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Neck fusion surgery

Batman65

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Hey! So I'm a 57 year old gym rat. Already had multiple surgeries in my shoulders to address level 4 arthritis. Basically bone on bone. Knees are also following this trend. On this moment, I am having issues with chronic neck pain that radiates down into my right arm and into my hand. Neurosurgeon states that I need a C5-6 anterior discectomy and fusion with human bone and plate and screws. Sounds overwhelming.
I just had a joint replacement in my right shoulder in 2021. The surgery will be through the neck in the area near my throat . No therapy needed but 6-9 weeks for the bone to heal. Any thoughts or experiences to share?
 
had neck surgery 2020. yes they go in through the front of the neck push everything aside and repair. the worst part was sleeping in a neck brace 8 weeks. only took off for shower. throat was sore for several weeks and hard to swallow. everything turned out good. only issue i had after was i cant swallow big pills anymore. they get stuck. my wife had to do Heimlich maneuver on me twice so i am done. lol.
 
had neck surgery 2020. yes they go in through the front of the neck push everything aside and repair. the worst part was sleeping in a neck brace 8 weeks. only took off for shower. throat was sore for several weeks and hard to swallow. everything turned out good. only issue i had after was i cant swallow big pills anymore. they get stuck. my wife had to do Heimlich maneuver on me twice so i am done. lol.
Thanks for your response. Glad everything turned out well for you. I'm looking forward the pain relief. This spinal compression is a bitch for sure.
 
Hey brother i started out with c5-6 fusion 4 years ago. Acdf through the front. Fairly easy procedure for me. At that level afterward i did have a little bit of problem swallowing. Nothing major but just gotta take smaller bites i guess. My Dr never had me wear a neck brace at all. They used allograft abd a depuy cage. Which is cadaver bone ground up put in a titanium covered cage to fuse it. My problem since then is i have 4-5 and 6-7 fused. The chain reaction. Second one was 4-5 and they took the plate out from 5-6 and put a new one at 4-5. Idk why but all swallowing issues are gone. Then another plate at 6-7. So 4 screws and two plates. It isnt bad the heal up usually takes a full year to fully fuse. Im about 4 months out of my last one but dr is letting me add weight every week.

The main thing is ask a million questions. Ask about an artificial disc replacement and see if thats a possibilty. We are all different and heal different. The major risk of the fusion is the adjacent level problems that can come up because of the transfer of stress to those joints.

I wish you all the best brother. And questions send me a pm.
 
Hey! So I'm a 57 year old gym rat. Already had multiple surgeries in my shoulders to address level 4 arthritis. Basically bone on bone. Knees are also following this trend. On this moment, I am having issues with chronic neck pain that radiates down into my right arm and into my hand. Neurosurgeon states that I need a C5-6 anterior discectomy and fusion with human bone and plate and screws. Sounds overwhelming.
I just had a joint replacement in my right shoulder in 2021. The surgery will be through the neck in the area near my throat . No therapy needed but 6-9 weeks for the bone to heal. Any thoughts or experiences to share?
I think it’s imperative to discuss why you can not get artificial disc replacement!

I just had my C5/6 and C6/7 replaced with a Mobi-C less than 2 weeks ago and feel great. Went in through the front, less than an overnight stay, wore a brace for a week, only needed pain pills for a week if that. I am back to driving which has led to in-depth discussions with my wife…I heard 1 week to drive. She heard 3 weeks lol. Still have a sucky lifting restriction for 3 months, but we’ll see if can comply lol.

I have also been taking 500mcg of BPC157, 5mg TB500 every other day, and 2-4iu’s of HGH EOD.

Good luck (but remember to ask about disc replacement vs fusion!!!)
 
Hey brother i started out with c5-6 fusion 4 years ago. Acdf through the front. Fairly easy procedure for me. At that level afterward i did have a little bit of problem swallowing. Nothing major but just gotta take smaller bites i guess. My Dr never had me wear a neck brace at all. They used allograft abd a depuy cage. Which is cadaver bone ground up put in a titanium covered cage to fuse it. My problem since then is i have 4-5 and 6-7 fused. The chain reaction. Second one was 4-5 and they took the plate out from 5-6 and put a new one at 4-5. Idk why but all swallowing issues are gone. Then another plate at 6-7. So 4 screws and two plates. It isnt bad the heal up usually takes a full year to fully fuse. Im about 4 months out of my last one but dr is letting me add weight every week.

The main thing is ask a million questions. Ask about an artificial disc replacement and see if thats a possibilty. We are all different and heal different. The major risk of the fusion is the adjacent level problems that can come up because of the transfer of stress to those joints.

I wish you all the best brother. And questions send me a pm.
I appreciate your input brother. I'm going back to the doctor this week for a follow up discussion .
 
Hey! So I'm a 57 year old gym rat. Already had multiple surgeries in my shoulders to address level 4 arthritis. Basically bone on bone. Knees are also following this trend. On this moment, I am having issues with chronic neck pain that radiates down into my right arm and into my hand. Neurosurgeon states that I need a C5-6 anterior discectomy and fusion with human bone and plate and screws. Sounds overwhelming.
I just had a joint replacement in my right shoulder in 2021. The surgery will be through the neck in the area near my throat . No therapy needed but 6-9 weeks for the bone to heal. Any thoughts or experiences to share?
I had almost 3 yrs ago two level anterior spinal fusion and in my experience it’s was enduring pain still suffering pain but feels so much better since I started treatment couple months ago. I met a Doctor of Osteopathy-Neuromusculoskeletal or DO not an MD and it changed my pain drastically. I’m feeling better every treatment he’s giving me. Note health insurance aren’t gonna cover these treatments but it’s called PROLOTHERAPY and it’s the best decision I’ve made. He schooled me and said I didn’t need surgery my problem was torn ligaments that caused disc herniating eventually degenerating and that’s why I’m still feeling pain. Due to lifestyle bodybuilding heavy lifting weights plus I worked in construction. Anyways I suggest searching in your area for that type of DO Doctor of Osteopathy. I took dextrose injections fairly cheaper than stem cell or platelet rich plasma. Dextrose injections is a sugar water solution that causes inflammation in injection’s site and starts self healing itself with your own regenerative cells. I had already 8 treatments lots of stabs lol 😂 but after the end of treatment I felt the difference. Hope this helps and search for more information on this.
 
I think it’s imperative to discuss why you can not get artificial disc replacement!

I just had my C5/6 and C6/7 replaced with a Mobi-C less than 2 weeks ago and feel great. Went in through the front, less than an overnight stay, wore a brace for a week, only needed pain pills for a week if that. I am back to driving which has led to in-depth discussions with my wife…I heard 1 week to drive. She heard 3 weeks lol. Still have a sucky lifting restriction for 3 months, but we’ll see if can comply lol.

I have also been taking 500mcg of BPC157, 5mg TB500 every other day, and 2-4iu’s of HGH EOD.

Good luck (but remember to ask about disc replacement vs fusion!!!)
It’s all about insurance companies accepting the procedure if insurance says no you must get what they approve. I had a long talk with my neurologist and he told me straight what he is allowed to do and not to offer. I asked for AD and they replied NO it’s not available for you. I dug a little more asked second opinion and same answer. But AD I found out it’s only for 1 disc only? It suck’s how doctors aren’t like they used to be, nowadays it’s just business and keep it moving type of style
 
It’s all about insurance companies accepting the procedure if insurance says no you must get what they approve. I had a long talk with my neurologist and he told me straight what he is allowed to do and not to offer. I asked for AD and they replied NO it’s not available for you. I dug a little more asked second opinion and same answer. But AD I found out it’s only for 1 disc only? It suck’s how doctors aren’t like they used to be, nowadays it’s just business and keep it moving type of style
Nerp…It’s been approved for 2, which may be something that recently happened, so I got lucky. Now don’t get me wrong, some devices aren’t authorized for 2 levels, but the Mobi-C is.

I’m sure you probably already fought with the insurance company, but if not then I’d definitely call and have them explain why one would be authorized but not the other, and have them send it to you in writing. I may be overstepping and I get that, I just get concerned with fusions as our brother mentioned before…they just can cause a cascade of of issues with the vertebrae located above and below the fusion.

I do wish you good luck with your procedure, My father in law is fused and he was so happy to wakeup without nerve pain.
 
I had almost 3 yrs ago two level anterior spinal fusion and in my experience it’s was enduring pain still suffering pain but feels so much better since I started treatment couple months ago. I met a Doctor of Osteopathy-Neuromusculoskeletal or DO not an MD and it changed my pain drastically. I’m feeling better every treatment he’s giving me. Note health insurance aren’t gonna cover these treatments but it’s called PROLOTHERAPY and it’s the best decision I’ve made. He schooled me and said I didn’t need surgery my problem was torn ligaments that caused disc herniating eventually degenerating and that’s why I’m still feeling pain. Due to lifestyle bodybuilding heavy lifting weights plus I worked in construction. Anyways I suggest searching in your area for that type of DO Doctor of Osteopathy. I took dextrose injections fairly cheaper than stem cell or platelet rich plasma. Dextrose injections is a sugar water solution that causes inflammation in injection’s site and starts self healing itself with your own regenerative cells. I had already 8 treatments lots of stabs lol 😂 but after the end of treatment I felt the difference. Hope this helps and search for more information on this.
Thanks! Unfortunately not many Doctors of Osteopathy in my area. My mother went to one many years ago but he finally retired. I will keep looking. Thanks for your help brother.
 
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I just had c5-c6 disk replacement last Monday. I would definitely talk to insurance company before I went with a fusion. I got a friends wife that had 3 artificial disk done at one 8 weeks ago.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 
I just had c5-c6 disk replacement last Monday. I would definitely talk to insurance company before I went with a fusion. I got a friends wife that had 3 artificial disk done at one 8 weeks ago.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
Yea…mine has gone scary-easy. I’d recommend elevating a complaint if insurance does not cover artificial disc. Your surgeon can also advocate for you too.
 
Ask your anesthesiologist for copious amounts of ketamine! I give it to my patients all the time for this type of surgery. They wake up very comfortable and it work synergistically with traditional narcotics. Good luck to you on your recovery.
 
I had a c4-5 fusion in 2007. I didn't feel better immediately so it worried me because the pain was unbearable. Over time with therapy things got much better. My doctor told me that the discectomy relieved the pressure on the pinched nerve but in some cases the injured nerve will need additional time to heal. I have no regrets now. I'm so glad I did it. I do still have trouble swallowing certain foods like a dry piece of chicken or bread so I always have a drink close by when eating. Hope it works out for you. Good luck!
 
I had a c4-5 fusion in 2007. I didn't feel better immediately so it worried me because the pain was unbearable. Over time with therapy things got much better. My doctor told me that the discectomy relieved the pressure on the pinched nerve but in some cases the injured nerve will need additional time to heal. I have no regrets now. I'm so glad I did it. I do still have trouble swallowing certain foods like a dry piece of chicken or bread so I always have a drink close by when eating. Hope it works out for you. Good luck!
Thanks brother. Hopefully it is successful . Tired of the pain.
 
Batman65. Howd it go seeing the Dr.
Moving forward. Surgery scheduled for April 6th. Getting my head wrapped around it all. It's all good. Great wife. Great doctor. I'm in good hands. Going to enjoy my German Shepherds this weekend.
 
I didn't want surgery..went the PT route..
Once or twice a week and I'm 80-90%..
Wanted me to wear a Halo for 8 months..
Yeah..fuck that..
Don't even know if I have 8 months left, sure as Hell not spending it in a Halo..lol

My pain was unbearable..till I started pt
Z...
 
Its all gonna be fine brother. Dont be googling the procedure lol. I have everytime. Youll wake up drugged up. And feel amazing. Then the next few days itll be sore as shit. I always had a hard time trying to find a position to sleep but then i got my recliner. Its the way to go. They say ice and heat. Be careful with the ice. I felt like i froze mine and the nerves went nuts lol. Feel free to reach out brother anything i can do to help along the ride
 
Get Shredded!
I didn't want surgery..went the PT route..
Once or twice a week and I'm 80-90%..
Wanted me to wear a Halo for 8 months..
Yeah..fuck that..
Don't even know if I have 8 months left, sure as Hell not spending it in a Halo..lol

My pain was unbearable..till I started pt
Z...
Z i went the pt route as well. But mine was too far gone. Yeah no thanks on a damn halo or a brace
 
I had neck surgery back in 2015. I had a pinched nerve in my left arm. Kaiser refused to do the surgery stating it was not nessasary regardless of the proof we brought from outsude doctors staring other words. It took two years to reach to there apeals division and get aproval through an apeal. By then I was swallowing pain pills like they were candy I was in so much pain. I had two compressed dics removed they were replaced with artificial plastic discs. Two leval fusion with a cage. The surgery was the easy part. Since they have to move your esophagus and trikaya out of the way for the surgery. I was not able to eat solid food for almost two months and had problems swallowing. I did not have to wear any kind of neck brace. At about the two moth mark things started getting better and I started eating solid food. I was then refered to physcial therepy which I did for a solid year. I made a full recovery with no limitations. If it gets super cold one in a while I feel some pain in my neck but besides that I made a full recovery.
 
I had neck surgery back in 2015. I had a pinched nerve in my left arm. Kaiser refused to do the surgery stating it was not nessasary regardless of the proof we brought from outsude doctors staring other words. It took two years to reach to there apeals division and get aproval through an apeal. By then I was swallowing pain pills like they were candy I was in so much pain. I had two compressed dics removed they were replaced with artificial plastic discs. Two leval fusion with a cage. The surgery was the easy part. Since they have to move your esophagus and trikaya out of the way for the surgery. I was not able to eat solid food for almost two months and had problems swallowing. I did not have to wear any kind of neck brace. At about the two moth mark things started getting better and I started eating solid food. I was then refered to physcial therepy which I did for a solid year. I made a full recovery with no limitations. If it gets super cold one in a while I feel some pain in my neck but besides that I made a full recovery.
That sucks about your swallowing issues brother. I only had the sore throat for a few days after but i could eat small bites. All in all it went great. Not once has flippin kaiser sent me to physical therapy afterward. I guess i just did my own
 
Surgery day. Going to start a new thread to log my latest journey. Thanks for all the replies and support!
 
Thanks . All is great post op. Started another thread to log my journey
If after a couple weeks you get sore and feel like oh no i didnt work dont panic. Happened to me everytime. If u need anything holler
 
Friday. Day 8. Still progressing forward. Major mistake in logging too much walking earlier this week. Tapering down to one walk per day at around 1.25 miles.

Posting my supplement stack for my recovery. Still a work in progress as I may change as the days progress.

POST OP SUPP STACK.

AG1 Greens
Riboflam Bruno MD
Vitamin D-3 1,000 IU
Collagen Neocell
CoQ10 100 mg
Wobenzym N
Tissue Rejuvenator by Hammer
Fish oil
Liver cleansing supplements-Tudca
Protein: Bone Brooth by Ancient Nutrition
Palmitoylethanolamide - Nootropics - Nerve supplement.
 
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