10 weeks after ACDF surgery and may have to have another. :/
 

I had an ACDF on my C6C7 on June 4th, using the Plate and Screws and a cadaiver disk. Coming out of surgery I felt fine. I did have some anxiety the next morning due to some pain and not having slept much that night. I still got to go home and the Dr, said everything went well and that I looked great. I did have some pain but was managed with the meds they had me on. I came home and was still on medicine the first 2 weeks which kept me from feeling much. When I returned to the Dr. on the third week June 25th they did a xray and said it looked good. I did not get to see the doctor that day, only the PA. I had started having more pain and now 10 weeks out I am in horrible pain and more symptoms prior to surgery. Prior to surgery I was able to deal with the pain. I am getting to the point where I can not do that. When I met with the PA on the 25th he stated that I would not have to come back to them if I had any problems to contact my Family Dr. so that is what I did. I was beginning to have anxiety and panic attacks I felt as if my life had been flipped out of control. I have never had these types of problems and didnt know how to deal with it. I told him I was having worse pain after surgery and it wasnt getting any better. He recommends that I have another MRI. and changes my medicine he had me placed on after surgery. (note: Surgern did not give me medication after the xray visit) My family Dr. put me on 7.5 Loratabs 2 x a day and, tizanidine 4mg 2 or 3 times a day and Gabapentin 1pill 2 x a day and 2 pills at bedtime. When I went back after MRI.. I told him I was having bad nightmares and could not sleep, and therefor could not function at work and could not handle the pain which wasnt going away. He reviewed the MRI report to me and stated it seemed my disk has slipped again and is again pressing on my spinal cord as before. The report also shows a small perinerural cyst within the bilateral neural foramen. To help with the pain and sleepless nights, he took me off the Tizanidine and increased my 7.5 Loratabs to 3 x a day and lowered the Gabapentin to 1 pill 3 x a day and added a ambian at night to help with sleep. It constantly feels like someone is pressing my head down between my shoulders and as if there is a vice clamped around my neck. I have constant pain down my left arm to my elbow and now slightly occuring down my right side. There is pinching sensations and the burning and tingleing continues. I had hoped that the surger would help. Now it looks like I may have to have another... not sure what to do or where to turn. Suggestions... not sure I can keep working like this. Im becoming depressed, irritated and anxious. Ive had neck pain for the past 2 1/2 to 3 years and it gets worse and worse. The only reason I had the surgery was because the Dr. said I had no choice that due to the compression of my spinal cord from the disk if I was to have an accident I could be paralized.. but whats next ??? surgery? worse?

Current Report of MRI on 7/31/12
Comparison to 2/22/2012
The alignment of the ervical spine shows straightening of the usual curvature. There is anterior cervical spine fusion at the C6-C7 level. Hardware artifacts limits evaluation of same levels. Within these limits, there is no evidence of acute fracture or dislocation. The height of the vertebral bodies are well maintained. Marrow signal is somewhat heterogeneous with no focal lesions appreciated. There is diffuse intervertebral disk abnormalities. Post contrast images show no evidence of abnormal contrast enhancement.
C2-C3- Unremarkable. C3-C4- There is mild spurring of the bilateral unconvertebral joints with minimal narrowing of the left neural foramen. Central canal is patent. C4-C5- There is mild degenerative disk disease with mild left paracentral disk buldge. There is mild spurring of the uncovertebral joints. There is mild narrowing of the bilateral neural foramen and central canal. C5-C6- There is mild degenerative disk disease with mild, diffuse, annular buldge. There is minimal narrowing of the central canal.
(After ACDF ) C6-C7- There is degenerative disk disease with a small central disk protrusion. The disk protrusion impresses on the anterior aspect of the cervical cord. The neural foramen appear patent. Note is made of a small perineural cyst within the bilateral neural foramen. IMPRESSION: Anterior cervical spine fusion at the C6-C7 level with small central disk protrusion at C6-C7 with resultant impression on the anterior aspect of the cervical cord at same level. Multilevel degenerative type changes with associated stenoses of the cervical spine as described level by level above.

I am currently waiting for my surgen to respond to my Fam. Dr. for an appointment. Note: after surgery I did not do anything or lift anything over 10lbs. The only thing I can think of that could have caused this disk to move is a hard sneeze that occured about 3 weeks after surgery and caused pain down both arms and I cried for an hour after the sneeze. I did not have a collar and had requested one from the surgen but he said it was not necessary. Any suggestions and thoughts??

Hi mramsey, Welcome.

I don't know that there's any way to tell, much less prove, what caused the disc to move, but I don't think it really matters -- it is what it is.

The surgeon has apparently washed his hands of you when things went south, but it would likewise be difficult to prove he did anything wrong -- he may not have, but may not want to face you either(?)

Was this a neurosurgeon or orthopedic? That doesn't really matter either, but next time around, I'd want a team of both disciplines in on it, and one of them should definitely NOT be the guy who worked on you the first time.

I'm only half joking when I opine that these guys should have to warrantee their work like everybody else. :mad:

Sorry you're going through this, but I know that doesn't help much. :icon_sad:

Doc

Hi I was wondering im 2 yrs post op c5 the c7 acdf.-- doing good for 18months then-- bam-- but I have pain at neck and extreme pain and shoulder. I too had another MRI and I have other neck issues but where im fused its states I have a focal indentation of the midline spinal cord at c5/6. Dr said no more surgery. The shoulder pain never or goes away. I feel like my care was dropped the g.p states go back to surgeon and I did --he says well im sorry but some people will always have pain.(really) are we not living in the USA. Is it only 2 or 3 months since surgery did he say anything about you starting to look like your fusing? Please keep me posted as I would like to know your outcome. :hug:

M G neck ~ You would NOT be fusing after only 2-3 months. Normally you don't see fusing until 6 mos. to a year.

I can't believe your doc said not to worry about your case and "some people will always have pain" when your spinal cord is being impinged at C5-6 !!! So he basically just sent you home after that???

Do you have symptoms, i.e. arms/hands tingling/hurting? Is it just the shoulder and neck? I would ask for my records and take them to another NEUROSURGEON for an opinion!! You should NOT have to suffer like this if there's any way to fix this. :eek: So see what you can do about this!!!
And PLEASE let us know what you find out, will you? I'm really interested.

Best of luck & God bless. Hugs, Lee :)

Thanks for responding-- no-no- im sorry for confusion-- im two years out acdf ---I meant that for intial poster is only two or three months out of surgery. Im sorry i have never been on a board before(lame). Yes ever since surgery hands are numb since surgery only new is now pinky. Before surgery I went paralyzed on right side during surgery one disc crumbled --so my incision is very long because they had to fish out fragements from back on neck ---surgery was almost 5 hrs instead of 2. Honestly woke up very little pain it was a relief before surgery the pain was unreal. Would u mind reading I posted another new thread today. I seen you post and your appear very smart on spine issues. I think I may not have the hang on on how to use the board correctly. I would so appreciate anu input. I have a theroy on tos but im not sure. Thanks again!!:hug:

post operative pain following acd&f surgery
 

*edit*
My issues are with severe post operative pain following acd&f surgery, changing the natural curvature of spine and supraspinatus tendon tears in both shoulders following surgery. Any comments would be greatly appreciated as I am a senior - previously very active - living in a great deal of pain. My only relief is lying prostrate in bed for most of the day (as well as all night of course.)