I really haven't had many problems since the surgery, other than my neck being stiff. Re: ACDF surgery 6 months after! Status post ACDF C4-C6 with decompressed canal, recesses, and foramina. Spinal fusion is a common form of back surgery used to treat several kinds of back problems, including scoliosis, vertebral weakness, and herniated discs. It was as close to a miracle I've ever experienced. She is now working the pec area and the arm. I had a MRI with contrast on the left shoulder in January to see if it might show something noteworthy and different than the one I had in August. Infection. The cervical spinal canal is diminutive in caliberon a congenital basis. After surgery, patients should eat soft foods and liquids until their first follow-up appointment. Cervical Spondylosis (Arthritis Of The Neck): Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, Complications Of Anterior Cervical Discectomy And Fusion Surgery, What to Expect After Surgery to the Cervical Spine, Possible Complaints After Neck Fusion Surgery. Similar areas of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament at these levels. According to the parameters studied 50 - 78% of those who at the 6-month follow-up were without deficit were still healthy at the 3-year follow-up. Adv Orthop. The explanation and descriptions are easy to follow and so helpful in understanding the a variety of conditions covered.Thank you Dr Corenmen for providing such a valuable directory of information. That is bad for spine and shoulder alignment and I want to prevent any future problems that could be caused by wear and tear with poor ergonomics. I do know that I have a bulging lumbar disc that cracks on rotation, and I have less issues with that because of core strength. Both herniations were central (pushing into the cord, right up the middle) and I never had numbness or tingling, just pain/tightness. WebTypical Physical Therapy after ACDF This is what the patient can typically expect at physical therapy: Pain relief and inflammation are the key concerns at first. I AM AN ACTIVE 35 YR OLD WOMAN WHO'S QUALITY OF LIFE IS DETERIORATING. Welcome to the board. THANKS! WebPain in the back of the neck and between the shoulder blades is common after ACDF surgery. Since the patients in this study clearly demonstrate broad problems array of development of more structured multi-professional rehabilitation models including exercises which improve neck muscle strength, endurance and proprioception need to be introduced. I was always treated with respect and explained everything throughly, that made it easy for everyone to understand. My arm pain cleared up shortly thereafter. I still have to maintain posture and spine alignment or my TOS will get worse, and I work on my PT exercises at home because I can't go to appointments because of social distancing. I prepared myself mentally for a great surgical recovery and worked a lot on deprogramming my fears and it all worked. It is our goal to provide the highest level of care and service to our patients. You can probably do all of this now. There may be numbness in the arms. I had run into that myself before I had surgery when the various surgeons who evaluated me didn't understand my symptoms. Any surgery will come with a set of risks and potential complications to look out for. I know I have posted before here but just wondered if anyone else feels like this. WebBackground:Dysphagia is a common complication immediately following anterior cervical spine surgery.However, its onset more than 1-year postoperatively is rare. It was important that the patient undergo diagnostic testing and facet joint injection prior to surgery, Haglund notes. Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion without instrumentation. Predictive factors for arm pain, neck pain, neck specific disability and health after anterior cervical decompression and fusion. The most common post-operative neural disorder is C5 nerve palsy. over a year ago. The hospital team will monitor several metrics to determine the best time to discharge you. In younger and/or more physically fit individuals, recovery time can range anywhere from 46 weeks. WebBackground:Dysphagia is a common complication immediately following anterior cervical spine surgery.However, its onset more than 1-year postoperatively is rare. Neither of the shoulder issues was the source of my ongoing pain, it was caused by my spine (cervical stenosis) and TOS. Typically this is nothing to be concerned about. How are you getting along". I know how to take my hands and work the knots out. It is possibly you might have a tad of permanent nerve damage but you won't know for many more months. (around C6-C7?) Prior to surgery I saw him, two physical therapists and the neurosurgeon. It is possibly you might have a tad of permanent nerve damage but you won't know for many more months. WebIn the end, after recovering from anterior cervical fusion surgery, most patients report significant improvements and a decrease in pain. In younger and/or more physically fit individuals, recovery time can range anywhere from 46 weeks. But you cant know this for sure until almost a year has passed. However, nearly all cases resolve spontaneously within 2 years, thus identifying patients who require more detailed or invasive work-up is a challenging task for clinicians. Mayo is very thorough in examining all the issues a patient has in a multidisciplinary approach and it is a team effort where the doctors do consult each other and right away, so they are very efficient. Three years after ACDF about two-thirds of the patients had remaining deficit with regard to pain intensity, Neck Disability Index, Distress and Risk Assessment Method and general health. https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/myofascial-release-therapy-mfr-for-treating-compression-and-pain/, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/thoracic-outlet-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20353988, https://trainingandrehabilitation.com/how-truly-treat-thoracic-outlet-syndrome/, https://sharing.mayoclinic.org/2019/01/09/using-the-art-of-medicine-to-overcome-fear-of-surgery/. I don't feel like I had spine surgery, and I feel much younger than when I was living with the pain from the spine problem. Posts: 55. Typically this is nothing to be concerned about. Tagged:Shoulder supraprinitus tear after ACDF and increasing thoractic pain. One additional questionif the pain was facet originated, wouldnt the facets directly below the fusion site (in my case C4-C6 ACDF) bear the brunt of the new load? Late infection after an interval of time after ACDF may present with various symptoms and signs including neck pain, dysphagia, and fever accompanied with laboratory abnormalities such as elevated white blood cell count, ESR, and CRP [ 7, 17 ]. Without the tests, it might have been assumed that the patients pain was due to C6-C7 possible pseudarthrosis. The patient's pain did not improve with 6 months of conservative treatment that included physical therapy and epidural injections. Both of them, along with two physical therapists, said my issues were cervical spine which is why I had surgery. Recovery time after ACDF surgery generally lasts about four to six weeks. Re: ACDF surgery 6 months after! Disc pain is generally diagnosed by discograms but I generally do not recommend discograms in the thoracic spine. The radiology report was very similar. Then a cervical epidural (no relief). I do have some tigthness in my neck, but I have had that for years because of Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. I did. The cervical spinal canal is diminutive in caliberon a congenital basis. Acta Neurochir (Wien). Other goals of surgery include: Improving neck pain. I had my first surgery in 2003 and just had another Decembe 2007. These usually get better over the next few weeks. Number one, you should always be concerned about non-union of the bone graft. He told me he is almost able to pull my arm completely out of the socket. Recesses and foramina are patent. Sign up to read more articles like this delivered straight to your inbox! I have not been seeing my PT because of COVID-19, but I continue on my own as best I can. It causes pain after ACDF surgery because the bone graft and attached muscles change their biomechanics. WebMuscle pain after Cervical Fusion Surgery may be due to a new shoulder injury. and screws. The therapist I am working with has done ASTYM on the shoulder and arm. Three or four level fusion may require additional days. Initially, after the surgery, I was doing great - went back to work in a week and gradually increased gym activities. MOVING MY HEAD IN ANY WAY SENDS SHARP PAINS THROUGH MY NECK, SHOULDERS AND IN THE CENTER OF MY SHOULDER BLADES. I think it's the spinal canal. Maintaining stability of the spine. It is possibly you might have a tad of permanent nerve damage but you won't know for many more months. We are working on stabling the bone and so on. Before Cervical fusion is generally considered safe, however, it is major surgery. Until about a month ago I noticed a lot of pain in my left shoulder and down my arm. I had ACDF on C5 C6 about three weeks ago. I knew the pain was temporary healing pain, and for awhile, I was tired because my muscles had atrophied, but gradually muscle came back because I was using it. I know I have posted before here but just wondered if anyone else feels like this. Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is a type of spine surgery used for the treatment of neck or arm pain caused by cervical radiculopathy. In an attempt to bring these individuals back into their full-speed lives again, doctors and other spine treatment providers focus on mitigating pain. Take any medications that your doctor prescribes for pain and constipation. March 26, 2018 Three months after undergoing C5-T1 anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), an active 60-year-old man from Florida began to experience recurrent neck and left shoulder pain. I had acdf at C5-C6. A number of potential diagnoses are possible. If I see another drs shake their head and tell me to just give it time, I'm going to scream. Six month after surgery to this day I have pain across my upper back. I had a choice of fusion or artificial disc, but I wasn't a great candidate for the artificial disc because of 2mm of instability at C5/C6. Epub 2008 Sep 6. After ACDF, youll want to return to your favorite activities as soon as possible, and while the recovery time might be lengthy, a recent study showed that the procedure reduced arm pain in 93-100% and neck pain in 73-87% of standard patients. X ray of T-spine is negative for any issues there. 2007 Apr;16(4):507-14. doi: 10.1007/s00586-006-0271-0. Here is my patient story. I've already looked at them, as I have a copy of the disk. Operative outcomes for cervical myelopathy and radiculopathy. Some patients can to return to their daily activities within a week after the ACDF surgery. The MRI might note solid fusion but the MRI is generally not a reliable test to determine if fusion is present. Re: ACDF surgery 6 months after! However, nearly all cases resolve spontaneously within 2 years, thus identifying patients who require more detailed or invasive work-up is a challenging task for clinicians. There is some imbibition of the intra-articular contrast into the superior labrum suggesting degeneration. Some patients can to return to their daily activities within a week after the ACDF surgery. The most common post-operative neural disorder is C5 nerve palsy. Hello, Gilmore06. When I contacted Mayo 4 years ago, I wrote to a specific surgeon and asked that he review my imaging because I read papers he co-authored and thought his area on interest would be a good match for what I needed. From my first cervical procecure, I lost complete use of my left arm, which eventually led to shoulder surgery to remove significant inflamation. It's been almost a year since my surgery. I had acdf at C5-C6. The cervical spinal cord demonstrates normal caliber and signal without syrinx. It might. On Jan 11th 2007 I had ACDF without plate or screws C6/C7 with only a soft collar perscibed. Measurements have earlier been obtained before and 6 and 12 months after ACDF. https://sharing.mayoclinic.org/2019/01/09/using-the-art-of-medicine-to-overcome-fear-of-surgery/. No evidence of hardware complication. over a year ago, Big Z Some patients may need to start physical therapy about a month after ACDF and continue it for a couple more months. C4-C5: Canal is decompressed status post fusion and discectomy. Do not know if that is what is causing the pain or not. THE ONLY THING MRI SHOWS IS A BOOMERANG SHAPE IN MY NECK WHERE THE TITANIUM PLATE IS. Rotator cuff tear (supraspinatus mainly) was the predominant finding in MRI in those who didnt improve after ACDF (n=18, 25.7%, p-value: 0.001). After the procedure, the surgical area will remain inflamed as the body heals itself. In some cases, however, patients go home the same day. 2008 May-Jun;8(3):436-42. doi: 10.1016/j.spinee.2007.06.006. It was from C4-C6 with two spacers and a plate", "So your fusion was in your cervical. A thoracic MRI would reveal this disorder. You must be logged in to reply to this topic. As others have mentions, drs seemed stumped by the pain issue. Maintaining stability of the spine. https://trainingandrehabilitation.com/how-truly-treat-thoracic-outlet-syndrome/. Please enable it to take advantage of the complete set of features! Confusing MRI, cervical disectomy and fusion surgery complications, C4/5 & C5/6 Fusion with TM100 Plate and Screws - Still pain, numbness much improved, Winged scapula (RH side) following C5 C6 Anterior disectomy, longterm pain after anterior cervical fusion, anterior cervical discectomy and fusion C5/6. MeSH Its a slow healing process, but in the end, the operation may end up being successful. I had acdf at C5-C6. Some common risks of surgery include: Stroke. It hasn't helped. I didn't take one muscle relaxer or pain pill after the surgery. I could move my arm and shoulder without pain (once going through therapy and strengthening). ligamentum buckling or hypertrophy in cervical spine. Incorrect Screw Placement Screws and plates are utilized to stabilize the neck during Cervical Fusion Surgery. Measurements have earlier been obtained before and 6 and 12 months after ACDF. 2012;2012:919153. doi: 10.1155/2012/919153. After surgical intervention (ACDF), 48 patients (68.6%) noted the cessation of shoulder symptoms (pain, weakness, and numbness) during their last visit. Your symptoms and intensity of pain are concerning. Hello, I am currently 6 months out from a two level ACDF (c4-c6). I really haven't had many problems since the surgery, other than my neck being stiff. Posts: 9,238. If your PT is not trained in MFR, there is a provider finder on the MFR website. There may be numbness in the arms. After several rounds of facet joints injections, constant NSAIDS and muscle relaxers, my symptoms in my original post have persisted. No lumbar pain). C2-C3: No abnormality.