[im4indiana]

Anybody had the surgery through the back of the neck to fuse
C5-C6-C7. I had an ACDF done in May 2010 only to find out this
past year that the fusions didn't take. After going to three doctors,
the responses were, there was a 50% chance it would work, doctor 2 said to avoid surgery, and doctor 3 said I had an 80% chance it would work. Just
curious if anyone else has gone through this surgery and their experience...
Thanks.

[ginnie]

so sorry this happened to you. Did they give you a reason why you failed to fuse? I had anterior fusions C3-7 have long rods and brackets in. What are they telling you to do now? Do you have a plate or rods in? I am here to talk to. You can also post your last MRI report, and some of us can help you with it. I really hope there is a solution for you, to where your neck can feel better. I am very familiar with the pain it causes, so I am hoping more can be done for you. ginnie

[im4indiana]

Originally Posted by ginnie

so sorry this happened to you. Did they give you a reason why you failed to fuse? I had anterior fusions C3-7 have long rods and brackets in. What are they telling you to do now? Do you have a plate or rods in? I am here to talk to. You can also post your last MRI report, and some of us can help you with it. I really hope there is a solution for you, to where your neck can feel better. I am very familiar with the pain it causes, so I am hoping more can be done for you. ginnie

The reason I was given for them not fusing was the operating doctor told me it had a 90% success rate. I fell into that 10% category! I've been to three different doctors now for their opinions. Best quote is 80%. One was 50% and the other doctor said not to bother. I am going to see a doctor at the Goodman Campbell Brain and Spine group in a few weeks. Will see what information he has to shine on this. And to think, all I wanted to do going into this was to be able to swing a golf club again. Yikes!

[mg neck prob]

Originally Posted by im4indiana

Anybody had the surgery through the back of the neck to fuse
C5-C6-C7. I had an ACDF done in May 2010 only to find out this
past year that the fusions didn't take. After going to three doctors,
the responses were, there was a 50% chance it would work, doctor 2 said to avoid surgery, and doctor 3 said I had an 80% chance it would work. Just
curious if anyone else has gone through this surgery and their experience...
Thanks.

Hi Indiana--I had acdf same level back in 7-2010 ---I was told recently im 100% fused---went back to do another mri because i been having shoulder the worst problem, also biceps,and some neck pain. Now-- my brother went back the previous years for posterior fusion and the intial week afer surgery he said was more painful then acdf. Its a bit harder to cut thru muscle-- However after a month he was back to work and he is 50's with 3 kids and doing very well. His symptoms are much better then mine. Every blue moon he has a flare up that last a few days. Just curious what symptoms did u get back to make u find out you were not fused? I was always under the impression if you didint fuse surgery was required? I dont blame you-- look
3 doctors are all conflicting.....how bad do you feel now? Wow.. Im sorry your going thru this right now.

[gatorhead]

I was ACDF 4-6, NOW 4-7 due to same thing. C5-6 was a malunion, or what they deem as pseudoarthrosis. We couldn't figure out if it had fused and broken or never fused at all. It had spent some time in there knocking around and was extremely painfull at times when it it would get into certain positions. There were A LOT of Doctors that looked at it, saw it, and then ignored it. I finally found one that took care of it and went back in through the front redid the first surgery, then performed his own at C6-7 and then locked it all down with a 3 level titanium plate. I was told I had EXCELLENT Bone quality, however I am battling arthritis with a lot of spurring. I had to wear a bone growth stimulator post second surgery and NO J COLLAR!

From dealing with this and having to be my own advocate I came across the FDA recommended guideline for pseudoarthrosis. It suggests that if fusion isn't achieved within 8 months then surgical intervention should be obtained. Now some Doc's I talked with said that the graft was contained and it really couldn't move or slip or be of any danger. I totally disagree! I could feel mine moving around, and it caused a lot of damage that I am dealing with now. It also was quite painful!
Hope that helps with some of it, but I couldn't speak to the posterior effects at all.

[im4indiana]

Originally Posted by mg neck prob

Hi Indiana--I had acdf same level back in 7-2010 ---I was told recently im 100% fused---went back to do another mri because i been having shoulder the worst problem, also biceps,and some neck pain. Now-- my brother went back the previous years for posterior fusion and the intial week afer surgery he said was more painful then acdf. Its a bit harder to cut thru muscle-- However after a month he was back to work and he is 50's with 3 kids and doing very well. His symptoms are much better then mine. Every blue moon he has a flare up that last a few days. Just curious what symptoms did u get back to make u find out you were not fused? I was always under the impression if you didint fuse surgery was required? I dont blame you-- look
3 doctors are all conflicting.....how bad do you feel now? Wow.. Im sorry your going thru this right now.

After two years from surgery, I noticed that there was quite a bit of popping going on when I moved my neck from side to side. I went in to see the original doctor who did my surgery, they did some xrays of my neck and it clearly showed that the bone they took from my hip for fusion in my neck was inbetween the C5-C6, C6-C7 vertebrae, but there was a gap between both ends...I've been to three different doctors and they said they same thing, that the vertebrae failed to fuse. The pain has returned, I have good days and bad days. My neurologist has put me on Lyrica 225 and Hydrocodone 10-660. I really don't want to be on pills. I've had three cervical spine blocks done in the C5-C6, C6-C7 area over the past two years. They usually block the pain for about a week to 10 days....My options, as I see it are limited. Either opt for the surgery, have spinal blocks about every 3 months (all my insurance will cover) or live on pain pills forever....getting old sucks....

[im4indiana]

Originally Posted by mg neck prob

Hi Indiana--I had acdf same level back in 7-2010 ---I was told recently im 100% fused---went back to do another mri because i been having shoulder the worst problem, also biceps,and some neck pain. Now-- my brother went back the previous years for posterior fusion and the intial week afer surgery he said was more painful then acdf. Its a bit harder to cut thru muscle-- However after a month he was back to work and he is 50's with 3 kids and doing very well. His symptoms are much better then mine. Every blue moon he has a flare up that last a few days. Just curious what symptoms did u get back to make u find out you were not fused? I was always under the impression if you didint fuse surgery was required? I dont blame you-- look
3 doctors are all conflicting.....how bad do you feel now? Wow.. Im sorry your going thru this right now.

Having a lot of pain, but I do have an occasional good day. My neurologist put me on Lyrica 225 and Hydrocone 10-660. They help some but there are THOSE days where you just want to say, I give....

[gatorhead]

Dealing with a lot of the same symptoms and a new set of Doctor's and a pain management doctor who is reluctant to give pain meds. I am fed up with it as I have no other alternatives.

[mrsalkire]

Im 4 months out 3 level acdf c/3 thru 6. Donor bone titanium plate. I am in constant pain now shoulder and bicep left arm numbness and tingling in both hands. Even hands painful @ times. Have occasional good day however not many. Feel like Im losing my mind. My dr says he has no idea what to do now.waiting on a ct scan, but Ive been waiting a month for that. Insurance reasons on that. I totally understand what you are feeling. Oh ua AND I still cant eat anything but soft foods. I choke constantly. If we do go back in I want them to go in posterior. I cant take another anterior. I hope you get the relief you so desperatly need!!!

[ginnie]

Sorry you are still going through so much pain. I was anterior C3-7. I really hope you don't have to go through any more surgery. Make sure you get several opinions. I was told posterior was harder, because of more severed muscle. I had two anterior incisions on different parts of the neck. I am OK two years later. Let me know what the CT scan says. I was hoping that the surgery would correct and help you. I do wish you all the best. ginnie