C5-C6 ACDF scheduled on Monday
 

New to the board and was just browsing a few sites to get some expectations on what is coming up on Monday for me. I have a couple of questions. They are removing the disk between C5-C6 and replacing with a cadaver bone and plate, which all seems to be fairly common. My questions are this:

1. The surgeon told me that I would need to wear the hard brace for 10 days until the stitches came out. I have read that the hard brace can be unbearable at times. Is this a brace that you can take on and off or is it more like a cast that can't be removed unless it is cut off?

2. Do you have to wear the brace while sleeping or resting?

3. Are there any herbs that are recommended to improve the healing time and success? He said it will take me 3 months to completely heal since I am a healthy non-smoker,

4. Any post-op lessons learned that you can pass on? I have read that I will likely experience a sore throat and issues swallowing, but wondered if you had any tips for getting thru the first few days after surgery.

Draw4U,

I am not familiar with the hard brace; just never had to wear one. With both of my fusions it was a soft brace that I could remove to sleep although I did sleep in it for the first couple of weeks. Is there a reason your doc is recommending the hard brace? And the stitches I had dissolved; so that wasn't an issue. I hope someone else will come along that has had experience with the hard brace.

And, personally, I would stay clear of any herbs. Just take the meds they prescribe. And the biggest thing my NS wanted me to do was to walk as much as I could. Of course they will give you a list of what not to do. I would just be fearful that the herbs could interfere with the meds. And I don't think they would really do much good anyway. But that is just my own opinion.

As for post op...yes, and they will tell you, do NOT lift anything over "x" amount of pounds. My restrictions were always...nothing over 5 lbs at first and then over time I could up that. But I don't even lift over 20 lbs. even now and it is has been over a year. And there is a whole lot more I just don't have time list. But one of my favorite things to use was a "grabber" so that I didn't have to bend to pick up anything and used it to reach for things too. And last, but not least, and ONLY when it comes time to to the stretches, do them in a hot shower...it is much easier!

I am sure more people will post with even more ideas. And good luck with your surgery. I think you will find it is much easier than you think. :) I had my last one done as an outpatient and it was not a big deal...so hang in there!

I had ACDF at C6-7 seven weeks ago. Never wore a hard brace. I had a soft collar for the night I was in the hospital - I wore it home, but did not wear it after that and did not need it except for the first few nights sleeping. I had very little trouble with the sore throat/swallowing issues. Some, but not much. I still get the lump in my throat feeling every now and then but it's not awful.

My biggest problem is muscle spasms in my upper back/lower neck now that I've gone back to work (desk job). Aside from that, though - I feel fine. No pain, no residual grief, no nothing. Another problem I have is sometimes wanting to overdo it BECAUSE I do feel so good. I don't feel like I ever had anything wrong -- although the x-rays clearly show the donor bone and the plate. :)

You'll read plenty of horror stories here and on other boards - but not all ACDFs are like that. Mine is (so far) successful. My recovery was, literally, a piece of cake - not NEARLY as bad as I thought it would be. I was off the heavy pain meds fairly soon. I am still, however, taking Flexeril for muscle spasms.

Best of luck to you for a successful surgery and speedy recovery.
Kelly :)

Kelly!!!

I am glad to hear you are doing well. :)

Watch that desk work though...that is what is triggering the spasms besides the fact that sometimes they just come on for no reason other than they know they can LOL! :)

You are right though. You hear all these horror stories and it simply isn't true. I have residual issues (other levels) only because I have a completely horrible cervical spine. But I know of plenty of people who have gone on (mostly people I used to work with) and are doing just fine. :) I will say this much; if I had NOT had the two fusions done, I would be a seriously hurting puppy by now in more ways than one! So, nope, don't regret them! :)

hi Draw4u, hope it all goes well on Monday.
Can you please give me a little history of your neck problems that lead to this?
Did you have years of worsening pain, for instance? What was the cause of the problem?

Hi Kathi!!

Yep, all is well here ... and for the desk work, my husband bought me an ergonomic monitor stand. So I can pull it toward me and move it up and down - it's helped a LOT. I'm still on the Flexeril at night. And today, oddly enough, I am having trouble with "the lump." Haven't had much problem up to now, but today it is really bugging me!!

Nope, I don't regret it either! :)
Kelly

Well, the surgeon said it couldn't have went better. It took almost 2 hours (surgery time) and I spent one night in the hospital. Woke up in recovery with a hard brace on and a drain tube in. The tube was removed yesterday morning and I am only allowed to remove the hard brace if I am sitting still in my chair, otherwise have to wear it for 10 days while riding, walking and sleeping. Not sure how I injured it and the doc feels like it is likley tied to wrestling, football, rugby and soccer and just crept up on me over time. I woke up in recovery with no pain in my arm, shoulder or neck, although I am tender and sore around the tops of my shoulders and in front of my neck where the cut was made. Cut is about 5" in length and I get the stitches out on the 14th. No problems swallowing and only felt like I had a slight sore throat for a few hours in fact I was back on solid foods for breakfast the next morning. I am very happy with the results so far. Now I plan to relax this week, while working from home off and on and staying ahead of the pain. I did get a little sick feeling in the hospital but I think it was from the morphine drip which I completley wheened myself from by 6:15 Monday nite and started taking 2-5 mg Oxycodone every 3-4 hours instead. The woosiness went away as soon as the morphine wore off.

Well, I am 1 week post-install and feeling great!! I am completely off all pain meds and only taking a few Tylenol each day. The brace is a little easier to sleep with now and I hope to have it off entirely, along with the stitches being pulled, on Thursday. This was the best decision I have made in a long time!!

Congratulations Draw4u on your successful outcome. You must be over the moon.
What have you planned to celebrate?

Happy for you
 

I'm happy for you, that the surgery was such a success.

I'm one of those people who had terrible things going on by the time I got my surgery for cervical stenosis, which fused C4 - C6. Apparently I came very close to total paralysis, which seems to be so rare that nobody talks about it. Before the surgery, I had severe pain from head to toe and could barely move. For a couple of hours each day, my arms would go completely numb and useless from elbow to fingertip, and it felt like I had two baseball bats for arms. The feeling and movement would gradually come back to my arms, but they remained stiff and painful all day, and my hands barely worked. My legs were also stiff and heavy feeling, as though gravity had increased by tenfold, and I could not coordinate their movement.

I had my surgery just over a year ago, and I still have neck and shoulder pain, and other problems, but nonetheless, I consider the surgery a success. I'm overjoyed. I can use my hands again, and I can put one foot in front of another again. I can type on my keyboard without feeling as though my fingers are touching hot coals. I can do so many things I thought I'd never be able to do again. Even though I've still got pain, it's wonderful. I think if I had not had to wait so long for the surgery (due to lack of insurance), I would have had a quick and complete recovery, but I'm happy with what I've got.

My only problem is that now I think I also have spinal stenosis in my lower back, but that's another story.