgrl
I recently had a cervical MRI that showed multilevel spondylosis within the cervical spine with spondylitic disc bulges and osteophytes from C3-4 through c6-7 most severe at the C5-6 level with marked cord compression. There is focal increased T2 signal also seen within the cervical cord at this level consistent with myelomalacia at C5-6. There is mild retrolisthesis of C5 in relation to C4 and C6
I met with a neurosurgeon last week who told me that because I am not complaining of severe neck pain, that I would have to convince him to do surgery. Then my best friend who is a neuro ICU nurse showed my film to one of her neurosurgeons on her floor and he said I needed immediate surgery with fusion of C3- C7 with a C4 corpectomy. I don't get it, how can 2 separate neurosurgeons have such differing opinions.
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You have seen two surgeons with vastly different opinions.
In 1999, I underwent a C4-C5 posterior laminectomy without fusion, I was 27. At the time, I had been experiencing
severe headaches in the base of my skull for months (I fell on my ***** rollerblading). After the surgery, no more headaches. My neck felt great. The long-term side-effects: the surgery caused the vertebrae in my neck to straighten out (military neck) and the disks located above/below the surgical site are bulging due to the added compression (confirmed by X-rays in 2006).
My neck hurts. Right now, as a matter of fact. But, does that mean I'm going to run out and get surgery again -- Heck NO!
The smartest thing my Orthopedic surgeon ever told me was this -- unless you can no longer move (re: lower back, pars defects L2/L5), avoid surgery for as long as possible (he sent me to the Neurosurgeon that performed the cervical laminectomy). The other thing he told... Just break a bone already, all you do is destroy soft tissue... Still makes me laugh.
Seriously though, there are a lot of options available that do not include surgery. After all, you don't have any
severe pain right now. You will experience pain once you have the surgery. The question is this: will the pain be surgical/recovery related (cutting into bone hurts!), or will the pain be a long-term side-effect of the surgery itself? You don't know.
When you are in agony, as I was – the option of relief is a good reason to proceed. If I had not been in pain, or had severe headaches, I would NEVER have undergone the surgery.
Hope this helps!