c6 c7 fusion, need advice,and hope

[solardust]

Hi everyone,I am a 44 yr old women,I had l4 and l5 surgery this past june for stenosis,that went real well, but...sadly I must have over compen sated for that and blew two discs in my neck c4 c5 - c6 c7,it came on sudden and furious, I went to the emergency room because of the arm pain,in 1997 I suffered a massive heart attack, which resulted in a double bypass,so that is what I thought was happening again,wrong,it turned into a 3 week ordeal of extream pain,loss of feeling in legs,and no sleep for the whole time, nothing touched that pain, although Doc were handing out pain pills like candy,and I kept telling them they do not work, and I was gonna shoot myself if I did not find relief,anyway,had surgery Aug, 13,the Doc fused only C6-C7,said fusing c5 c6 would be too much for me,so I am left with remarkable relief in right arm, but troubles with left arm, pinching pain in shoulder,pins and needles in arm and hand,Doc is very blurry in response as to what is to become of that disc, said"He was a surgeon, and could of fused that level too,but that would risk other levels going out,do I have a chance that this will resolve itself????

[dennisgb]

I would say the possibility that the disk will get better, depends on how bad it is.

I had C-5/6 and c6/7 fusion with plate on 6/30. My symptoms were similar to what you discribe only mosly on my left side. I had this pain for more than 20 years but finally got to point where I was losing strength in arm and hand.

There are things you can do to relieve the pain, but I would suspect most of these will not be allowed with the fusion (Chiro, Phys Therapy). Try cold packs or heat. Massage allso helps. Much of the pain in the arm and hand, while starting at the neck, comes from the muscles in the shoulders and back. I use Flexal rub and massage to releive the pain.

I am really confused why your doc opted to not do both at the same time. That doesn't make any sense, since the recovery is about the same. You should ask more questions and find out why.

[boxer_dog_luv]

I read your post and this is the first time I have heard reservation on fusing two levels C5-6 and C6-7. I also had C5-6 and C-67 fused with donor bone, no plate, on 6/30/04. I am 42 yo and have done well. Wore hard Aspen collar x 4 weeks, had first x-ray, bones fused well, and collar discontinued. My NS said before surgery that the C6-7 looked worse but my complaints of left arm pain, constant numbness & progressive weakness pointed more to the C5-6. He said he was going to fuse both levels so I would not have problems arise later (if only one level was fused). I saw this NS for over a year before he felt disc removal was indicated; he is very conservative w/ surgery. Now that I have done well, I am glad he was so cautious but at the time it was very frustrating to feel so bad and just want to get something done ASAP. Whatever happens in the future w/ all the other levels, at least I know I tried every conservative option (except epidural steroids-- which is another story--my second opinion orthopedic surgeon wanted those--but I refused having had a bad reaction from an epidural w/ childbirth--my NS never even mentioned epidural steroids so after my second opinion I felt I was being best treated by my original NS).

[zoey1]

i am 2 level fusion 3 months post op doing very well
had donar bone graphs, plates screws

i still experaince muscle spams and pain at this time but not the levels i experainced daily before the surgery

i use to have big knots in back of my sholders near the neck that were very painful i have not had that occurance since surgery
i have had no numbness or tingling since surgery as well

the first month post op the hardest, 2nd month eased up ,and by month three much improved

i wish you well and information on your coming to terms with the direction you will go

[solardust]

Thanxs so much for the response's,,I really do not understand myself as to why he did not fuse c5c6,other then what he told me,on the mri both disks were bulgding,with mild flating of spinal cord,and herniation in c6c7,I had one steroid shot,that sent the pain level up 4 notchs,which I at the time did not think was possible,but it was and by the night before surgery,Iwas crawling the wall,this from a woman who has had 5 kids w/no pain meds,open heart surgery,takeing only tylenol after,cuz I do not tolerate pain meds well,now yesterday had to travel 5o miles to get a differant collar,I was in one called a phillidephia,now have miami,anyway,that ride must have worked up stuff, cuz both arms were tingleing, right one was heavey and weak , and legs got involved,right one is threating a charley horse,god I am praying this all settles down,I though being cursed with bad genes(regarding heart) was bad,gee's,Diana